Montreal Airport Security Alert Triggered by Credit Card Fraud

A security incident at Montreal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport on Wednesday led to the scrambling of North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) fighter jets, though the cause was ultimately determined to be fraudulent credit card activity. The incident caused delays to both domestic and international flights, but operations have since returned to normal.

Incident Details

NORAD responded to an “air security incident” involving two aircraft en route to Montreal from overseas. The response included three CF-18s, two F-16s, and two KC-135s deployed from various NORAD locations The Independent.

Initial reports suggested the incident may have been linked to stolen Air Canada Aeroplan rewards points, as one passenger appeared to already be on a flight to Montreal. However, Air Canada clarified that the incident stemmed from “the fraudulent use of a third-party credit card” and was not connected to its Aeroplan program The Independent.

Police Investigation and Arrests

The Sûreté du Québec, the provincial police agency, arrested and interrogated two men upon the flight’s landing – one in his 20s and another in his 30s. Both were subsequently released, but the man in his 20s may face fraud-related charges related to the ticket purchase The Independent.

Authorities confirmed the suspect did not travel under a false identity. The investigation is ongoing, and further details have not been released.

Airport Response

Montreal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport activated “standard security protocols” when a “suitcase of interest” was identified on a landed plane. The investigation proved “unfounded,” and operations resumed normally. One runway was temporarily closed, causing some flight delays The Independent.