Fighter jets escort 2 flights to Montreal during security incident

Fighter jets escorted two international passenger flights to Montreal during a security incident, according to CTV News. Two men were arrested after the planes landed.

The incident happened Wednesday at Montreal-Trudeau International Airport, the main international airport serving Montreal. CTV reported, citing NORAD, that CF-18 and F-16 fighter jets, along with KC-135 aerial refueling tankers, monitored the situation until the commercial aircraft landed safely at their destination.

Quebec provincial police arrested two male passengers in their 20s and 30s after the planes landed. Police spokesperson Béatrice Dorsainville said the men were being questioned by investigators and could face fraud-related charges, according to CTV. No further details about the men were released.

CTV also reported that a suspicious suitcase found on one of the flights led to the closure of one of the airport’s two runways. Airport spokesperson Eric Forest later told the outlet that the potential threat involving the suitcase was unfounded and that operations had returned to normal.

As the response unfolded, the FAA issued a ground stop for flights bound for Montreal-Trudeau, according to a notice cited by CTV. The notice said the ground stop was issued at 3:02 p.m. due to a bomb threat, but it was lifted shortly before 5 p.m.

Around the same time, Nav Canada, which manages Canada’s civilian air traffic services, said some flights at Montreal were being delayed because of an investigation.

The circumstances surrounding the incident have not been detailed, and it was not immediately clear whether the two arrests, the bomb threat and the escorted flights were all connected.