9/11 video gets father, son kicked off US-bound flight

TORONTO - A Canadian man and his young son were kicked off a US-bound flight for watching a video of the 9/11 terror attacks just before take-off from Toronto’s Pearson International Airport.

The crew of an Air Canada flight bound for Orlando in Florida were alerted by a passenger when he saw the young boy watching on his iPod the planes hitting the Twin Towers on 9/11.

The father and son were taken off the flight Wednesday and questioned by security agencies. Later, the police in charge of airport security cleared the duo, saying their action didn’t amount to criminal offence.

“The two were cleared of all allegations and set out on the next flight,” said Samantha Nulle of the airport area police. According to Air Canada officials, the man and his son were spotted watching video of the 9/11 attacks before the flight was to take off.

“Other passengers and our crew became concerned,” airline spokesman Peter Fitzpatrick told the local Toronto Sun daily.

“The passengers were deplaned and following an investigation allowed to travel (Wednesday) morning.

“Safety and security as well as the comfort of all our passengers and crew is always our top concern and we take whatever steps we deem necessary to provide a safe, secure and comfortable environment.” The father had reportedly tried to cover up the video when the crew went to talk to him.

“It made everyone nervous. I don’t know if it was the right decision,” the employee said. But better safe than sorry,” the newspaper quoted a crew member as saying.

Canada has put rigorous security measures in place for US-bound flights after the Christmas-Day attempt to blow up a US airliner by a Nigerian man linked to the

Al Qaeda.

(Gurmukh Singh can be contacted at gurmukh.s@ians.in)