French fighter jet 'tracks' Jet2 flight on route to Birmingham Published duration 19 August 2017

image copyright Emily Hatfield/PA image caption The fighter jet stayed with the Jet2 plane for about 15 minutes

A passenger on board a plane flying from Spain to Birmingham has told of the "terrifying" moment holidaymakers realised their aircraft was being shadowed by a French fighter jet.

The Jet2 plane, travelling to the UK from Malaga, was joined in the skies by the jet for about 15 minutes on Friday.

Passenger Sarah Hatfield, said: "It was so close I could read the writing on its tail fin."

Carrier Jet2 said it was awaiting a response from the French air force.

'Excitement and terror'

Ms Hatfield, from Quarry Bank in the West Midlands, who was travelling with husband Ian and their 13-year-old daughter Emily, said: "Someone spotted the French jet and told the cabin crew, who I presume told the Jet2 pilots.

image caption Low-cost carrier Jet2 has a base at Birmingham Airport

"The air stewardess then announced there was nothing to worry about.

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

The family photographed the aircraft seemingly tracking Flight LS1204 and said 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."