Intelligence questioned as alert grounds flights

British airline pilots have questioned US intelligence on terror threats that grounded six transatlantic flights, including a London to Washington service, today.

Their union has called on the British government to examine the security information from the US as concerns grew over its quality.

It came as four US-bound flights from Britain and France were cancelled and a further two will not fly today amid the latest security alert.

Senior British government sources and the air operators have not commented on reports the moves follow a threat from al-Qaida.

But fresh American intelligence emerged last week, warning of potential terror threats to British Airways and Air France flights to US destinations.

Reports speculated that terrorists were planning to hijack a plane leaving London or Paris and crash it into a high profile US target in a September 11-style attack.

Similar warnings a month ago left two BA flights to Washington grounded while Air France cancelled six services to the US over Christmas.

But Jim McAuslan, general secretary of the British Airline Pilots’ Association (Balpa), said last night: “We have to take all these intelligence briefings very seriously but we are asking the British government to examine the strength and validity of them.

“These cancellations were made because of US intelligence and the airline is quite right to cancel the flights.

“But we are pressing the government to examine these claims from the USA, particularly as President Bush has called for an examination of the quality of intelligence before and during the Iraq war.”

Sources within the air industry in Britain fear some of the US security alerts are based on commercial reasons rather than safety, with American operators potentially benefiting from cancelled British flights.

Terrorism specialist Simon Reeve, author of the book on al Qaida, The New Jackals, said: “I think some of the evidence, some of the intelligence surrounding these threats is tenuous to say the least.

“But nobody in the intelligence community or airport security will want to take the chance of sending a plane in to the air if there is even a whisper of a threat.”

A spokesman for the British Department for Transport refused to discuss the nature of the intelligence from the US.

But he said: “Our intelligence services are in touch with their American counterparts and keep security under regular and constant review and take whatever response is necessary.”

British Constitutional Affairs Secretary Lord Falconer said sometimes security information was received “that we have got to act on”.

“We have always made it clear that we must be vigilant. That will lead to inconvenience from time to time but we think it is the right course,” he told the Sunday with Adam Boulton programme on Sky News.

BA cancelled its London to Washington flight BA223 for both yesterday and today, based on security advice from the British government.

The same flight was cancelled on January 1 and 2 after the US stepped up its security alert.

The company’s flight BA207 to Miami was cancelled yesterday, as was Air France flight AF026 from Paris to Washington for both yesterday and today.

Continental Airlines Flight 17 from Glasgow to Los Angeles was also grounded yesterday along with the airline’s flight from Washington to Houston.

A BA spokesman said safety and security was of “absolute priority and will not be compromised”.

He refused to rule out the possibility of further cancellations in the future saying flights were always on “continuous review”.

Continental managed to put the 150 passengers affected on to other transatlantic flights, although it meant some being re-routed via London.

Passenger Jean McGinlay, 62, who was returning home after a week-long holiday in Scotland, said: “This is the chance you take when you travel in these times.”

Harvey Ritch, 76, from North Carolina, said: “You don’t take any chances when people go around blowing themselves up.”

The cancelled flights come as the debate continues over whether armed sky marshals should travel on passenger flights thought to be potentially at risk.

The British government announced in December 2002 that it would have available armed officers to go on British flights but has never confirmed whether any “sky marshals” have ever been deployed.