Back to Headlines

Delhi airport on red alert

       New Delhi: In the wake of a terror plot foiled in the United Kingdom on Thursday and with Independence Day nearing, security has been tightened and a red alert has been sounded at the Indira Gandhi International airport here. Emergency anti-hijacking measures have also been put in place. A larger number of security personnel have been deployed in plain clothes and Quick Reaction Team (QRTs) have been activated at the airport. As part of increase in surveillance measures Bomb Disposal Squads and sniffer dogs have been pressed into service and surveillance was stepped up at parking lots and ticket counters. In specific destination flights, the cabin baggage is undergoing 100 per cent checking manually and 50 per cent manually in normal flights. Entry of visitors to the airport has been closed and the profiling of passengers has been increased. Other major establishments and airports across the country have been put on high alert in view of the intelligence reports on the possibility of terror attacks.

Terror threat at UK's Heathrow airport

      London: British police and intelligence outfits foiled a bid to blow passenger flights in mid-air on Thursday, but the scare resulted in passengers being banned from carrying handbags to the airports. The security checks and precautions caused chaos at various airports. Scores flights to and from airports in the UK were cancelled for security reasons. UK Home Secretary John Reid reportedly said that the terrorist plot was designed to "bring down a number of aircraft through mid-flight explosions, causing a considerable loss of life". According to him, security at all UK airports was increased and the country was put on high alert. Shortly after the news was broken throughout the world, the US government also raised its threat perceptions to the highest level for commercial flights flying in from the UK. According to the Daily Mail, passengers faced massive delays as they arrived to check in this morning, and were warned that they could not take any hand luggage on board flights. Heathrow airport operator BAA is learnt to have directed that all in-bound services not already in the air, be suspended, and that most European flights be cancelled. Former Met Commissioner Lord Stevens said that all passengers must be hand searched, and their footwear and all the items they are carrying must be X-ray screened. He said such drastic steps would not have been taken unless there was an "absolute need". "You know there is going to be a fair amount of disruption and chaos and that is balanced against trying to keep things as normal as possible. But they will not have done anything unless there was an absolute need for it." Cancelling flights was "always a possibility", he said and added that it was important not to allow terrorists to succeed in their aim of disrupting everyday life.

Back to Headlines                  Go To Top