Terror alert update: US airlines believed to be target of bomb plot
Three US airlines are believe to have been the target of a plot to blow up planes in flight from the UK to the US.
It is believed the intention was to target up to 10 aircraft in waves of three, using explosive devices smuggled in hand luggage.
Scotland Yard said it would have been “mass murder on an unimaginable scale”.
Police have arrested 21 people in London, High Wycombe and Birmingham. Home Secretary John Reid said it was believed these were the main players.
MI5 has raised the security threat to the highest level of ‘critical’ following the arrests. This means “an attack is expected imminently and indicates an extremely high level of threat to the UK”.
The explosives were supposed to be smuggled on board in liquid of some kind.
The US Department of Homeland Security has increased the threat level applied to commercial flights coming in from the UK to “red”.
Passengers are not allowed to take any hand luggage on to any flights in the UK, the department said.
By Bev Fearis
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
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