U.S. authorities told a British Airways flight bound for New York to turn back on Wednesday because they said there was a suspected militant on board, although London police later released him without charge.
U.S. officials said a name on the passenger list matched that of a suspected member of a Moroccan militant group.
British police met the man off British Airways Flight 175, carrying 239 passengers, at London’s Heathrow Airport and questioned him there for two hours before releasing him.
“He was never under arrest and is free to go,” a police spokesman said. “No further action will be taken.”
The U.S. officials said the United States requested the flight be diverted to Bangor, Maine, but British Airways asked for permission to return to London.
A number of British Airways and Air France flights were canceled about 12 months ago because U.S. officials cited intelligence pointing to an al-Qaida plot to target planes.
At the times of the cancellations in January 2004 and December 2003, Washington said intelligence showed al-Qaida was still interested in using aircraft, particularly commercial airliners, to carry out an attack against the United States.
