Iraq Turns Back MEA Flight after 'Minister's Son Misses Plane'
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
Iraqi authorities forced a Baghdad-bound Middle East Airlines plane to turn around Thursday 20 minutes after leaving Beirut because the transport minister's son had missed the flight, MEA said.
The Airlines said the flight took off after repeatedly paging two passengers, who failed to turn up.
"The passengers did not respond to the calls and the plane took off after being delayed by several minutes," said the statement, carried by the state-run National News Agency.
"About 20 minutes after take-off, Middle East Airlines was informed by its Baghdad office that the plane would be prevented from landing by local civil aviation officials if a passenger was not on board."
The missing passenger was identified as Mahdi al-Ameri, son of Iraqi Transport Minister Hadi al-Ameri, and the plane turned back to Beirut.
MEA said it was in touch with Iraqi authorities about the incident, which it said had caused financial losses and disrupted its flight schedule.
In Baghdad, Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki demanded that heads roll over the incident, while the transport ministry denied any wrongdoing.
Maliki ordered that "all those responsible for preventing the plane coming from Beirut from landing in Baghdad" be "dismissed and held responsible," spokesman Ali Mussawi told Agence France Presse.
Transport ministry spokesman Karim Nuri said it was "completely untrue" that the flight was turned back on behalf of Ameri's son.
He insisted that MEA had been previously informed that the plane would not be able to land due to runway maintenance at the Baghdad airport, which is why it was turned back.
06 March 2014, 19:15
311
Classic example of what's wrong in the Middle East. Junior oversleeps after a night of partying, and daddy uses his influence and threats to force the plane to turn around.
It's all there.... nepotism, corruption, influence peddling, threats, laziness, sex, drugs, partying. They should make a movie out of this.
06 March 2014, 19:42
89
there's no wrongdoing from lebanon's side, it's iraqis who are at fault here
06 March 2014, 19:31
28
names aren't mentioned in this article but it is Mahdi Al-Amiri the son of the Transport Minister Hadi Al-Amiri.
06 March 2014, 19:32
28
i just wish the Lebanese Government will ban him from ever travelling again to Lebanon
06 March 2014, 19:43
54
the article was edited anonyme, it didnt include the names before. so take a deep breath next time, and avoid insulting others.
06 March 2014, 19:48
54
I read the article before the-roar's comment, and it did include the name of the minister and his son.
06 March 2014, 19:58
22
let the Shia rule!
these people should be given a monopoly on shoe shining, street sweeping, garbage collection. like in the good old days.
06 March 2014, 20:15
53
The_bore..... you are delusional and very boring.
My initial comment was posted 10 minutes before your comment, and the minister was clearly named at that time.
I have only one name here. How is it that you imagine to somehow know that I ever used the name "ex-fpm"?? This information on posters screen names is not available, and you are clearly demonstrating psychotic and delusional behavior.
For you to randomly pick "ex-fpm" as one of my screen names, and then pretend to know it is a name used by me, only shows that you have deep-rooted mental illness. Visions of grandeur, narcissism, delusion, and psychosis come to mind. Please seek help.
06 March 2014, 20:33
42
This is truly hilarious!
The_bore is now claiming to have "inside information" regarding the identity of posters screen names! His special knowledge is a closely guarded secret, and he can't share how he received this information. This is to demonstrate to everyone how important he is, and how knowledgeable he is. Also to show he has important "connections" that provide this information.
Did you get this info from the Iranian Secret Service? Or is your daddy the Information Minister within the IRGC Quds Force?
Maybe you hacked into Naharnet's website to gain this info?
Hey bore, why don't you post my real name or email address? You must have this info too. Go ahead, I give you permission. Surely you would have nothing to lose in "outing" someone who is anti-Khameni.
We all know this is top secret stuff, and only REALLY important people are privy to this data!
You know bore, I feel so impressed by this display of counterintelligence and arrogance from you.
06 March 2014, 21:26
23
Guys come on this has nothing to do with Hezbollah, even if we disagree with them, they have nothing to do with this stupid son of an iraqi minister ^^ This story is just ridiculous !!
06 March 2014, 23:41
32
I don't support, agree or sympathize with any of the guilty parties you mentioned above. So I take it you are citing above to justify your support for HA's actions? Sir, I will ask you point blank, do you, or do you not, denounce terrorism? In any form, state sponsored or otherwise? Up to and including HA? Yes or No?
07 March 2014, 00:03
43
Idiot wolf.... sarcasm is lost on the ignorant and the unintelligent. The_bore was claiming to have knowledge that he can't possibly have, and I was ridiculing him.
Also, your recap of the situation is nothing but revisionism at best, trying to protect your fellow Khamenyists. MEA was not "ordered by another country to turn back". A "country" doesn't make these requests on a public airline. These "requests" were from corrupt officials giving instructions they were not authorized to give, to other corrupt officials. Standards of protocol were not followed.
Planes don't turn back to pick up spoiled kids that were late getting to the airport.
07 March 2014, 01:19
43
How on earth did you get Hizballah involved in this? Even Future TV couldn't do that.
07 March 2014, 05:37
24
@wolf: Have they increased the dosage or not yet? You need to insist they do.
07 March 2014, 07:31
02
for all those who are blaming MEA .. are you saying that they should have gone there and risked the lives of the passengers in case the iraquis didn let it land? they diid the right thing and should sue the iraki government for the loss
07 March 2014, 15:25
00
Le Dude, you're right, I fully subscribe to your point of view. I would like to add further that our authorities should investigate this case fully, and leave no stone unturned. First, I hope they've got this arrogant sod of an Iraqi son of a minister under arrest. Then detain and question him, until he tells the truth. From there, since he has committed a major crime under Lebanese jurisdiction, he should be tried and sentenced according to our laws. From there, the state of Lebanon, plus MEA should press for full compensation to include the passengers too. If we leave this despicable incident to go unpunished, then it means any Tom Dick and Harry can come and repeat the same. My God, I am fuming!! Even Mobutu will dare not do this. Tfeh.
07 March 2014, 07:40
05
hope Lebanon retaliates against iraqi airline as this is just a scandal
07 March 2014, 11:59
01
Some articles in Naharnet tend to put me at a loss. The real article states clearly that the maintenance was an excuse and that a source in Baghdad airport requesting anonymity said that the airport was running normally and that on that day some 30 flights landed. No matter what we may want to say, truth be told, Beirut airport is run professionally under the highest security norms, therefore I trust BIA's statement in good faith, and doubt this Iraqi idiot's. What happened is purely a blatant disregard by some imbeciles only bent on greed for power.
07 March 2014, 16:12
11
I do not understand those sectarian and political comments over this article. Ridiculous and Pathetic!
