A transatlantic American Airlines flight was delayed and eventually rescheduled at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) in the US, following a security scare after a passenger discovered a Wi-Fi network named ‘Al-Qaeda Free Terror Network’.

The discovery of the network led to a three-hour delay for the American Airlines Flight 136, which was scheduled to fly from LAX to London, UK.

Go deeper with GlobalData

Premium Insights

The gold standard of business intelligence.

Find out more

NBC News reported that LAX spokeswoman Alicia Ortiz said that police responded to a call at 9:28 pm on Sunday after a passenger onboard American Airlines Flight 136 reported that while searching for a wireless network, his electronic device revealed the scary network name. The passenger reported this to the airline and the flight was returned to the gate for further investigation.

"Passengers were interviewed and cleared to continue with their travel plans."

However, an investigation by agents from US Customs and Border Protection, the Department of Homeland Security and air marshals found no evidence that the network originated from anyone on the plane. They said that it could have been a mobile hotspot in the terminal.

Passengers who were supposed to board the flight were pulled away from the gate and were rechecked as a precaution. They were also checked for any derogatory information, such as being on the government’s no-fly list. However, nothing could be discovered.

See Also:

The police said that no crime had been committed.

How well do you really know your competitors?

Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.

Company Profile – free sample

Thank you!

Your download email will arrive shortly

Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample

We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form

By GlobalData
Visit our Privacy Policy for more information about our services, how we may use, process and share your personal data, including information of your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications. Our services are intended for corporate subscribers and you warrant that the email address submitted is your corporate email address.

Sergeant Karla Ortiz said in a statement: "Passengers were interviewed and cleared to continue with their travel plans."

However, the flight had to be further delayed after the development of a maintenance issue and the crew had to be replaced as they had timed-out. The flight finally departed on Monday afternoon.