Airline operations are returning to normal today at Glasgow Airport amid heightened car access restrictions and policing levels across the country’s airports following the UK’s increased terror alert.
On 30 June a Jeep Cherokee drove into the check-in area entrance doors at BAA-operated Glasgow International Airport, catching fire on impact. The attack caused disruption and a number of flights cancellations. It comes as counter terrorism police continue to investigate the discovery of two suspected car bombs in central London on 29 June.
Glasgow Airport was closed after the 30 June incident but the airport has since re-opened and services are now returning to normal. “There are 11 flight cancellations today at Glasgow, but apart from that it’s business as usual,” says a spokesman for BAA.
“There is some congestion due to the closure of the inner forecourts. Eleven cancellations is more than normal, but it’s not massively unusual with 150-200 daily flights at Glasgow.”
The roads immediately in front of the terminals at Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen airports have been closed to vehicle access by local police in consultation with the Department for Transport, says the spokesman.
He was unable to comment on how long the access restrictions are likely to remain in force.
Policing levels in and around the airports have been significantly increased. Vehicles entering the airports are being screened by the police which, coupled with the forecourt closure, has caused congestion and traffic delays of up to 30 minutes at Glasgow and 45 minutes at Edinburgh, says the spokesman.
Additional security measures are in place at all seven of BAA’s UK airports, which include the three London airports of Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted, as cars face severe restrictions on drop-off and picking-up in front of the terminal. Similar restrictions are in place at other UK airports as well.
The UK Department for Transport declines to comment on any specific plans for additional security measures in the wake of the attack. A spokesman says the Government is keeping security under review.
But UK operators are reporting little disruption this morning. A British Airways spokeswoman says: “I don’t think that we’re seeing any delay other than on a normal busy summer day. It is very early to see how things will go today. From our point of view, there is no significant impact at the moment.”
Fellow UK operator BMI says it is operating a normal schedule, but warns that flights may be subject to delays. It says: “As a result of the incident revised security measures are in place at all United Kingdom airports, including limited vehicle access to terminals.”
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Source: FlightGlobal.com
