The Bradford sisters missing with their nine children were stopped from leaving the UK in March, ITV News has learned.
Their trip to Saudi Arabia was rebooked for May but there is no suggestion they were intending to travel to Syria at that time. Police are now trying to work out when the trip was planned.
The missing Bradford family did not even make it past immigration when they tried to travel to Saudi Arabia in March, according to the taxi firm who took them to the airport.
Awais Ali, who took the booking, told ITV News the family were dropped off at Manchester Airport in the morning.
But about five hours later, he said a male family member who had not gone on the trip asked if a minibus could pick them up again.
Mr Ali said: "I asked him why. He was upset, he was crying.
"He said they were not allowed to travel because one of their guys had gone to Syria, and for that reason they can't travel. I don't think they even went past immigration."
Speaking from Pakistan, one of the husbands of the missing Bradford thought to be heading to Syria has told ITV News of his worry.
Here's what we know about the Bradford family of 12 who are feared to be travelling to Syria.