Passenger jets slowly returning to nation’s skies

By Beth Harris

Associated Press

A few jetliners roamed the nation’s skies Friday, carrying small numbers of edgy travelers as airlines resumed limited schedules three days after terrorist attacks in New York and Washington.

At the handful of major airports that reopened, passengers found long waits due to intense new security measures, including bans on seemingly every conceivable weapon – even nail clippers and plastic knives. And there were numerous delays and cancellations.

Flight both in and out of Sea-Tac Airport remain very limited, according to the airport’s Web site (www.portseattle.org/seatac/default.htm).

No planes left Chicago’s O’Hare International, the nation’s second busiest airport. Limited flights took off from Los Angeles International.

“There’s going to be confusion on various fronts for the next few days,” said Ron Wilson, spokesman for San Francisco International Airport.

Despite the delays and other problems, people waiting in a food court at Portland International in Oregon cheered as the first jet departed.

“People in this country have a hang-up about having their personal space invaded. But when you’re in this situation, you have to sacrifice some of your individuality,” said Kevin McArthur, a business consultant waiting at Denver International Airport for a flight to Chicago.

The New York area’s three major airports – Kennedy International, LaGuardia and Newark International – had some landings on Thursday but then abruptly closed as the FBI detained at least 10 people of Middle Eastern decent for questioning. They were later cleared of any connection with the attack, Sen. Joseph Biden said Friday.

Boston’s Logan International, where terrorists boarded two jets Tuesday that were hijacked and crashed into the World Trade Center, won’t reopen until stricter safety measures are in place, Federal Aviation Administration Administrator Jane Garvey said. The airport is under investigation for possible security breaches before the attacks.

Washington’s Reagan National Airport remained closed indefinitely. Washington-Dulles International Airport, the origin of the hijacked flight that hit the Pentagon, reopened on a skeleton schedule.

Officials at airports across the country said it could be late next week before commercial service is fully restored. Chances of getting a flight out of the nation’s smaller airports remained slim Friday, and private flights were still banned.

Before flights could begin operating, airports were required to implement new security measures, including banning curbside check-in and limiting access to ticketed passengers beyond security screening points.

Armed agents from the U.S. Marshals Service, U.S. Border Patrol and U.S. Customs were deployed at airport security checkpoints across the country.

“This is the kind of security you expect to see diplomats get before they board an airplane,” said Michael Cheston, executive director of the Rhode Island Airport Corp. “That’s what we’re doing for the average citizen now. That’s going to slow down everything.”

On Thursday, Orlando International and a terminal at LaGuardia were briefly evacuated over separate, unfounded bomb scares.

And after briefly resuming limited service, Northwest Airlines canceled all flights Thursday evening amid security concerns.

“External information has come to our attention which indicated that it is not prudent to operate this evening,” said Mary Beth Schubert, a Northwest spokeswoman. No other details were released.

But by 6 a.m. Friday, a few Northwest jets were back in the air.

One of the first passengers to arrive at Los Angeles International Airport after it reopened was “Baywatch” actress Angelica Bridges, whose flight from Italy had been diverted Tuesday to Canada. She said every person who boarded Thursday was searched and no bag was put on the plane until it was identified by a passenger.

“They’re not going to let anything get through, not even a nail file,” she said.

At Dallas-Fort Worth International, an American Airlines flight attendant wasn’t allowed to board Thursday until security guards confiscated a corkscrew and meat thermometer.

At Sky Harbor International Airport in Phoenix, Sam Hemphill was among a dozen people lined up at a TWA ticket counter. He said he was uneasy about flying but wanted to get home to Jacksonville, Fla.

“Whatever happens, happens,” Hemphill said. “You have to keep going. If you stop living life, they’ve won.”

Some would-be passengers in Fargo, N.D., gave up on waiting and pooled their resources to buy a 1988 Cadillac for $800 for a planned drive to upstate New York.

“They said that the tickets were more than that,” said Gene Gebeke, owner of All-City Auto Sales. “By the time they get home, they can resell the car and be ahead.”