British Air Force Routinely Checks Up on Airliners

Royal Air Force fighter planes scramble regularly to ensure that commercial airliners have not been hijacked, Britain's defense ministry said Thursday.

Air Chief Marshal Glenn Torpey said there had been at least one incident every month that required a fighter - from a "quick-reaction alert" unit - to investigate.

"The Tornados have been launching pretty regularly for any aircraft that appear to be behaving oddly," Torpey was quoted by the Times newspaper as saying, adding that such a response could be triggered by a disruptive passenger, a pilot failing to communicate regularly with the control tower or a plane taking an unexpected route.

"We're pretty acutely aware of the short time that we have to respond to these incidents," Torpey said. "If there is any doubt at all about an aircraft, we launch the Tornados."

A defense ministry spokesman said Thursday that the unit can launch in a very short time, and that planes are kept on standby with their engines warm.

"It's something that ... the RAF is very proud of doing," he said, on condition of anonymity in line with government policy.

Britain has four Tornados on permanent standby in the quick-response unit. The planes, which can fly at 1,500 mph (2,400 kph) and have an extensive range, are based in the south of England and northern Scotland.

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