Emirates flight stopped, was false no-fly match: US official

NEW YORK - US authorities, who stopped a Dubai-bound Emirates airliner at John F. Kennedy International Airport on Thursday, said it turned out that there was no match to the "no-fly" list. The false alarm caused officials to stop the plane, Emirates Airlines flight 204, at about noon along a runway, according to aviation officials. The incident, which created high drama, comes three days after Times Square bombing suspect Faisal Shahzad was pulled off an Emirates bound for Dubai before it took to the skies on Monday night. US officials changed the rules on Tuesday regarding "no fly" lists, ordering airlines to check them within two hours of being told of updates to watch-lists. The move is aimed at stopping known suspects from boarding planes. Authorities detained two passengers -- a man and a woman -- aboard the Emirates plane after spotting a name similar to one on the "no-fly" list, then released them after it was determined it was a false match, officials said. Authorities brought it back to the gate. A man and the woman were detained and taken off the flight but later were released and allowed back on the plane, two officials said. The plane then left at 12:51 p.m. FBI spokesman James Margolin in New York said the callback of the airliner was a false alarm. An administration official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorized to discuss the case, said there was no indication of a security threat. An administration official said he did not know what exactly prompted the callback of Thursday's flight. Because the passengers were already on board, it's likely that Customs and Border Protection officials spotted a suspicious name when reviewing the final passenger list.

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