What is going on in our skies?
Saturday, August 26th, 2006The last 10 days have been like a bad B-movie! What was it that Bruce Schneier said about giving in to fear being what the terrorists want?
- 14 August: British Airways flight from London to New York turns back because a mobile phone rings.
- 15 August: An Air Alaksa flight from Los Angeles is turned back because a toy radio is found on board.
- 15 August: Man drops Ipod down toilet causing a United Airlines from Chicago to Ottawa to be evacuated, causing stress to passengers including a pregnant woman.
- 16 August: United Airlines plane is diverted to Boston escorted by F-15s, because a woman becomes claustrophobic.
- 16 August: Passengers mutiny to remove two British lads from a Monarch flight back to the UK because they “look Muslim”.
- 18 August: A Canadian doctor is taken off United Airlines plane in Denver for praying.
- 18 August: Excel Flight from UK to Egypt diverted to Italy escorted by Italian F-16s after a “bomb-on-board” note was found.
- 18 August: Harmless liquid found in luggage causes Airport to be evacuated for ten hours.
- 21 August: Continental Airlines pilot hauled off Continental Airlines flight from Manchester to Newark, for “looking Muslim”.
- 23 August: Dutch F-16 scrambled to accompany a Northwest Airlines plane back to Schiphol Airport because 12 Indian passengers were behaving “suspiciously”. Police have now cleared them of any wrong-doing.
- 25 August: Continental Airlines flight from Texas to California is held in El Paso after a panel is found missing in the lavatory.
- 25 August: American Airlines flying from UK to US diverted to Maine. because of a “reported threat”.
- 25 August: Dynamite found in mining student’s luggage only after Continental Airline flight from Argentina lands in Houston.
- 25 August: Aer Lingus flight from New York to Dublin evacuated in Shannon due to telephoned bomb threat.
- 25 August: US Airways flight from Phoenix to North Carolina diverted to Oklahoma City due to an altercation between a passenger and a flight attendant.
People are going to stop flying if they keep this up. Even Ryan’s air requirement that passengers board naked won’t save the airline industry.