ST. JOHN’S, Antigua--A man is in police custody after being taken off a LIAT flight at the V.C. Bird International Airport, over remarks he made to an air hostess.
Neither the police nor LIAT has disclosed the name of the passenger.
But the man is a French national who boarded the plane in Barbados and was destined for Guadeloupe.
The incident occurred last week Wednesday while the LIAT plane was on the tarmac in Antigua.
The police say that when the flight attendant asked the man for his boarding pass, he refused to give it to her.
The LIAT worker repeated the request a few more times, and it was during this interaction that the man allegedly used the words “terrorist” and “bomb.”
The flight attendant reported the matter to the captain and lawmen were called in.
Police Public Relations Officer Senior Sergeant Frankie Thomas says the bomb squad did a sweep of the plane but no explosives were found.
However, the man was taken off the aircraft and into custody for questioning.
The all clear was given and the flight with 69 passengers on board departed for Guadeloupe.
In a press release, LIAT has apologised for the delay and thanked passengers for their patience and understanding during the incident.
The carrier has assured travellers that it is fully committed to the safety of its passengers as well as crew and will continue to cooperate and partner with all security personnel dedicated to maintaining a safe environment at airports. (Antigua Observer) ~ Caribbean360 ~
