Aeromexico flight diverted, passenger held

Passenger believed to be on U.S. no-fly list

A man believed to be on the United States' "no-fly" list is in custody in Montreal after being removed from a flight from Paris to Mexico.

The Aeromexico flight landed at Montreal's Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport late Sunday afternoon after being denied entry to U.S. air space because a man on board was named in an outstanding warrant.
One of the passengers on board was detained once the plane landed in Montreal, officials said.

Other passengers on the flight from Charles De Gaulle Airport to Mexico City International Airport were re-screened and allowed to re-board the flight, said Lauren Gaches, a spokeswoman for the Transportation Security Administration.

Dominque McNeely, a spokesman for the Canadian Border Services Agency said there was no incident on the aircraft and that law-enforcement officials boarded the plane around 2:30 p.m. ET and took the suspect into custody.

McNeely said his agency got a phone call advising them the flight was going to land in Montreal and that there was a subject on board that "could be of interest to us."

In a statement, the TSA also said the U.S. has the right to refuse entry to any flight deemed a threat to its security — but neither the Americans nor McNeely have said what threat the man might have posed.

"All I can confirm is that it was a person of interest that was interviewed by our officers," McNeely said.
American officials wouldn't confirm whether the passenger was on the U.S. no-fly list, but Montreal's Airport Authority and several other sources confirm the man is named on the list.

McNeely said the foreign national that was on the flight has been "deemed inadmissible to Canada for non-compliance to the immigration and refugee protection act."

The identity of the person arrested was not released. The individual is currently being held in a Montreal-area immigration detention centre awaiting a hearing.