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CNN Sunday Morning
Terror Threat Grounds Transatlantic Flights
Aired February 01, 2004 - 07:06 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.
MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN ANCHOR: New terror threats cancel several transatlantic flights for security reasons. British Airways flight 223 from London to Washington, canceled today and tomorrow.
Also grounded today, BA flights 207 from London to Miami. Air France flight 26 from Paris to Washington is canceled today and tomorrow. And Continental Airlines flight 17 from Glasgow, Scotland to Newark and Los Angeles is also canceled.
More on the security shutdown now from CNN's Jim Boulden in London.
JIM BOULDEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Martin, yes, Continental Airlines flight was supposed to leave Glasgow in about 10 minutes time, heading for Newark. It was supposed to have 150 passengers on board. That's an interesting flight because it's the first time that a U.S. based airline has been prevented or has had to cancel a flight going from Europe to the U.S. since these wave of cancellations began.
If you remember, at Christmas and New Year's, British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, and Air France all canceled some flights into the U.S. This time around, it's British Airways and Air France again. And Continental Airlines. And that flight was supposed to head to Newark this afternoon and then on to Los Angeles.
Now what we're being told is that the U.S. was concerned about some very specific intelligence that it received. And that intelligence also included possibly some numbers. British Airways 223 was mentioned in that intelligence. And that's why these specific flights have been canceled and others have not been canceled.
As one official said, the U.S. wanted some security measures enacted into -- could not be enacted fast enough by the airlines. So "it just became easier to cancel the flights."
Now the specific threats did come in. There are no -- no word here from the British whether or not some of the reports that al Qaeda might have been behind these threats was true. The British tend to give less specific statements. They've said aviation security is being kept on a review at all time, and that the decision was simply made to cancel these flights.
So a wave of flights, again, canceled today and tomorrow. And of course, the return flights from the U.S. back to Europe have also been canceled because of course the planes themselves are not available -- Martin? SAVIDGE: Well, Jim, as you know this weekend, a huge sporting event, the Super Bowl. Is there any mention that could be part of this concern?
BOULDEN: I know that you probably already reported that flights around Houston have been watched very carefully, and that no fly-overs will be allowed in the Houston area, just because of general precautions, nothing specific.
It has always been thought that al Qaeda might want to make a big hit during something spectacular like that. And that's why these flights have been canceled because it's been such specific time. Over this weekend, of course, there are some holidays around the world that might have also led to this kind of issue. But the U.S., of course, has not raised its terror threat level like it did the last time these flights were canceled. So it seems that the general feeling is not as high as it was over the Christmas and New Year period, Martin.
SAVIDGE: Jim Boulden, we'll continue to watch this story through you. Thank you very much.
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 1, 2004 - 07:06 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN ANCHOR: New terror threats cancel several transatlantic flights for security reasons. British Airways flight 223 from London to Washington, canceled today and tomorrow.
Also grounded today, BA flights 207 from London to Miami. Air France flight 26 from Paris to Washington is canceled today and tomorrow. And Continental Airlines flight 17 from Glasgow, Scotland to Newark and Los Angeles is also canceled.
More on the security shutdown now from CNN's Jim Boulden in London.
JIM BOULDEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Martin, yes, Continental Airlines flight was supposed to leave Glasgow in about 10 minutes time, heading for Newark. It was supposed to have 150 passengers on board. That's an interesting flight because it's the first time that a U.S. based airline has been prevented or has had to cancel a flight going from Europe to the U.S. since these wave of cancellations began.
If you remember, at Christmas and New Year's, British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, and Air France all canceled some flights into the U.S. This time around, it's British Airways and Air France again. And Continental Airlines. And that flight was supposed to head to Newark this afternoon and then on to Los Angeles.
Now what we're being told is that the U.S. was concerned about some very specific intelligence that it received. And that intelligence also included possibly some numbers. British Airways 223 was mentioned in that intelligence. And that's why these specific flights have been canceled and others have not been canceled.
As one official said, the U.S. wanted some security measures enacted into -- could not be enacted fast enough by the airlines. So "it just became easier to cancel the flights."
Now the specific threats did come in. There are no -- no word here from the British whether or not some of the reports that al Qaeda might have been behind these threats was true. The British tend to give less specific statements. They've said aviation security is being kept on a review at all time, and that the decision was simply made to cancel these flights.
So a wave of flights, again, canceled today and tomorrow. And of course, the return flights from the U.S. back to Europe have also been canceled because of course the planes themselves are not available -- Martin? SAVIDGE: Well, Jim, as you know this weekend, a huge sporting event, the Super Bowl. Is there any mention that could be part of this concern?
BOULDEN: I know that you probably already reported that flights around Houston have been watched very carefully, and that no fly-overs will be allowed in the Houston area, just because of general precautions, nothing specific.
It has always been thought that al Qaeda might want to make a big hit during something spectacular like that. And that's why these flights have been canceled because it's been such specific time. Over this weekend, of course, there are some holidays around the world that might have also led to this kind of issue. But the U.S., of course, has not raised its terror threat level like it did the last time these flights were canceled. So it seems that the general feeling is not as high as it was over the Christmas and New Year period, Martin.
SAVIDGE: Jim Boulden, we'll continue to watch this story through you. Thank you very much.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
