CF-18s Respond To Latest Terror Threat

Canadian CF-18s were scrambled in response to suspicious behavior by a UAE flight bound for New York.

As a precaution, a pair of Canadian fighter jets escorted a United Arab Emirates flight from Dubai bound for New York’s John F. Kennedy Airport to the U.S. border, where two American military fighter jets flew with it to New York. The escort was due to the fact that the plane was carrying Yemen cargo, officials said.

NORAD spokesman Maj. Brian Martin refused to say how long the passenger jet was in Canadian airspace.

The two Canadian planes were CF-18s that were scrambled out of CFB Bagotville, Que., Defence Minister Peter MacKay told reporters in Halifax.

“They continued to shadow the aircraft until it came into the United States,” he said.

MacKay said suspicions were roused by the fact the aircraft did not respond to air traffic controllers somewhere in Eastern Canada when asked to identify itself.

Canadian Transport Minister Chuck Strahl said in a statement that Canada has “implemented increased vigilance.”

“Currently, we do not have information that these incidents were targeting Canada,” Strahl said. “Still, travellers may see signs of this increased vigilance during their travels.”

By: Shelldrake