UK police on the scene after Kenyan plane diverted to land at Stansted Airport with fighter escort

LONDON (AP) — Police said they were attending an “incident” Thursday after a plane from Nairobi bound for London’s Heathrow Airport was escorted by air force fighter jets and diverted to land at Stansted airport instead.

The Ministry of Defense said Royal Air Force Typhoon fighters were launched “as a precaution this afternoon to investigate a civilian aircraft which was approaching the U.K.”

It said the plane “remained in contact with air traffic controllers throughout, and was escorted to Stansted Airport where it landed safely.”

The military said civilian authorities were now handling the incident.

Stansted said the Kenya Airways 787 landed safely on Thursday afternoon and was parked at a remote stand, away from the terminal.

The Essex Police force says officers are “attending an incident” at Stansted. It said the airport remains open.

Stansted is some 30 miles (40 kilometers) north of London, and is used for flights when there are security incidents because of its remote location.