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CNN Live Today

British Airways Cancels London to Washington Flight

Aired January 02, 2004 - 11:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: British Airways has canceled yet another London to Washington flight, and again, it cited security concerns as the reason.
Let's go live to London now and our bureau chief there, CNN's Robin Oakley.

Good morning, Robin.

ROBIN OAKLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Carol.

Well, it's, yet again, flight 223, British Airways from Heathrow to Dulles Airport in Washington, grounded for a second day after on New Year's Eve having been escorted into Dulles airport by fighter jets and kept on the tarmac for a few hours while passengers were questioned. Clearly there is some specific security threat that has been picked up, possibly in communications, interception of suspected terrorists, which specifically names flight 223, because other flights have been allowed to depart from Heathrow for other cities in the U.S., and indeed flight 217, although delayed three hours, did set off from Heathrow for Dulles. So it does seem to be one specific threat directed at one particular aircraft.

And British Airways had been hoping to fly that aircraft today. But they announced just a couple of hours before the flight was due to take off that on further late advice from the British government, for security reasons, that flight was being canceled -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Robin Oakley, bringing us up to date live from London this hour.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com






Aired January 2, 2004 - 11:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: British Airways has canceled yet another London to Washington flight, and again, it cited security concerns as the reason.
Let's go live to London now and our bureau chief there, CNN's Robin Oakley.

Good morning, Robin.

ROBIN OAKLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Carol.

Well, it's, yet again, flight 223, British Airways from Heathrow to Dulles Airport in Washington, grounded for a second day after on New Year's Eve having been escorted into Dulles airport by fighter jets and kept on the tarmac for a few hours while passengers were questioned. Clearly there is some specific security threat that has been picked up, possibly in communications, interception of suspected terrorists, which specifically names flight 223, because other flights have been allowed to depart from Heathrow for other cities in the U.S., and indeed flight 217, although delayed three hours, did set off from Heathrow for Dulles. So it does seem to be one specific threat directed at one particular aircraft.

And British Airways had been hoping to fly that aircraft today. But they announced just a couple of hours before the flight was due to take off that on further late advice from the British government, for security reasons, that flight was being canceled -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Robin Oakley, bringing us up to date live from London this hour.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com