Emirates denied negligence over its failure to update a US no-fly list, allowing the suspect in the attempted May 1 car bombing in New York’s Times Square to board a flight to Dubai.
Man suspected of trying to detonate a car bomb in New York’s Times Square on Saturday has been arrested as he attempted to take a flight to Dubai.
A US citizen of Pakistani origin, Faisal Shahzad was detained at John F Kennedy Airport and is due to appear in court in Manhattan later on Tuesday.
Emirates Airline confirmed on Tuesday that flight EK202 bound for Dubai was called back by authorities before taking off from New York, and that three passengers were removed from the aircraft.
The bomb, which was made from fertiliser, fireworks, petrol and propane gas tanks, was left in an SUV in Times Square, with its engine running and hazard lights on.
However, the bomb was discovered by a street vendor and disarmed before it could go off.
US Attorney General Eric Holder told a press conference that the attempted car bombing "would have been a deadly attack had it been successful".
He added: "It's clear that the intent behind this terrorist act was to kill Americans." At the time the car was left, Time Square was packed with tourists and theatergoers.
Holder said that investigators were pursuing "a number of leads".
Police tipped off by an alert street vendor found and defused a car bomb inside a sport utility vehicle in an incident that forced the evacuation of New York's Times Square on Saturday and could have turned into a "very deadly event," authorities said early on Sunday.
