BA flights grounded after pilots warning
British Airways has rejected claims, circulated by the New York Times newspaper, that the recent cancellation of flights between London and Washington were prompted more by the refusal of some pilots to fly with sky marshals on board than the official line that safety was at risk.
The flag carrier said there was no truth in reports that flights were grounded because pilots refused to fly with marshals.
“The flights have been halted for security reasons.”
Transport Secretary Alistair Darling said Saturday that the cancellations were due to “specific” intelligence.
BA was forced to cancel flight 223 from Heathrow to Washington for two days running and Friday’s and Saturday’s flights to and from the Saudi capital Riyadh.
Mr Darling told the BBC: “The reason that different flights are either grounded or there is increased security varies from time to time. Of course, Britain and the United States have access to similar intelligence and we share information.
“The threat we now face is likely to endure for many years.
‘We live in a time of increased threat. The level of those threats will increase at times; at other times, it might be less intense. Our security will be geared to match that.”
Last night, Washington-bound flight 223 finally took off from Heathrow airport.
The Boeing 747 was carrying 225 passengers left more than three hours late after intense security checks were completed.
