An American Airlines flight from Manchester to Chicago has been diverted following a security scare.

The FBI said AA flight 55 landed in Bangor, Maine at 1257 local time after the authorities learned of a "reported threat" to the aircraft.

 

It said the pilot took the decision to land the Boeing 767-300. Passengers and crew members would be interviewed and the plane would be searched.

 

American Airlines said 167 passengers and 12 crew members were on board.

 

The company said it was hopeful of being able to complete the flight later in the afternoon.

 

Plane searched

 

The US Transportation Security Administration said: "Given the current threat level, the agency, in conjunction with other federal authorities, took prudent action to assure the safety of the passengers and crew.

 

"The plane has landed safely and passengers are being de-planed while TSA canines search the airplane.

 

"Responders are on the scene and the FBI will be interviewing the passengers and crew to further assess the situation."

 

The uncovering of an alleged plot to bring down planes more than two weeks' ago has seen an increase in security at airports.

 

The incident was the third time a flight from the UK had been diverted since then.

 

An Excel Airways plane from Gatwick to Hurghada in Egypt was diverted to Brindisi in Italy after a note was found saying a bomb was on board.

 

A United Airlines' flight from London's Heathrow to Washington DC landed in Boston after concern over the behaviour of a female passenger.

 

Explosives residue

 

Meanwhile, in the US a college student's luggage on a Continental Airlines flight from Argentina was found to contain traces of dynamite.

 

Federal authorities are investigating why he had the explosives residue which was discovered by a sniffer dog at Bush Intercontinental Airport, Houston.

 

An Aer Lingus flight from New York to Dublin was evacuated during a scheduled stopover in the west of Ireland following a bomb threat that turned out to be unfounded.

 

A US Airways jet from Phoenix to Charlotte was diverted to Oklahoma City after a federal air marshal was reported to have subdued a passenger who was involved in an incident with a flight attendant.

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/5287768.stm

Yeah, I had seen this.

 

Oh boy.....another one. :rolleyes: