RAF Typhoons have been scrambled to escort an Italian military aircraft into Prestwick Airport after it lost contact with air traffic control.
Air traffic controllers raised the alarm after losing contact with the C-27 cargo aircraft due to a fault in the plane's communications during a flgiht from Iceland to Milan.
More than a dozen police vehicles, sniffer dogs and fire crews raced to the scene after the troop carrier touched down safely in Ayrshire at around 8pm.
Parts of Scottish airspace were temporarily closed as the fighter jets from RAF Lossiemouth provided an escort.
One source said: "The plane landed at 7.54pm on the emergency runaway at Prestwick.
"The plane lost communication and air traffic control didn't know why.
"At that stage, it could be anything, from a technical fault to something more sinister, and that is why it needs to be treated with such caution."
It understood the typhoons did not land with the plane at Prestwick, but officials confirmed the Italian civilian cargo plane landed safely.
An Ministry of Defence spokesman said: "Typhoon aircraft were launched from RAF Lossiemouth to intercept a civilian aircraft which was causing concern to air traffic control authorities.
"The aircraft was safely escorted to Prestwick Airport."
Control of the situation was then passed to local police.
Several flights were delayed at Glasgow and Edinburgh Airports as a result, however, the affected flights had taken off by 9.30pm.
The operation is not thought to cause any knock-on delays today airports across the country gear up for the Easter break.
At Glasgow Airport, thousands of holidaymakers were today preparing to take to the skies bound for sunnier climates such as the Canary Islands, Turkey, Majorca, Dubai and Florida.
A Police Scotland spokesman said: "Police and emergency services were present at Prestwick Airport after a plane landed safely under escort as safety precaution."
The civilian cargo aircraft is believed to have suffered technical problems with its communications equipment.
As major emergency was declared at the airport, roads surrounding the transport hub were sealed off by police.
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