Trans-Atlantic flight from Britain diverted to airport in Maine

A trans-Atlantic flight from Manchester, England, was diverted to the Bangor International Airport today, officials said.

American Airlines Flight 55, en route to Chicago, was diverted for security reasons, said Arlene Murray, New England regional spokeswoman for the Federal Aviation Administration, who declined to elaborate.

Police confirmed that there was an incident at the airport but provided no details.

Federal agents were at the airport.

FBI spokeswoman Gail Marcinkiewicz declined to discuss the nature of the problem.

“We’re responding to determine the cause of the diversion. It’s going to take a number of hours for passengers to be interviewed,” Marcinkiewicz said from Boston.

The plane was on the tarmac with its engines shut off, according to a reporter from the Bangor Daily News. The local bomb squad was called, the reporter said.

The Bangor airport is a popular place for international flights to touch down because of mechanical problems, unruly passengers or security threats.