jjcollins
DIS Veteran
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- Aug 26, 1999
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Three British Airways flights to the US have been halted amid fears al-Qaeda may be targeting them. Flights BA 223 from London Heathrow to Washington on Sunday and Monday and flight BA 207 to Miami on Sunday were grounded on government advice.
Air France also said it was cancelling two Paris-to-Washington flights.
US officials said they had received reports of "al-Qaeda's desire to target" five or six specific flights from Europe, Reuters news agency said.
"There are a handful of flights we are concerned about and British Airways has cancelled about half of them," an official said.
A BA spokeswoman said safety was the airline's top priority.
"The safety and security of our operations is our absolute priority and will not be compromised," she said. Air France flights AF026 were cancelled Sunday and Monday "for reasons of security," spokeswoman Veronique Brachet said.
The US Homeland Security Department in Washington said there was a "credible threat" of a terror attack.
"There was specific credible threat information that was shared with some foreign governments, including the British and French governments, and the decisions were made to cancel these flights," the spokeswoman said.
BA's Flight 223 had been the subject of concern early in January, when it was cancelled twice because of security fears and then delayed for hours several more times.
US officials said on Friday new intelligence indicated BA Flight 223 and Air France flights from Paris to an unspecified US city could be terror targets.
Ohhhh no
jj......
Air France also said it was cancelling two Paris-to-Washington flights.
US officials said they had received reports of "al-Qaeda's desire to target" five or six specific flights from Europe, Reuters news agency said.
"There are a handful of flights we are concerned about and British Airways has cancelled about half of them," an official said.
A BA spokeswoman said safety was the airline's top priority.
"The safety and security of our operations is our absolute priority and will not be compromised," she said. Air France flights AF026 were cancelled Sunday and Monday "for reasons of security," spokeswoman Veronique Brachet said.
The US Homeland Security Department in Washington said there was a "credible threat" of a terror attack.
"There was specific credible threat information that was shared with some foreign governments, including the British and French governments, and the decisions were made to cancel these flights," the spokeswoman said.
BA's Flight 223 had been the subject of concern early in January, when it was cancelled twice because of security fears and then delayed for hours several more times.
US officials said on Friday new intelligence indicated BA Flight 223 and Air France flights from Paris to an unspecified US city could be terror targets.
Ohhhh no
jj......
