Daisy Phillipson
Footage shows the shocking moment an easyJet flight from the UK was intercepted by a Spanish Air Force fighter jet. Check it out:
Over the weekend, the flight took off from Gatwick Airport and was headed to the popular holiday destination of Menorca.
However, passengers on the G-EZAO Airbus were left shocked when they noticed an F18 combat aircraft flying closely beside them as their flight was due to land.
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Sharing a clip of the moment online, Twitter user Ian Leslie wrote: "@easyJet #a319 G-EZAO intercepted by Spanish Air Force on way to Menorca. passengers not being allowed to leave yet."
The news was confirmed by the low-cost airline, with a spokesperson citing 'precautionary security checks'.
In a statement shared with Simple Flying, they said: "easyJet can confirm flight EZY8303 from London Gatwick to Menorca was escorted by military aircraft while landing in Menorca and delayed disembarking due to precautionary security checks.
"The passengers have since disembarked.
"The safety and security of its passengers and crew is always easyJet's highest priority and we would like to thank passengers for their understanding."
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Numerous people have commented on the Twitter video, with one offering up their theory of why the plane was intercepted.
"It was a security procedure because of a false bomb alarm on board that had been published in social media, allegedly by some young occupants themselves, just for 'fun'," they said, although this claim has not been acknowledged by officials.
While this flight was eventually able to land, some easyJet customers may never even make it off the ground as the airline is set to cancel thousands of flights throughout the busy summer season.
The news comes as airports and airline companies continue to struggle with an influx of customers in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, with many lacking the staff to cope with the number of travellers.
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The firm was previously planning to run about 90 percent of its 2019 capacity in the three months leading up to June before rising to 97 percent during the months of July, August and September.
However, it later reduced these figures to 87 percent and 90 percent respectively, with easyJet explaining that it's had to take such action amid unprecedented restrictions by various European airports.
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Johan Lundgren, chief executive of easyJet, said in a statement: “Delivering a safe and reliable operation for our customers in this challenging environment is easyJet’s highest priority and we are sorry that for some customers we have not been able to deliver the service they have come to expect from us.
“We believe this is the right action for us to take so we can deliver for all of our customers over the peak summer period in this challenging environment.”