DAMMAM, 18 October — A mentally-ill passenger claiming to be a member of Al-Qaeda network forced authorities to cancel a Saudi Arabian Airlines flight from Dammam to Riyadh on Tuesday.
The crew called the airport security after the man, a Jordanian expatriate, told them he was a terrorist and a member of Al-Qaeda organization, informed sources at King Fahd International Airport told Arab News.
The passenger, aged 40-45, was cautioned several times to stop disturbing other passengers as the Airbus-300 was preparing for takeoff at midday Tuesday for the capital, the sources said.
The man, who works in a Saudi bank, was detained for questioning.
Saudi Arabian Flight SV1659 was supposed to take off at 12.30 p.m. but had to be delayed.
Later the authorities decided to cancel the flight and urged passengers to board another Riyadh-bound flight at 10.20 p.m.
