Mystery surrounds Qatar flight before Manchester airport attack – what we know so far

Most of the UK has now seen the viral video of a man tasered and headbutted and stomped on by a police officer at Manchester Airport.

But many questions still remain about the circumstances — and what happened on the flight that apparently led to the situation. We know there was an “altercation between passengers” – which may have started on the flight or in the T2 baggage hall – which led to a “violent altercation involving members of the public”, according to Greater Manchester Police.

Footage emerged of chaotic violence at Manchester Airport yesterday moments before a police officer was filmed appearing to punch a man in the head in a viral video.

The exclusive footage, obtained by the Manchester Evening News, is believed to capture the build-up to the incident which has sparked controversy and protests since it emerged on social media. The footage previously shared appeared to show the officer kicking and punching a man in the head as he lay on the ground.

Now, new footage captures the chaotic and violent scenes between those involved in the incident and police officers leading up to that moment. At the beginning of the clip, a group of people can be seen standing around a ticket machine inside a car park at Terminal 2. It has proved difficult to establish exactly what happened before this viral moment. The Mirror has taken a look at everything we currently know about the pre-battle flight.

Flight QR23 from Doha to Manchester departed at 14:33 local time from Doha International Airport in Qatar. It flew through the Persian Gulf, Iraq, Turkey, Eastern and Central Europe before landing at Manchester Airport at 19:21 local time.

There is then an hour gap between when the flight landed and 8.22pm when another altercation involving members of the public took place near the T2 Starbucks. It was six minutes later, at 8.28pm, when a fight broke out between police officers and passengers and footage was taken of a man being kicked in the head, while one of the officers suffered a broken nose.

The family’s lawyer, Akhmed Yakoob, claimed the men’s mother was racially abused while flying from Pakistan to Manchester. He told LBC on Friday: “I’m told there was some sort of exchange with another gentleman who made some racist remarks towards the mother who was assaulted in that video,” adding that the mother received a black eye.

GMP initially released a statement revealing that a female officer suffered a broken nose and that she and two other officers were taken to hospital for treatment.

It added that four men were arrested for fighting and assaulting emergency workers. But another statement was shared on July 25 that said a police officer was under criminal investigation for assault and had been suspended from all duties as an independent investigation took place amid mounting criticism.

Authorities are continuing to appeal for witnesses and information about what happened during and immediately after the fight. The incident has drawn condemnation from many critics of the police’s handling, while some – notably MPs from the Reform Party – support the police’s handling of the matter.

The incident sparked a series of protests in our region. But a number of public figures and those involved in the incident themselves appealed for “calm”. On Friday night, the Independent Office for Police Conduct said a police officer was being investigated for assault. The IOPC emphasized that it does not necessarily mean criminal charges will follow.

Labor MP for Rochdale Paul Waugh said in an X post on July 25: “I have spoken to the family involved in the incident on Tuesday night at Manchester Airport and it is clear that they are deeply traumatized by what has happened.

“The family, who are my constituents in Rochdale, have two priorities. The first and most immediate priority is the health and well-being of their family members, including their mother.

“Their second priority is the need for justice to be done and seen to be done. But the family also wants me to say clearly that they have no political agenda, do not accept political violence and do not want to take part in any protests. They wanted to call for calm and I hope this call is heard.”

The Labor Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, said in a statement: “The Deputy Mayor and I have now had the opportunity to meet both the Home Secretary and the Regional Director of the Independent Office for Policing.

“It was agreed that the ongoing IOPC inquiry would proceed as quickly as possible, involve community stakeholders and be truly independent.

“The precise arrangements will be determined by the IOPC. I hope this gives further reassurance to people that all the right steps are being taken, that all relevant issues will be fully considered and gives people confidence in the process as it moves forward. “