British plane diverts to avoid missile in Egypt

A Thomson Airways flight to Sharm el-Sheikh in August was forced to divert when it came within 300 metres of a missile.

The British government confirmed yesterday that the pilot of flight TOM 476 had detected a missile near the Egyptian airport, according to the Guardian.

A Thomson Airways plane. Photo: Flyairwaysimulation

The incident occurred on August 23, when the plane was carrying 189 passengers to a resort on the Red Sea. The plane then landed safely, and the passengers had no idea they had escaped death.

Thomson said the crew reported the incident to the UK Department for Transport (DfT) immediately after landing. The DfT confirmed there had been an incident but did not believe the missile was aimed at the UK aircraft.

"We have investigated and concluded that it was not a deliberate attack, it may be linked to routine Egyptian military exercises," a British government spokesman said. He said there were no concerns and it was safe for British flights to continue to Sharm el-Sheikh.

The incident is not believed to be directly related to London’s decision to suspend flights to Egypt following the crash of a Russian plane that killed 224 people last weekend. Meanwhile, observers say the announcement raises concerns about instability in the region, which could threaten flight safety.

British planes are currently banned from flying below about 8,000 metres over the Sinai Peninsula due to fears of being shot down by Islamic State (IS) militants using shoulder-fired missiles. Intelligence agencies believe IS possesses shoulder-fired missiles that can hit low-flying aircraft.

According to VNE