Snowden Not In Bolivian President's Plane: Passenger

 Bolivia-President/Plane -- Snowden not in Bolivian president's plane: passenger

 China Central Television (CCTV) - Edward Snowden was not on board Bolivian President Evo Morales's plane, which was diverted to Vienna, Austria on Tuesday on suspicion of harboring the U.S. fugitive, according to a passenger of the presidential flight.

President Morales's plane refueled on the island of Gran Canaria and headed back to Bolivia, after being grounded in Vienna for 13 hours, when France and Portugalallegedly closed their airspace to the plane.Ivan Cortez, a renowned news presenter from radio station Radio Patria Nueva, was reporting the president's trip to Russia and his attendance at a natural gas producing countries' summit in Moscow. He was among the eleven passengers of the flight.

"The pilot made the flight plan several days before the return flight," said Cortez. "He also received permits from relevant countries, meaning the plane could fly over their airspace and land if necessary."

However, the pilot had to change the flight route after Lisbon Airport rejected the landing request due to what was claimed as technical reasons while the plane was still at Moscow airport.

Also, Cortez added that French air traffic control denied the president's plane from entering their airspace as it was approaching.

With its fuel was running out, the plane was finally allowed to land in Vienna.

"We were informed that Snowden was suspected to be on board our plane when we entered the VIP lounge at Vienna airport," Cortez said. "The European countries thought there was a twelfth passenger, but we don't know where the rumor came from."

The incident infuriated the Bolivian president, who when interviewed at the airport, said he was insulted by the rumor. What was more, Spanish representatives stationed in Vienna also wanted to search the plane.

"The rumor was not true. As a passenger on the president's plane, I never saw Snowden, even at Moscow airport," said the presenter, who mentioned that security level at the airport is high with security personnel guarding at the entrances and exits.

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