French authorities searching for man allegedly behind aircraft security fears

Airline Industry Information, Jan 7, 2004

AIRLINE INDUSTRY INFORMATION-(C)1997-2004 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD

The French Justice Minister has reportedly confirmed that French authorities are searching for a man behind security fears that cancelled and delayed flights to the US.

A report on the US television channel ABC stated that the man failed to show up for an Air France flight from Paris, France that was cancelled on 24 December 2003, and that he is suspected of having links to the al-Qaeda network. It was also reported that the Tunisian man, whose name matched that of a man who was captured by US forces in Afghanistan but later escaped, may have a small bomb to attack aircraft.

The man's identification and description have been passed on to security officials at London's Heathrow Airport, reported Reuters.

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