Security tight on Birmingham to USA flights
Dec 29 2009 by Gregg Evans, Birmingham Mail
PASSENGERS flying to the USA from Birmingham International Airport have been warned to arrive four hours before departure due to heightened security.
Continental Airlines, which operates a daily flight to New York, said security had been stepped up in the wake of the failed Detroit airliner bomb plot.
It means those travelling on the eight-hour journey should arrive with plenty of time to pass through the strict security checks.
Security officials in the USA announced extra precautions were being introduced following the failed terrorist attack on Christmas Day which saw a former London student allegedly attempt to ignite a device on board.
Umar Farouk Abdulmutalla was travelling on the Northwest Airlines Flight 253, from Amsterdam to Detroit, when passengers intervened as he attempted to set off the device.
On Sunday, he was released from hospital into the custody of US marshals at an undisclosed location.
Meanwhile, Scotland Yard detectives continued to search the 23-year-old former student’s luxury apartment in a central London mansion block as it emerged he had links with al Qaida. Passengers travelling from London to the US were faced with lengthy delays yesterday. People flying across the Atlantic were advised to arrive early and carry just one piece of hand luggage.
One flight from London’s Heathrow to New York’s Newark airport was late leaving by more than three hours, although most delays were less severe.
A customer service representative from Continental Airlines confirmed security has been increased on the Birmingham flight which departs at 9am each day.
He said: “Passengers must arrive at the airport four hours before their flight. There is an increase in the amount of security officials.
“Passengers are allowed one carrier, (weighing) no more than 18 kilos and one personal item like a handbag or laptop bag.”
The normal recommended time to arrive at the airport before a flight is two hours, with the last check-in usually around one hour before departure.
A spokeswoman for Birmingham International Airport said it was operating as usual but confirmed that security remained high. “Security has been heightened for a number of years and that remains the same now, although certain airlines have different layers of security.”
