US authorities on Thursday released a man whose Air France flight was diverted to Maine after his name was matched with one on the government no-fly list, officials said.

The man and his family, who were flying from Paris to Boston, were detained for a few hours in Bangor, Maine, and interviewed by US Customs and Border Protection agents before being allowed to continue their trip.

"After a thorough interview and review of the facts on the ground by officials, the individual in question was deemed admissible into the United States," said Leah Yoon, a spokeswoman for Customs and Border Protection.

"He and his traveling companions have been allowed to continue to their original destination," she added.

Air France Flight 332 from Paris to Boston made the unscheduled stop on Thursday afternoon at the United States' request when authorities found a "possible match" in the passenger manifest, the Transportation Security Administration said.

The passenger's name and birth date matched those of an individual put on the no-fly list, a Homeland Security official said.

The Airbus A330, which was carrying 169 passengers, was searched and sent on its way to Boston about an hour and a half after landing in Bangor but the passenger and his family remained in Maine.

TSA spokeswoman Yolanda Clark said the match of the names was detected while the plane was in the air. "It appears Air France missed the fact that a passenger was found to be a match on the no-fly list," she said.

Clark said there were no reports of unusual activity on the plane.

Last year Yusuf Islam, the pop star formerly known as Cat Stevens, was deported after his name turned up on the US no-fly list. He was traveling from London to Washington, when his United Airlines flight was diverted to Bangor.