Jet Blue passengers removed from Richmond flight

A Boston-Richmond Jet Blue flight went back to the airport after passengers complained about suspicious behavior by two men of Middle Eastern appearance.

BOSTON (AP) – JetBlue Airways says one of its planes bound for Virginia returned to the gate at Boston’s Logan Airport today after two passengers refused to comply with flight crew instructions. Flight 1281 — headed to Richmond — had pushed back from the gate and was taxiing when the captain decided to return to the gate and have the male passengers removed. The men were turned over to Massachusetts State Police for questioning and the flight eventually left about 40 minutes later than scheduled.

But CBS 6 reporters found two passengers who said what happened. One woman said that she saw the men taking many pictures, and asked them why. She said they said this was going to be a “memorable” flight. When she saw them take pictures of their IDs, she told the flight attendants. The captain told security, and was instructed to taxi back to the airport, where the two men were removed.

Authorities told CBS 6 that they had released the men and they were on a later flight, but the reporter said they weren’t on the flight when it landed.

It could have been a “dry run” for future terrorist flights. Or it could be another one of those false alarms. But coming as it does on the heels of the plot to blow up a dozen 747s, well—it’s newsworthy.