Seven Flights To, From U.S. Are Canceled

My Way/ AP ^ | Jan. 31, 2004 | BETH GARDINER

[mylife]

Wasnt BA 223 Cancelled during the Christmas holidays as well? Hmmmm....

[ican'tbelieveit]

Why did the reporter put in "to and from" the US? looks like it is only "to" the US.

[pompelmous]

If the passengers and cargo are screened and there are marshals on board what good is done by canceling the flight?

[Lijahsbubbe]

Flight 222 from Washington Dulles to London also was canceled Sunday and Monday, the airline said.

To andfrom Washington cancelled. The threat is inside the country and outside.

[Lijahsbubbe]

See post #5.

[LikeLight]

The return flight from Dulles is cancelled because the aircraft is still in London - these international flights are always cancelled in "pairs" out of necessity . . .

[livius]

Actually, I think it's because they use the same equipment, normally. If it doesn't come in, it can't go back.

[Dog]

What is going on? I just got in from work.....and have been out of the news loop.

[Lijahsbubbe]

Thanks both.

[Lijahsbubbe]

Still don't understand why no raising of alert level. Sounds the same as the holiday threat.

[Cap Huff]

It's deja vu all over again.

[mylife]

I'll be glad when the muslim holidays are over

[ican'tbelieveit]

It makes it seem like they are being cancelled because they are threatened. Guess the wording is misleading.

[dawn53]

Miami wasn't part of the last threat, was it?

[FairOpinion]

Depends on the threat.

"Another major concern was the possibility terrorists with shoulder-fired missiles might lie in wait along certain flight paths, the newspaper reported."

==

This was a comment re. the cancellations over the holidays, but I think it's still a valid concern. This type of threat would explain the cancellations.

http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1073086208968&call_pageid=968332188854&col=968350060724

[Dog]

I know..

[ican'tbelieveit]

Heard that explained this morning. It's all about the money.

[FairOpinion]

http://www.forbes.com/personalfinance/retirement/newswire/2004/01/31/rtr1237099.html

Al Qaeda threat behind canceled flights-US official
Reuters, 01.31.04, 10:28 AM ET

WASHINGTON, Jan 31 (Reuters) - The United States has intelligence that the al Qaeda network may be targeting five or six U.S.-bound flights from Europe, including three canceled by British Airways on Saturday, a U.S. official said.

"There are a handful of flights we are concerned about and British Airways has canceled about half of them," the official said on condition of anonymity.

The U.S.-bound flights in question all originated in Europe, he said. U.S. security officials alerted the airlines and governments involved and it was up to them whether to cancel the flights or step up in-flight security, he said.

After he spoke, Air France canceled two Paris-Washington flights.

In the latest cancellations during a jittery period for the global airline industry since before Christmas, British Airways said it had called off flight BA223 to Washington on Sunday and Monday. Sunday's BA 207 flight to Miami was also canceled.

Intelligence information raising fears of a new Sept. 11-style attack led to the cancellation of several international BA flights last month at the request of the U.S. authorities.

"We have received threat reporting that indicates al Qaeda's desire to target these particular flights," the U.S. official said in Washington.

The al Qaeda network led by Osama bin Laden is blamed by Washington for the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the United States that killed more than 3,000 people.

[dawn53]

I'll be glad when the Super Bowl is over. I always get the creeps about the Super Bowl, especially since terrorists seem to have a liking for Tom Clancy plots.