WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama, who is enroute to Prague, was briefed on the United Airlines incident in which a passenger was taken into custody over a possible disturbance, a White House official said on Thursday.

"The President was briefed by National Security Advisor General Jim Jones and National Security Staff Chief of Staff Denis McDonough at 8:50 p.m. EDT (Wednesday) and appropriate actions were taken to ensure the safety of the traveling public," the official said on condition of anonymity. "The incident is currently under investigation."

(Reporting by Tabassum Zakaria; Editing by Eric Beech)