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NORAD Fighters Escort Air Canada 777 to Montreal After Ticket-Fraud Alert

Investigators are examining a possible ticket fraud case after security systems flagged an identity mismatch.

Overview

  • An airline alert indicated a traveler trying to board one Air Canada flight was already listed on BrusselsMontreal AC833, triggering a national-security response on March 18.
  • Canadian CF-18s and U.S. F-16s, supported by KC-135 tankers, escorted the Boeing 777-300ER to Montréal–Trudeau, according to NORAD.
  • After landing, police used sniffer dogs and explosives technicians to search baggage and the cabin, and no threat or explosives were found.
  • Two men in their 20s and 30s were detained and questioned; both were later released, with one receiving a summons and one arrest described in earlier reports as a mistake.
  • Reports initially cited a false identity and stolen Aeroplan points, while provincial police now stress a fraud investigation focused on the ticket purchase and say the suspect did not travel under a false identity; flight operations experienced delays during the security response.