An American Airlines flight travelling to London was delayed for 17 hours after a passenger reportedly spotted an ‘Al-Quida Free Terror Nettwork’ while trying to connect to WiFi.
The aircraft was forced to turn back to the gate at Los Angeles International Airport after a flight attendant was shown the list of hotspots while taxiing.
Passengers were made to get off the plane with some having to stay in hotels overnight while waiting for the next available flight.
They were told there was a ‘minor security issue’ but the crew never properly explained what was happening.
The flight was supposed to take off again at 8pm on Sunday evening, but was delayed until 1pm yesterday.
American news website ABC 7 said police were called to the airport and American Airlines was assessing the situation.
Frustrated passengers vented their anger on social media websites.
Anthony Simon, who is head of digital communication at Number 10, tweeted: “'Thanks to the idiot who did this meaning I won't get back to London for another day.”
American Airlines was forced to apologise to customers who lost money as a result of the delay.
They said: “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 told ABC 7: “After further investigation, it was determined that no crime was committed and no further action will be taken.”
