Pakistani plane suspects remanded in custody after court appearance Two men who allegedly threatened to blow up an aeroplane flying with 308 passengers from Lahore to Manchester, were remanded in custody on Sunday. On Friday, RAF Typhoon fighters were scrambled to meet the Pakistan International Airlines flight mid-air as it was diverted towards Stansted after the pilot called for assistance. Taxi driver and supermarket worker Tayyab Subhani, 30, and restaurant worker Mohammed Safdar, 41, appeared at Chelmsford magistrates court charged with endangering an aircraft The pair were arrested after armed police boarded the flight at Stansted. Both were travelling home after attending Safdar's mother's funeral, the court heard. The defendants have been charged with making threats that the "crew and passengers would be killed and the aircraft blown up before landing, which was false, misleading or deceptive." During the hearing, the defendants, who were both born in Burnley, Lancashire, spoke only to confirm their names and addresses but their lawyers said they would deny the charge. Endangering an aircraft carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. The magistrate, Sarah-Jane Davies, refused bail. Safdar - a married father of three - and Subhani, both from Nelson, Lancashire, will next appear at Chelmsford crown court on 5 August. One passenger, Fakhar Iqbal from Dundee, had said the terrifying incident had left people on board worried that something awful might happen. He said: "There were lots of women and children on board and people were very scared. People lifted up their window blinds and saw the jets but there was no public announcement to say what was happening. It was terrifying being up in the air with this going on.