VARIOUS: Long queues and severe delays in various international airports in wake of UK bomb plot

Thousands of passengers were stranded in major airports all across Europe in the wake of a major security alert in the UK on Thursday (August 10, 2006). British police on Thursday foiled a plot to blow up aircraft mid-flight between Britain and the United States in what Washington said might have been an attempted al Qaeda operation. While British police sources did not rule out an al Qaeda link, they played down the idea of direct involvement by the global militant group. Britain and the United States both stepped up security, causing severe delays at airports following the announcement of the plot, which a police source said was believed to involve a "liquid chemical" device. Unconfirmed media reports said anywhere from six to 10 airliners had been targeted in the plot. The security threat sparked a security alert, throwing UK airports into chaos and pummelling airline stocks. In Paris' Charles De Gaulle airport, hundreds of passengers bound for the UK faced cancellations and a long wait. "We knew there were problems but we weren't sure, so we just turned up and it's cancelled," said Risvana Sheikh, a tourist from England who was planning to travel back on Thursday on British Airways. "We understand," she continued, "but it's a big problem for us because it's my cousin's wedding tonight, so we have to be back in London and get ready to go to the wedding." Long queues formed at the desks checking in passengers bound for the United Kingdom, but most of the travelers were sympathetic to the decision to cancel the flights. "Absolutely, yes, if there's been a major security alert, then yes it should be cancelled until the problem is resolved," said Jacqueline, also from England, who's traveling home with her children. In the wake of the security alert, French Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy is meeting the chiefs of police and internal security Thursday afternoon, before meeting with Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin and Minister of Foreign Affairs Philippe Douste-Blazy. There has been no security alert in France, but some French travelers were worried when they heard the news from England. "I watched the news this morning and it did frighten me a little, but I assume the company will take care of things, and I trust them," said Mathilde, who was planning a holiday in England. In other European capitals such as Brussels, Frankfurt and Amsterdam, scenes of long queues of stranded passengers were repeated. Despite the delays and cancellations, most of the passengers were calm, and waited patiently for further information about their flights. At the British Embassy in Berlin, there were no visible signs of stepped up security. Belgium's national airline SN Brussels called a meeting of its "crisis group". "They are meeting to decide on whether to cancel any further flights and to assess the risk," an SN Brussels spokeswoman said. Extra security measures were put in place at Charleroi airport, located 46 kilometres (29 miles) south of Brussels and mainly used by no-frills airline Ryanair. Security measures were strengthened at Brussels' Zaventem international airport in late July after staff found a letter threatening attacks on Israel's El Al airline in a toilet. In April, police launched a manhunt after a man triggered the evacuation of thousands of passengers by fleeing security at the Zaventem complex. In the Middle East where Israeli troops are currently locked in a battle with Hizbollah guerillas in neighbouring Lebanon, hundreds of passengers waited at Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion airport for their flights. Israel's national airline El Al cancelled it flight which was scheduled to leave Tel Aviv to London on Thursday at 1000GMT . The cancellations at Israel's airport are part of hundreds of delays and cancellations of flights into London by European airlines. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security raised the threat level for passenger aircraft to "red", its highest level, for the first time. U.S. authorities banned liquids, including drinks, hair gels and lotions, from U.S. commercial flights. Britain's security services upped the threat level in the country to "critical" from "severe", the highest of its five ratings, which means "an attack is expected imminently". The British Airports Authority BAA said it had asked all European carriers to suspend flights to London's main Heathrow airport, where tighter security measures caused severe delays. And British Airways said it had cancelled all short-haul flights to and from Heathrow for Thursday and some short-haul flights in and out of London's second airport Gatwick.

ITN Source | August 10, 2006

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