"Heathrow airport terminal reopens"

Tuesday, July 3, 2007

Heathrow airport terminal reopens


LONDON (Reuters) - London's Heathrow airport reopened a busy, international
terminal on Tuesday after a security scare led to the cancellation of more
than 100 flights.

Thousands of passengers were evacuated from Terminal 4 after a suspect bag
was found shortly before midday, the airport's operator BAA, a unit of
Spanish infrastructure and construction company Grupo Ferrovial, said.

Police also ordered the evacuation of the departure lounge so that all
passengers could be searched a second time.

The terminal reopened shortly after 5 p.m.

Flights arriving at the terminal, which handles only international flights,
were not affected.

British Airways, the main operator at the terminal, said it had cut 108
flights after cancelling all its European departures from the terminal for
the day, as well as all long-haul flights due to depart between 3 p.m. and 9
p.m.

At least seven transatlantic flights to the United States were cancelled,
stranding American passengers hoping to return for July 4 Independence Day
celebrations.

An airport spokesman said passengers due to fly from the terminal on Tuesday
evening should check their flight with their airline.

Britain's security threat level has been set at "critical" since two car
bombs were found in central London on Friday and members of a suspected al
Qaeda cell attacked an airport in Scotland on Saturday.

Eight suspects have been arrested in Britain and Australia.

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