Plane from Dubai to Kennedy gets military jet escort

Passengers aboard Emirates Airlines Flight 201 were at the center of a worldwide drama Friday, their flight drawing live coverage on cable news channels as U.S. military fighter jets were scrambled to escort it to Kennedy Airport.

But according to the passengers interviewed Friday night, no one on board knew of the added security or attention until they were safely on the ground.

"The first indication [that something was wrong] was when the pilot said there was heightened security and that it was going to take longer to disembark," said Louis Kelley, 59, of Hamden, Conn., who had traveled to Dubai on business. Passengers who spoke to Newsday said they did not see the military jets.

Flashing police lights and FBI agents awaited the passengers on Kennedy's tarmac. They were then shuttled onto buses after descending the plane's stairs, with police forming a barrier around passengers so they couldn't do "anything but get on the bus," Kelley said. The bus took them to an airport building.

John Brennan, assistant to the president for homeland security and counter terrorism, said Friday there was a "concern about possible cargo" sent from Yemen aboard the flight and "with an abundance of caution," the U.S. Air Force scrambled jets "to make sure that everything is OK."

Brennan said during a news conference there was never any discussion with the president about the possibility of the military jets shooting down any plane.

Ian Barnes, 30, of Seattle, was vacationing in Dubai. He said there were no announcements on the plane about the potential security threat.

"As far as I can tell, it was pretty normal," Barnes said, adding that he was surprised to hear about the attention his flight received.

Nick Chan, 32, of Manhattan, said passengers watched CNN to learn what was happening after the landing.

"We saw a lot of police," Chan said. "They instructed us that we would be getting on buses and that all our luggage would be rescreened."