Wi-Fi hotspot name sparks terror alert, delays LA flight
An American Airlines flight was delayed for 17 hours at Los Angeles because a passenger spotted a hotspot called ‘Al-Quida Free Terror Nettwork’ while trying to connect to the wi-fi on board.
The aircraft, bound for London, turned back to the gate after a flight attendant was shown the list of hotspots while taxiing.
Passengers were then forced to get off of the plane and some had to stay in hotels overnight while they waited for the next available flight.
The flight was due to take off at 8pm on Sunday night but was rescheduled to take off at 1pm on Monday.
According to ABC 7, the airline is assessing the situation and law enforcement has been notified.
Passengers were told that there was a ‘minor security issue’ that had to be dealt with, but the pilot and crew never fully explained what was going on.
A frustrated customer contacted the airline on social media to complain that he had lost money as a result of the delay.
They replied saying: "We’re sorry for the inconvenience. A customer reported a concern. We’re delaying the flight out of an abundance of caution."
A spokesman for American Airlines confirmed that the plane returned to the gate after a passenger expressed ‘security concerns’ and that the flight had been rescheduled, reported the Daily Mail.
In-flight wi-fi is now accessible on around 40% of US flights and on a number of international long-haul carriers.
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Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.
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