More BA and AF flights cancelled after ‘credible’ terror threat

Air travellers to the United States are once again facing disruption and cancelled flights because of a so-called “credible threat” from the terror group Al Qaeda. Both British Airways and Air France have cancelled flights today, after grounding transatlantic services at the weekend. Continental Airlines also cancelled flights on Sunday. But the Government in the UK has come under pressure from the pilots’ union Balpa to further examine the perceived terror threat, in the light of concerns that UK and US intelligence may not be as reliable as once thought. The Daily Telegraph states that the flights were cancelled “because of fears that terrorists were plotting to contaminate an airliner with chemical or biological agents, or to smuggle a radiological device on board”. According to the BBC website, Jim McAuslan, general secretary of Balpa, said: “We have to take all these intelligence briefings very seriously but we are asking the British Government to examine the strength and validity of the threats. “These cancellations were made because of US intelligence and the airline is quite right to cancel the flights. But we are pressing the Government to examine these claims from the USA, particularly as President Bush has called for an examination of the quality of intelligence before and during the Iraq war.” BA has cancelled flight 223 from Heathrow to Washington, and the return flight BA222. Air France has cancelled its AF026 and AF027 services to Washington.