That would be the 'hysterical rumour which is actually a fact' waste bin then! <img src="tongue.gif" border="0">
From today's GDN:
BA flight to UK delayed by unruly passengers
By TARIQ KHONJI
A BRITISH Airways flight from Bahrain to London was delayed for three hours after three passengers were removed.
The flight, with more than 100 people aboard, was getting ready for take-off at 2am on Thursday, when an Arab refused to sit down, after being denied permission to enter the cockpit.
He was escorted off the plane and handed over to security officials, along with two other Arab men, who were also removed on suspicion that they were connected to him.
All three were later released after being vetted by secuirty officials at the airport.
British Airways country manager Jane Bishop said a Gulf national, thought to be in his late teens, refused to sit down and was staring at other passengers.
"He got up and requested to enter the cockpit. The cabin service director reported his behaviour to the captain," Ms Bishop told the GDN.
"He was escorted off the plane. He appeared to try to communicate with another two passengers, who were also escorted out.
"We contacted our security office in London and evacuated the aircraft. A body search of each passenger was carried out and the baggage was checked again.
"All this was done with the full co-operation of Civil Aviation Affairs (CAA) and Bahrain International Airport," explained Ms Bishop.
The flight finally took off at 4.40am.
Ms Bishop said all three men were wearing western clothes. They were travelling economy class.
She said they were released after being checked by security authorities.
"The first man was driven to his father in Dhahran and the other two were allowed to fly out on Friday," said Ms Bishop.
They flew out on another BA flight.
Ms Bishop said she had since received several calls from passengers and their families, who were pleased with the precautions taken.
"They were praising the lengths that we had taken to insure their safety," she said.
A passenger who was aboard the aircraft described what happened.
"One man got up all of a sudden and a stewardess stopped him and asked him what he was doing," the man, who did not wish to be named. told the GDN from London.
"He said that he wanted to go to the cockpit. She told him to get back into his seat.
"The captain told him to get out of the plane. Then someone else got up and rushed out of the plane and a third man, who was sitting next to me, then left as well.
"The first man was talking to the man who was next to me and they appeared to be friends. They were seated near each other."
The passenger said all those aboard the flight had to then identify their own hand luggage to make sure that the men hadn't left anything behind.
"We were boarded off and heavily searched. The plane was searched from top to bottom. The luggage was taken out of the hold and in the end we left about three hours late," he said.
"It was very well handled by the staff on board and on the ground."
CAA and airport security officials said they were not able to comment yesterday.
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