Alert F-15Cs scrambled to intercept a US-bound commercial flight from Paris as a precautionary measure on Monday, following an anonymous tip warning of chemical weapons aboard the aircraft, New York’s WABC News reported. “Out of an abundance of caution, Air France flight number 22 was escorted to John F. Kennedy airport by US Air Force fighter jets following a phone threat,” according to an FBI statement quoted in the May 25 press report. “There were no incidents or hazards reported on board the flight by either the passengers or its crew,” according to the FBI. Several other aircraft also were flagged on Monday, though no hazardous materials were found. The pair of Air National Guard 104th Fighter Wing jets from Barnes ANGB, Mass., escorted the Air France Airbus A330 to a safe landing on May 25, local Mass Live reported.
President Donald Trump’s nominee for Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff touted his highly unusual background for the job as an asset and reaffirmed his commitment to stay apolitical during a confirmation hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee on April 1.