From the Dutch Expatica, :
AMSTERDAM – Dutch justice authorities and opposition Labour MPs are raising serious questions after an incident in which a KLM plane on a direct flight from Amsterdam to Mexico City was refused entry to US airspace.
A KLM spokesman said on Sunday morning the plane with 278 passengers left from Schiphol on Friday afternoon and was approaching Canada when the pilot was informed that US authorities had refused the plane permission to enter US airspace.
The pilot was told two of the passengers were considered to be a risk, apparently due to terrorism fears.
Landing and refuelling for a diverted flight to Mexico was not possible, forcing the plane to turn back to Schiphol.
KLM asserts it always inspects the passenger list for suspicious travellers. “Apparently our information differs from that of the American authorities,” the spokesman said.
He said the weekend’s incident was the first of its kind and stressed that it was a one-off occurrence. “We are curious how the Americans came across the information.”
KLM and the Dutch public prosecutor’s office (OM) said they will question the US authorities about the incident.
The Dutch airline said the US is not allowed to have insight into passenger lists for flights that do not land in US territory.
Why not?
Main opposition party Labour PvdA will also demand answers in the Dutch Parliament. MP Peter van Heemst is questioning whether agreements with the US are adequate and what the two suspected passengers were accused of.
Van Heemst has also questioned why the plane was allowed to fly back to the Netherlands. The MP will also demand to know why the passengers were not under suspicion in Europe and were released after their return to Amsterdam.
The suspicious passengers were not arrested at Schiphol because their names were not on any list held by the Dutch police. Prosecutors did not consider them a threat.
Upon their return to the Netherlands, the two passengers who were on the US no-fly list flew via England back to Saudi Arabia, their land of origin, where they were not refused entry either. …
Why would they be refused entry into Saudi Arabia? The Saudis would only care if they had been planning some mayhem in Riyadh.