Passenger flight with possible threat lands in New York
By DPA, IANSFriday, October 29, 2010
WASHINGTON - A passenger plane that originated in Yemen landed safely Friday at New York’s John F Kennedy international airport, where US authorities were to inspect the craft for any suspicious packages.
Two US fighter jets had escorted the Emirates Airlines plane, which flew from Yemen via the United Arab Emirates, to its destination out of what US authorities described as “an abundance of caution”.
The flight was first tracked as it flew into Canadian airspace and crossed into the US, according to a spokeswoman for the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), which is charged with monitoring airspace in North America.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation said the flight was being investigated because there may be cargo from Yemen on board, US broadcaster CNN said.
The incident followed suspicious packages being inspected on two cargo planes that had originated in Yemen and were destined for the US. The two planes had been halted during stopovers in Britain and Dubai.
