Northwest Passenger Questioned After Disruption (Update3)

Dec. 27 (Bloomberg) -- A disruptive passenger on a Northwest Airlines international flight to Detroit was questioned by law enforcement officials today after the plane landed, and was later released.

Federal Bureau of Investigation spokeswoman Sandra Berchtold said in a statement that the incident was “not- serious.” She didn’t identify the passenger.

Susan Elliott, a spokeswoman for Atlanta-based Delta, said the flight crew asked law enforcement officers to meet the plane “out of an abundance of caution.” The plane landed without incident.

The flight has the same number, 253, and flew the same route, Amsterdam to Detroit, as the one taken by Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, a 23-year-old Nigerian, who allegedly attempted to light an explosive as the flight neared the Detroit airport on Christmas Day.

The passenger questioned today, also a Nigerian, “spent an unusually long time in the aircraft lavatory,” Sara Kuban, Department of Homeland Security press secretary, said in a statement. “Indications at this time are that the individual’s behavior is due to legitimate illness, and no other suspicious behavior or materials have been found.”

With airline security heightened since the attempted bombing, President Barack Obama was told of the latest incident, White House spokesman Bill Burton said in a statement. Burton said Obama requested a briefing as soon as possible.

“The president stressed the importance of maintaining heightened security measures for all air travel,” Burton said.

To contact the reporter on this story: Jonathan D. Salant in Washington at jsalant@bloomberg.net.