Paris, Jan. 12 (AFP): A passenger, possibly an Indian, with a name similar to a suspected al Qaida operative wanted by the US failed to turn up for a flight from Paris to Los Angeles for the second time in three weeks, airport officials said.

The passenger, a regular on Mumbai-Paris flights, was booked on the Air France flight yesterday as “Abdul Haye”, a name which bears a phonetic resemblance to that of a man who US law enforcement officials believe is linked to al Qaida and spent time training in Afghanistan.

A passenger with a reservation in this name also failed to show up on December 24 for an Air France plane to Los Angeles, which was ultimately cancelled. France cancelled the flight at the request of the US, which was concerned about certain names, including “Abdul Haye”, on the passenger list.

On January 7, Paris airport officials and Air France told French police that an Indian citizen, Abdul Haye, was expected to arrive in France on an Air France flight from Mumbai.

The sources added that this passenger was a regular on the Mumbai-Paris and Paris-Los Angeles flights and had a reservation made in this name on yesterday’s 6.06 pm (IST) flight to Los Angeles.

French police were waiting for Abdul Haye at Charles de Gualle airport to check his identity and nationality and ask why he failed to appear for the flight on December 24.

But he failed to appear for this flight or for the later departure at 12.30 am (IST) today.

The French authorities are aware of two people with the name “Abdul Haye”, both with Indian nationality.

One was born in 1961 and the other in 1962. Both live in Mumbai and work at the same leather trading company, according to people familiar with the situation. The sources said at least one of them has a home in Los Angeles.

French police sources said there are several theories on the Abdul Hayes from Mumbai — they could be two people with the same name, possibly brothers, or there could be just one person who needed a second passport because of an error over the date of birth for the first.

The Abdul Haye wanted by the US is believed to have been captured by American forces in Afghanistan but escaped later.

Air security has been stepped up around the world in recent weeks after Washington said US intelligence showed al Qaida could be planning airborne suicide attacks similar to those on September 11, 2001 on New York and Washington.

The US has also issued an emergency directive that foreign carriers put armed sky marshals on flights where US officials deemed there was a terrorist risk.