- WASHINGTON: A commercial passenger jet carrying cargo from Yemen that was escorted from the Canadian border to New York City by two military fighter jets has landed, US officials said.
The officials said there is no known threat associated with the plane, but it was escorted to John F. Kennedy International Airport as a precautionary move.
Authorities on Friday were investigating whether suspicious packages shipped aboard cargo planes from Yemen to the US were part of a terrorist plot.
FBI spokesman Richard Kolko said the plane — Emirates Airlines Flight 201 which took off from Dubai — was met at JFK by FBI and Port Authority police. He said the action was being taken solely because the plane was carrying cargo from Yemen.
John Cornelia, a spokesman for US North American Aerospace Defense Command, said the airliner was escorted by a Canadian fighter to the US border, where two US
fighters took over.
US fighter jets routinely escort airliners when there may be a problem in order to observe the aircraft and be prepared to take any action if necessary.
