British Airways flight 175 carrying 239 passengers from Heathrow airport bound for John F Kennedy airport, New York, had to turn back to the UK, mid-way across the Atlantic, after a passenger was found to be on a US terrorist suspect list.
The incident took place on Wednesday after US made a request that a person on board should not be allowed to land as he had terrorist links, and asked the BA Flight 175 be diverted to Bangor, Maine. But British Airways requested for and received permission for it to return to London.
US officials said the passenger was placed on the no-fly list in late December, but that British Airways did not have the latest no-fly list. No details about the passenger were given out by the BA officials.
Soon after the flight landed at London the man was taken into custody by the Metroplitan Police and later released after questioning. British Airways emphasized that there had been no threat to the safety of the aircraft at any time.
US officials said the man's name was on the list because of a potential affiliation with known terrorists that were working out of Morocco. However, the man was not under investigation for carrying out any terrorist act.
Meanwhile, all the other passengers boarded another flight to New York last night.
US ask all carriers to provide passenger lists before landing. In Dec. 2001, security was tightened after Richard Reid from Brixton, London, tried to blow up a flight from Paris to Miami with explosives hidden in his trainers.
