BA flight cancelled amid security fears.
A British Airways flight from Heathrow to Washington was cancelled yesterday amid security fears.
Flight BA 223, due to depart London at 15:05GMT, was withdrawn at the last minute following a security alert from the Department of Transport.
More than 200 passengers were held for three hours whilst security teams questioned passengers and reckecked baggage.
The same flight was held for three hours on arrival at Washington Dulles International Airport on New Year’s Eve, after US F16 fighter jets escorted the aircraft to a remote area of tarmac.
Sources said aviation authorities were acting on specific intelligence – and not just suspicious passenger names.
BA operates three flights a day from Heathrow to Washington. Flight 223 was affected on both days.
A BA spokesman said he was unsure whether the cancellation was terror related.
No one was arrested during the incident.
