On July 24, 2026, two Royal Air Force Typhoon fighter jets scrambled to escort a Qatar Airways Boeing 777-300ER into Manchester Airport after a threat was phoned in against the aircraft. Greater Manchester Police later confirmed the threat was a hoax and said a 14-year-old boy is assisting officers with the investigation.
The aircraft landed safely under a heavy police presence, and no passengers or crew were harmed at any point.
What happened
Flight QR23, registration A7-BAJ, was nearing the end of its journey from Doha when National Air Traffic Services received a threat report around 6pm local time, according to Greater Manchester Police. Two Typhoon FGR4s, callsigns RIGID 11 and RIGID 12, launched from RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire under the RAF’s Quick Reaction Alert protocol.
The fighters intercepted the widebody over Nottingham and escorted it across the Midlands and Yorkshire before it landed at Manchester Airport around 8pm. The RAF said in a statement that the alert “was launched for a Qatar Airways flight which was causing concern to civil authorities” and that the incident “was resolved” on landing.
Qatar Airways said the Boeing 777-300ER was escorted for part of its journey “following a security notification from UK authorities” and that the aircraft was never in danger, with normal operations continuing on board.
Greater Manchester Police said a 14-year-old boy from the Bolton area, who was not on the flight, is assisting officers with their enquiries into the hoax. Chief Inspector Gary Homa said hoax calls “can cause significant disruption, divert vital emergency service resources and create unnecessary concern for passengers, crew and the wider public,” calling the behavior “completely unacceptable.”
Not the first time on this route
A Qatar Airways flight from Doha to Manchester was escorted by RAF fighters over a bomb hoax once before, in August 2014. That threat also proved false.
Why fighters scramble for a threat like this one
The UK keeps armed Typhoons on Quick Reaction Alert around the clock at bases including RAF Coningsby, ready to launch within minutes of a call from air traffic control. A scramble does not mean a threat has been confirmed; it is the default response whenever an aircraft causes enough concern that authorities want eyes on it and a way to intervene if needed.
Most QRA intercepts end exactly like this one: the crew keeps flying a normal approach, the fighters simply confirm the aircraft is behaving as expected, and everyone lands without incident. The same logic applies to how controllers handle a declared emergency, where the response is scaled to the worst case until it can be ruled out.
August 2014
First Doha-Manchester hoax. RAF jets escorted an earlier Qatar Airways flight to Manchester after a threat later ruled a hoax; a man was arrested and referred for a mental health assessment.
July 24, 2026, ~6pm BST
Threat reported. National Air Traffic Services flags a threat against inbound flight QR23; RAF Coningsby scrambles two Typhoons.
July 24, 2026, ~8pm BST
Landing. The escorted 777 lands safely at Manchester Airport under police presence; the threat is later confirmed a hoax.
Making a false report is a criminal matter in the UK regardless of the caller’s age, though how a case proceeds against a minor differs from an adult prosecution. Police have not said whether the Bolton teenager made the call himself or is linked to it another way.
Still under investigation
Greater Manchester Police have confirmed a 14-year-old is assisting their enquiries but have not formally stated whether he is the suspected caller. No charges had been announced at the time of writing.
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