Official: Stopped Emirates flight was false match to no-fly list

Official: Stopped flight was false no-fly match

WASHINGTON — An Emirates airliner was called back to the gate at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York on Thursday, after authorities incorrectly matched a passenger to the no-fly list.

An administration official called it a false match and said authorities have no indication of a security threat.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the case.

The callback came less than a week after the Times Square bombing suspect managed to board an Emirates airliner at JFK despite being on the no-fly list. He was arrested on board, and since then the Obama administration has tightened the rules airlines must follow when using the no-fly list.

The official said he did not know what exactly prompted the callback of Thursday’s flight. Because the passengers were already on board, it’s likely that Customs and Border Protection officials spotted a suspicious name when reviewing the final passenger list.

That layer of security is what led to the arrest of Faisal Shahzad in the Times Square case.