Northwest Airlines cancels Mumbai-bound flight

MUMBAI: Northwest Airlines of the US has cancelled its Mumbai-bound flight that returned to Amsterdam's Schiphol airport following a security alarm and is making arrangements to accommodate the passengers on other airlines.

Northwest also cancelled its flight from Mumbai to Amsterdam scheduled to leave on Thursday. The airlines is now making arrangements to re-book the passengers.

The airline said in a statement that its flight No 42 on August 23, bound for Mumbai, and flight No 41 on Thursday from this city had been cancelled.

"Northwest is making arrangements to re-book them (the passengers)," it said.

The airline, however, said all other flights between Amsterdam and Mumbai will operate according to the normal schedule.

The flight from Amsterdam to Mumbai with 149 passengers was escorted back to Schipol by two F-16 fighters yesterday after some passengers displayed what the crew described as "behaviour of concern".

Twelve passengers on flight No 42 who aroused the crew's suspicion were arrested by Dutch police.