EASYJET passengers were left stunned when their flight from Gatwick to Menorca was escorted by Spanish fighter planes.
Dramatic pictures show an F18 warplane flying close alongside the Airbus A319 much to the shock of holidaymakers.
Footage shared on social media shows the fighter jet – the same plane which Tom Cruise flies in Top Gun – next to the passenger jet's distinctly orange liveried wing.
The video – which has been 51,000 times on Twitter – shows the pilot tipping his wings at the easyJet plane – a symbol understood by pilots to mean for "follow me".
EZY8303 was then escorted as the plane touched down on the Spanish island of Menocra.
The plane landed around 30 minutes late – and the aircraft was held on the ground at the airport for almost four hours.
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EasyJet confirmed the incident occured while the passenger plane was landing yesterday in Menorca.
A spokesman said: "easyJet can confirm flight EZY8303 from London Gatwick to Menorca was escorted by military aircraft while landing in Menorca and delayed disembarking due to precautionary security checks.
"The passengers have since disembarked.
"The safety and security of its passengers and crew is always easyJet's highest priority and we would like to thank passengers for their understanding."
Fighter jets follow strict guidelines when they intercept civilian planes – with the rules saying two jets must approach the aircraft.
European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) rules say that fighter jets should only intercept civilian plans as a "last resort".
One the warplanes then pulls alongside while the second fighter hangs back behind the passenger jet's tail.
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The pilots make visual contact and rock their wings to acknowledge the intercept.
And then the civilian plane will follow the warplane to a nearby airport – which is this case was Menorca.
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