The fighter jet was there to intercept. All commercial pilots are trained to follow standard procedures when intercepted. Which comes down to: 1. Let ATC know, 2. Establish radio communication or use standard signals if unable, 3. Follow directions by the intercepting plane instead of ATC.
The radio words to use are standardised so they even work in case one side doesn't speak English. The signals are also very simple (rock wings, certain turns, gear up/down).
No need to think about being shot down or not, no need to scare, any commercial flight being intercepted would follow directions.
Huh, surely the Belarusian government wouldn't dare shoot it down? But I guess if I were the Ryanair captain responsible for all souls onboard, landing it is the safest choice.
> Huh, surely the Belarusian government wouldn't dare shoot it down?
No sane or insane pilot is going to risk it, however. Unless the pilot was certain that his and all of passengers fate were in danger, they are going to follow that fighter jet.
That depends - they wouldn't want a plane with a bomb to explode over a city for example, so the jets could be used to "neutralise" the threat.
Obviously in this case the bomb was fake and so the threat...
Belarusian Air Force fighter-interceptor manoeuvred to signal to the pilots of a Ryanair airliner:follow me”. The captain of the civilian aircraft was obliged to obey. The captain may have disobeyed the dispatcher's command, but the threat from a military aircraft was obligatory.
