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CNN Live At Daybreak
'Security Concerns' Ground Trans-Atlantic Planes
Aired February 02, 2004 - 06:00 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: America on alert. Two more international flights grounded this morning over fears of a terror attack. The move comes after a weekend of cancelled flights coming into the United States.
Let's head live to London's Heathrow Airport and our Robyn Curnow.
Bring us up to date -- Robyn.
ROBYN CURNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Carol, there are still real fears about security threats to trans-Atlantic flights. In fact, we still know that Flight 223 to Washington remained grounded here at Terminal 4 at Heathrow.
Now, remember, this is the flight that was also cancelled exactly a month ago. Passengers are still facing cancellations for the second day on that flight. Passengers on other flights from Paris to Washington also having to deal with cancellations due to specific and credible terror threats, according to U.S. officials. U.S. officials are saying that they are very concerned about a possible al Qaeda terror plot.
Now, as I say, these intelligence reports are credible and specific. In fact, many are saying that they are very -- they are real concerned about specific flights, such as Flight 223, certain airlines and, of course, dates.
So, it remains a real concern here on the ground for the passengers and flights that are going over to the states at this time -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Robyn, you talk about specifics. A source has told CNN that the planes were going to be used as air taxis to deliver biological, chemical or radioactive materials to cities in the United States. Have you heard anything more about that?
CURNOW: Well, that's what sources are telling CNN. Of course, those are real threats and, like you say, very specific threats.
However, here in the U.K., there is quite an interesting reaction from the British Airlines Pilots Association, which is basically saying that the U.K. government is overreacting to this information from the U.S. officials. In fact, they're saying that the U.K. and the British airlines are jumping at shadows, and they want the U.K. government to really qualify and really have a look intelligently at the intelligence that they are receiving. Pilots are really unhappy, saying overreaction to this sort of information.
Of course, the Department of Transport is saying that passengers and the safety of passengers is paramount. Nobody, of course, wants to put a plane in the air if there's even a whisper of a threat -- Carol.
COSTELLO: It's hard to argue against that. Robyn Curnow live from London's Heathrow this morning.
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 February 2, 2004 - 06:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: America on alert. Two more international flights grounded this morning over fears of a terror attack. The move comes after a weekend of cancelled flights coming into the United States.
Let's head live to London's Heathrow Airport and our Robyn Curnow.
Bring us up to date -- Robyn.
ROBYN CURNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Carol, there are still real fears about security threats to trans-Atlantic flights. In fact, we still know that Flight 223 to Washington remained grounded here at Terminal 4 at Heathrow.
Now, remember, this is the flight that was also cancelled exactly a month ago. Passengers are still facing cancellations for the second day on that flight. Passengers on other flights from Paris to Washington also having to deal with cancellations due to specific and credible terror threats, according to U.S. officials. U.S. officials are saying that they are very concerned about a possible al Qaeda terror plot.
Now, as I say, these intelligence reports are credible and specific. In fact, many are saying that they are very -- they are real concerned about specific flights, such as Flight 223, certain airlines and, of course, dates.
So, it remains a real concern here on the ground for the passengers and flights that are going over to the states at this time -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Robyn, you talk about specifics. A source has told CNN that the planes were going to be used as air taxis to deliver biological, chemical or radioactive materials to cities in the United States. Have you heard anything more about that?
CURNOW: Well, that's what sources are telling CNN. Of course, those are real threats and, like you say, very specific threats.
However, here in the U.K., there is quite an interesting reaction from the British Airlines Pilots Association, which is basically saying that the U.K. government is overreacting to this information from the U.S. officials. In fact, they're saying that the U.K. and the British airlines are jumping at shadows, and they want the U.K. government to really qualify and really have a look intelligently at the intelligence that they are receiving. Pilots are really unhappy, saying overreaction to this sort of information.
Of course, the Department of Transport is saying that passengers and the safety of passengers is paramount. Nobody, of course, wants to put a plane in the air if there's even a whisper of a threat -- Carol.
COSTELLO: It's hard to argue against that. Robyn Curnow live from London's Heathrow this morning.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
