Incident on BA aircraft in Bahrain
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Incident on BA aircraft in Bahrain
Heard from a substantive source the following rumour.
Wednesday night at Bahrain Airport 3 male passengers tried to access the cockpit while the aircraft was still on the ground. Passengers then overpowered them and they were removed by security.
BA has gone into clampdown mode on this and I can't seem to get clarification from others. Has anybody else heard what happened.
Wednesday night at Bahrain Airport 3 male passengers tried to access the cockpit while the aircraft was still on the ground. Passengers then overpowered them and they were removed by security.
BA has gone into clampdown mode on this and I can't seem to get clarification from others. Has anybody else heard what happened.
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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.
----------------
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.
----------------
After 9/11 you'd think that those, shall we say, 'of Middle East appearance' would go out of their way to be polite, quiet and unassuming on airline flights to avoid anyone being unpleasant towards them.
But regrettably that doesn't always seem to be the case. I was on a flight 2 months after 9/11 which was delayed by a late passenger - a man 'of Middle East appearance'. He had to be told twice to fasten his seatbelt, was rude to the No 1 and had a window seat in Row 2. Despite the usual PA announcement, he then proceeded to make a cellphone call whilst the aircraft was taxiing; a passenger sitting nearby called the No 1 who gave him a very positive brief about the use of cellphones in aircraft. The glances exchanged between other passengers made it pretty obvious that he'd raised considerable worry amongst them...what a shame the captain hadn't simply called security, stopped and booted him off. Not really feasible, I guess, unless there were rather more obvious concerns for the safety of that particular flight - and you're taxiing for a tight CTOT!!
But the airline did show some weak security - whilst the cabin crew were feeding the passengers, the flight deck door was open and any passenger going to the forward lavatory could easily have entered the 2-person flight deck without being stopped by the cabin crew....
[ 30 December 2001: Message edited by: BEagle ]</p>
But regrettably that doesn't always seem to be the case. I was on a flight 2 months after 9/11 which was delayed by a late passenger - a man 'of Middle East appearance'. He had to be told twice to fasten his seatbelt, was rude to the No 1 and had a window seat in Row 2. Despite the usual PA announcement, he then proceeded to make a cellphone call whilst the aircraft was taxiing; a passenger sitting nearby called the No 1 who gave him a very positive brief about the use of cellphones in aircraft. The glances exchanged between other passengers made it pretty obvious that he'd raised considerable worry amongst them...what a shame the captain hadn't simply called security, stopped and booted him off. Not really feasible, I guess, unless there were rather more obvious concerns for the safety of that particular flight - and you're taxiing for a tight CTOT!!
But the airline did show some weak security - whilst the cabin crew were feeding the passengers, the flight deck door was open and any passenger going to the forward lavatory could easily have entered the 2-person flight deck without being stopped by the cabin crew....
[ 30 December 2001: Message edited by: BEagle ]</p>
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No, just a Rumour, followed up by confirmation as News.
I thought it would be gratifying to know that in these troubled times, flight, cabin and ground staff are being seen by the travelling public as doing 'a good job'.
I thought it would be gratifying to know that in these troubled times, flight, cabin and ground staff are being seen by the travelling public as doing 'a good job'.
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Trust me they are trying ther damn best not to further Western ignorance even the sikhs are! <img src="rolleyes.gif" border="0"> Lets just call this immaturity and yobb-ism - troublemakers come in all colors too.
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What a difference a year has made! Remember all the BA and other non-U.S. pilots who just a few months ago ridiculed the idea of a locked cockpit door? They were the captain and they would decide who had access to the flight deck, not the company etc. etc....
I'll be the first to agree that it is a sad development, but the days of letting pax wander up to look around have been ended with most carriers. They ended in the U.S. a couple of decades ago.
Even the reciprocal cockpit jumpseat in the U.S. is probably gone after infomation surfaced that some of the terrorists took advantage of this professional courtesy in carrying out their evil deeds. Many U.S. carriers will continue to accomodate offline "jumpseat" riders with free seats in the cabin (if they have a cabin, the freight dogs will probably be left behind in this deal from what I read on some union forums).
I'll be the first to agree that it is a sad development, but the days of letting pax wander up to look around have been ended with most carriers. They ended in the U.S. a couple of decades ago.
Even the reciprocal cockpit jumpseat in the U.S. is probably gone after infomation surfaced that some of the terrorists took advantage of this professional courtesy in carrying out their evil deeds. Many U.S. carriers will continue to accomodate offline "jumpseat" riders with free seats in the cabin (if they have a cabin, the freight dogs will probably be left behind in this deal from what I read on some union forums).
Superpilot wrote:-
"Trust me they are trying ther damn best not to further Western ignorance even the sikhs are! Lets just call this immaturity and yobb-ism - troublemakers come in all colors too".
Could you run that one by me again Amigo, I think I must have lost something in the translation.
What is it you were trying to say exactly ?
"Trust me they are trying ther damn best not to further Western ignorance even the sikhs are! Lets just call this immaturity and yobb-ism - troublemakers come in all colors too".
Could you run that one by me again Amigo, I think I must have lost something in the translation.
What is it you were trying to say exactly ?
