Airline Jet2 has asked French aviation officials to explain why one of its planes was shadowed by a French fighter jet.

Passengers on board Friday's flight LS1204 from Malaga to Birmingham say the aircraft was tracked by a military plane for up to 15 minutes.

Sarah Hatfield, from Quarry Bank near Dudley, was travelling with her husband Ian and their 13-year-old daughter Emily.

She said: "Someone spotted the French jet and told the cabin crew, who I presume told the Jet2 pilots. The air stewardess then announced there was nothing to worry about.

Image: The Jet2 plane was flying from Malaga to Birmingham. Pic: Emily Hatfield

"Ian was terrified and it didn't help that loads of other passengers came by us to look out at it.


"It was so close I could read the writing on its tail fin. The feeling on board was a mixture of excitement at seeing the fighter so close up and terror as to if we were about to get shot down."

A spokesperson for Jet2 said: "We are awaiting clarification from the French air traffic authorities, as to why a military aircraft was apparently tracking our aircraft".