The American Embassy replies to the Foreign Ministry’s request for information about a flight

Press release 382/2005
9 December, 2005


The Embassy of the United States has given its reply to the request for information presented by the Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs concerning a flight that had landed in Finland on 16 May 2003. The content of the reply is the same as Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice’s statement to the European Union Presidency, which was published in Washington earlier this week. The reply does not deal with individual flights. Information about the flight that came to Finland and continued from here to Sweden is, however, being investigated further.

During their investigation the Swedish aviation authorities have requested information about the same flight. According to the Swedish authorities, in the light of information available, the investigations have not revealed anything that would suggest a CIA assignment in connection with flights to Sweden.

The Finnish authorities have no information conflicting with this.

The freight aircraft, a modified Hercules L-382 owned by Prescott Support, landed at Helsinki-Vantaa Airport on 16 May 2003 while on a flight from Frankfurt to Stockholm. The plane’s permit application states that the aircraft was carrying freight meant for the American Embassy plus a crew of ten, and no other passengers.

Additional information: Director General Elina Kalkku, tel. +358 9 1605 5326, and Counsellor Leena Liukkonen, tel. +358 9 1605 5527, Department for the Americas and Asia, Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs