An RAF airbase used by the US has issued a statement after a civilian jet accidentally landed on the tarmac.
As previously reported on Saturday, September 12, a civilian aircraft – reported to be a Cessna Citation Excel/XLS operated by VistaJet – landed at RAF Fairford.
The airbase has now issued a statement stating it is aware of the accidental landing, and that officials on the site carried out protocols following the landing to ensure the safety of personnel.
A spokesperson for the American-run base said: “The 501st Combat Support Wing is aware of the accidental landing of a civilian aircraft at RAF Fairford on 12 September 2026.
“Partnered with the Ministry of Defence Police, base officials executed established protocols to manage the situation and ensure the safety of all involved personnel.
“We appreciate our continued partnership with the MoD and the shared dedication to the security of RAF Fairford.”
According to flight tracking service FlightAware, the jet took off from London City Airport at 8.49am and landed at the airbase at 9.21am.
FlightAware data shows that the jet then took off from RAF Fairford around three hours later, at 12.16pm, making a four-minute trip to the Cotswold Airport at Kemble, which is around 15 miles from Fairford.
The jet left Cotswold Airport an hour later to fly to Gdansk in Poland, where it landed at around 4.30pm local time.
Military aircraft photography page Black Cat Aviation posted images of the incident, which show the jet on the tarmac surrounded by cars following a reported ‘unauthorised landing’.
VistaJet has been approached for comment.
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The landing comes amid continued use of RAF Fairford by the US.
As previously reported, earlier in the year, the UK had allowed the US to launch ‘defensive’ operations from British bases hosting American personnel and aircraft while refusing to cooperate in offensive operations against Iran.
In the months since, US bombers such as B-52s and B-1s have become a frequent sight over the skies of Swindon and north Wiltshire, and the perimeter of the fence proving a busy location for plane spotters.
According to reporting by the Guardian newspaper, nearly 500 million US dollars is to be spent at the airbase, to complete a new hangar complex and renovate houses to accommodate ‘a significant influx of aircrew.’
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