Police Look Into Security Scare at Toronto's PearsonInternational Airport

December 26, 2003

Police Look Into Security Scare at T.O. Airport
CTV, Canada

Police and airport security are investigating a scare at Canada's busiest 
airport. A security fence gate that is usually locked was discovered wide open 
at 8 a.m. Thursday at Toronto's Pearson International Airport.

"The reason for fence being open is unknown at this time," said Sgt. Dan 
Richardson of the Peel Regional Police.

"We're continuing to take steps to ensure safety of passengers and property 
around the airport at this time. That's just due to the current climate we are 
now facing. We have no actual information that anything has happened or is 
going to happen."

The gate connects Terminal One to an internal terminal used mostly by Air 
Canada. 

Pearson has had a number of security alerts recently. In November, two Israeli 
El Al planes were diverted to nearby Hamilton after intelligence reports warned 
terrorists were planing to shoot them down with shoulder mounted grenade 
launchers.

Airport security has been intensified in North America and Europe, after the 
United States raised its terror alert level on Sunday.

Los Angeles International Airport, which handles 150,000 passengers daily 
during the holidays, remained under its strictest guard since two months after 
the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. 

Three Air France flights between Paris and Los Angeles were scratched 
Wednesday. Two Thursday flights from Los Angeles and one from Paris also were 
canceled. 

American authorities notified France that "two or three" suspicious people, 
possibly Tunisian nationals, were planning to board the flights. 

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