Russian fighter jets disrupt UK passenger flights
Passenger flights were disrupted on Wednesday when two Russian military planes flew within 25 miles of UK airspace, said the Foreign Office.
While refusing to give details of the flight disruption, the Foreign Office said typhoon fighters were scrambled from RAF Lossiemouth and RAF Coningsby to shadow the Russian jets.
BBC defence correspondent Jonathan Beale said the two Russian Tu-95 Bear H bombers travelled from the north, past the west coast of Ireland and to the English Channel before turning and going back the way they had come.
The two Russian planes did not enter UK airspace and Russia’s ambassador, who was called to explain the presence of the fighter jets, dismissed the patrols as ‘routine’.
However, the Russian pilots did not file a flight plan, did not have their transponders switched on and they weren’t in communication with air traffic controllers. The entire operation lasted 12 hours.
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
Qatar Airways offers reduced timetable to over 60 destinations
Hands In, UATP join forces for airline multi-card payments
AirlineRatings reveals world's safest airline rankings for 2026
Vietnam warns airlines of possible flight reductions amid jet fuel shortages
Fliggy opens AI-powered travel bookings and developer tools