Canadian security officials told the Calgary Sun that the planes were advised to land in Montreal and Hamilton due to a “serious and legitimate” threat against the El Al airplane involving a shoulder-fired missile attack on the tarmac that was to be launched from the Toronto area. The official said a heat-seeking surface-to-air missile was to be used in the attack. The police were tipped off by a phone call originating from within the Toronto area as well. Canadian police are trying to trace the phone call but are unsure whether it was made from a pay or cellular phone.



The Canadian mounted police are tracing the origins and destination of a German-made rocket launcher, found by Canada Customs officers among 14 caches of weapons, entering the country at a Canadian postal plant between April 2001 and March 2003. The weapon is designed to be fired from a person's shoulder and can be outfitted with heat-seeking missiles.



Israeli officials trace the threat to Al-Qaida, and link it to a pattern of attacks on aircrafts using shoulder launched surface-to-air missiles.



The planes were diverted to Montreal and then to Hamilton, where the passengers were escorted to Toronto by the Canadian mounted police.