Virgin Plane Transmits Hijack Alert by Mistake
A Virgin Atlantic Airways plane bound for New York from London today transmitted a false hijack alert, the airline said. The aircraft nonetheless was diverted to land in Canada, US officials said.
Canadian fighter jets intercepted the airliner over the Atlantic, the US officials said.
An airline spokeswoman said airline officials had been in touch with the crew and confirmed that there was no emergency aboard the aircraft.
The cause of the signal transmission was not immediately known, the spokeswoman said.
In Washington, Homeland Security Department spokeswoman Katie Montgomery said that Virgin Airlines Flight 45 was en route from London to John F Kennedy International Airport in New York, when the aircraft began emitting code 7500, which indicates a hijacking is in progress.
“Communications have been made with the pilots,” Montgomery said. “The pilots are indicating there is no hijack.”
Homeland Security is checking other indicators to confirm the pilots’ information, she said.
The plane was diverted to Canada, Montgomery said.
