Dutch officials question US decision to block airplane

Dutch officials question US security decision to block airplane

Dutch officials Monday demanded an explanation as to why a KLM Royal Dutch Airlines flight was forced to turn around by US authorities on Friday. The 278 passengers aboard the flight returned to Amsterdam 11 hours later after the airline was refused permission to fly over US airspace en route to Mexico.
US officials said that two of the passengers aboard were on a "no-fly" terrorist watch list.
Two Dutch legislators began sending questions to the Justice Minister on Monday. Ministers are required to respond to questions from parliament members within three weeks. "What was it these people were suspected of by the United States that they couldn't pass through its airspace ... and why isn't that information known in Holland?" wrote legislators Peter van Heemst and Co Verdas.
KLM spokesman Bart Koster said the airline was seeking information from US and Dutch authorities, and might file a claim for damages of less than $1 million. KLM said on Monday that US authorities are not allowed to have access to passenger details on flights that do not land in America. The two passengers who were on the US "no-fly" list were flown via England back to Saudi Arabia without detention or arrest.

source: Expatica