British Airways Jet Returns to Heathrow After Terror Scare

It now seems that a British Airways jumbo jet, flying over United States airspace, was forced to return to Heathrow Airport after a major terror scare. The Boeing 747, which was bound for Mexico City, was more than hallway across the Atlantic when United States authorities barred it from entry into its airspace. Apparently this was due to serious concerns about one of the passengers on the plane.

The flight was ordered back to Heathrow more than two hours into the flight when authorities spotted a data discrepancy with a 55-year-old American man. A spokesman for British Airways said that the flight from Heathrow to Mexico City returned to Heathrow last Friday afternoon due to a data discrepancy with a United States citizen. The aircraft made it back to Heathrow, at which time the passenger was asked to leave the plane, and he did.

British Airways went on to say that they apologized to the 317 passengers on board the flight for any inconvenience that the event may have caused. However, the aircraft was given more fuel and took off for Mexico again Friday evening as normal.

The Department of Transportation in the United States said that there has been no breach of security at Heathrow as a result of the incident. The man was escorted off of the plane due to anti-terror laws, but Scotland Yard did note that the man has not been arrested. This is now said to be the very first time that a British plane was barred from United States airspace since the 9/11 attacks.