London’s Woolwich Crown Court yesterday found Rajib Karim guilty on four counts of planning to blow up a transatlantic aircraft in a plot hatched with a radical cleric known as Anwar al-Awlaki, a militant on the most-wanted list in the US and UK for his known al Qaeda links.

A jury found Karim guilty of ‘engaging in preparation for terrorist attacks’, after he took a job with British Airways within its IT department and shared inside information about airline and airport security arrangements.

Karim’s determination to carry out the attack was described as frightening by prosecution lawyers, who also described how he tried to switch jobs to become a member of cabin crew, but was turned down.

In a statement on Twitter yesterday, UK Home Secretary Theresa May was full of praise for the police and security agencies when she said: “The fact that Karim has been found guilty of such a heinous plot shows why we will never be complacent.

“I want to thank the police and the security service for their hard work in this complex case. We know that we face a serious threat from terrorism and national security remains this government’s top priority.”

A date for Karim’s sentencing was not made public yesterday, although he is expected to receive a minimum life term in jail.