UK pilots report ‘near misses’ with unidentified objects near Manchester Airport and Liverpool John Lennon Airport amid spy balloon concerns

The reports were uncovered after a series of unidentified objects, including a suspected Chinese spy balloon, were shot down over the United States and Canada last week.

It has now been revealed that pilots in the UK reported at least seven close encounters with unidentified objects – including two in the North West, with near misses recorded near Manchester Airport and Liverpool John Lennon Airport.

Both incidents were referred to the UK Airprox Board (UKAB), which records any activity in the skies (such as near misses) in which the safety of aircraft and passengers are compromised.

The UK is now reviewing its own security measures after the US shot down the four objects flying in its airspace, with Washington declaring one of them to be a piece of Chinese spyware.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said the UK Government will do “whatever it takes” to keep UK airspace safe and claimed Typhoon fighter jets are kept “on 24/7 readiness” to counter similar intrusions.

His comments came after transport minister Richard Holden said it was “possible” Beijing had already targeted Britain with balloon spyware.

‘Black object’ passes airliner near Manchester

On July 2, a pilot of a Boeing 757 plane saw “what was first thought to be balloons” at 7,500 feet shortly after departing from Manchester Airport.

The report went on to state that “as the black object passed down the right-hand side it looked like a drone”.

‘Silver coloured object’ in near miss with plane over Liverpool

The first officer onboard an ATR 72 turboprop plane approaching Liverpool John Lennon Airport on April 8 observed “a small silver coloured object” about 10 metres away from the right wing at 3,500 feet.

The report added: “As the object was only visible for three seconds it was not enough time to determine whether it was a balloon or a drone.”

The UKAB concluded that the incident had the highest level of risk as “a definite risk of collision had existed”.

Other unidentified objects in UK skies last year

On December 17, the pilot of an EV97 light aircraft flying at 1,850 feet above Enfield, north London reported an object that “could have been a balloon or an egg-shaped drone” flying “directly below them by 50-200ft”.

An air traffic controller told the board on September 25 a pilot in the cockpit of an Airbus A319 airliner was “distracted” by an object which was “either a balloon or a drone” passing along the side of the plane.

The pilot said it was in “close proximity” and described it as a “white object, considered to be a threat” and “rectangular”.

Four days later, a pilot on a Boeing 737 taking off from Stansted Airport, Essex reported seeing “a glinting object” as near as 50 metres away.

The pilot “first thought it was a balloon”, but then believed that was unlikely given it was at an altitude of 9,000 feet, so believed it was a drone.

On July 16, the captain and first office in the cockpit of an Airbus A320 near Hatfield, Hertfordshire noticed an object which was “grey/silver in colour and about the size of a large drone or balloon”.

It was “almost shiny in appearance” and passed “within 100-200ft below their aircraft”.

The UKAB concluded that the incident had the second-highest level of risk as “safety had been much reduced below the norm”.

On June 3, the pilot of an Airbus A321 aircraft at 34,000 feet above Norwich saw “a small white weather balloon”.

Spy balloons, surveillance drones, extraterrestrials or just the Met Office?

US officials said they still know little about the three objects downed since Friday but the White House ruled out “extra-terrestrial activity” following wild speculation about their origins.

In October 2017, the Met Office said it “launches over 4,300 balloons every year from six locations across the UK” and is “involved in launching thousands more around the globe”.