Boy, 14, is assisting police over hoax call as RAF Typhoon fighters are scrambled to intercept Qatar Airways jet on its way to Manchester

See more Daily Mail on Google - save us as a Preferred Source Published: 11:17 EDT, 25 July 2026 | Updated: 11:18 EDT, 25 July 2026 A boy is assisting a police investigation after a hoax threat was made to a plane headed for Manchester airport.Two Typhoons were scrambled from RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire on Friday to intercept the Qatar Airways flight after it was threatened by what proved to be a hoax, the Ministry of Defence said.Soon after the Boeing 777 – flight 23 from the Qatari capital Doha – entered UK airspace on Friday evening, it was intercepted by the jets over Nottingham.Nats, formerly National Air Traffic Services, said it received the threat around 6pm and triggered a response involving police, the RAF and airport authorities.But the Typhoon escort was called off before the flight reached Manchester.The plane landed safely and police said there was no threat to passengers or crew.Greater Manchester Police said a 14-year-old boy from Bolton, who was not on board the flight, is 'assisting officers with their inquiries'.Chief inspector Gary Homa said the hoax was 'completely unacceptable' and every safety concern reported was 'treated extremely seriously' by the force. A Qatar Airways flight from Doha to Manchester on Friday was threatened by what proved to be a hoax, police said (file pic)Two Typhoon jets were scrambled from RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire to escort the plane Tracking site FlightRadar24 showed a radar view of the passenger jet accompanied by the RAF fightersHe added hoax calls can cause 'significant disruption, divert vital emergency service resources and create unnecessary concern for passengers, crew and the wider public'.'Thankfully, this incident concluded safely, but making false reports is not a prank and can have serious consequences. We will always investigate incidents of this kind thoroughly and take robust action where offences have been committed,' he said.An RAF spokesman said it launched a 'quick reaction alert' for a Qatar Airways flight which was 'causing concern to civil authorities'.'The incident was resolved and the airliner landed safely at Manchester airport,' the force added.Emergency ground crews waited as the plane landed but it taxied safely to its gate, arriving at 7.45pm.A Qatar Airways spokesman said flight 23 was 'provided with an escort for part of its journey prior to landing following a security notification from UK authorities.'At no point was the aircraft in any danger and normal operations continued on board throughout. The flight landed safely and all passengers and crew disembarked without incident.'The safety and security of our passengers and crew remain our highest priority. We thank our passengers for their understanding.'