U.K. airports on “critical threat” security alert

U.K. airports on “critical threat” security alert

U.K. airports on “critical threat” security alert

   Airports in the United Kingdom are on “critical threat” security alert after police uncovered a plot to detonate explosive devices on up to 10 aircraft believed to be headed to the United States.

   British police have made 21 arrests so far.

   “We are confident that we have disrupted a plan by terrorists to cause untold death and destruction and to commit, quite frankly, mass murder,” said Metropolitan Police Deputy Commissioner Paul Stephenson. “We believe that the terrorists’ aim was to smuggle explosives onto airplanes in hand luggage and to detonate these in flight. We also believe that the intended targets were flights from the U.K. to the USA.”

   London’s Heathrow Airport has stopped all short-haul inbound aircraft while inbound long-haul flights are operating with severe delays.

   The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has raised the national threat level to Red, or severe, for commercial flights originating in the United Kingdom and bound for the United States. To prevent any copycat type attacks, the threat level for the rest of the aviation system has been raised to Orange, or high.

   The attackers planned to use liquid explosives disguised as consumable products such as soda, according to law enforcement officials. The Transportation Security Agency has issued an immediate ban on carryon liquids, including beverages, hair gels and lotions.

   The situation has also damaged the share prices of many airlines with British Airways dropping 5 percent on the London Stock Exchange. Spanish construction firm Grupo Ferrovial, who has just acquired British airport operator BAA for '10.3 billion ($19.6 billion) also saw its price dip.