UK terror alert hits Namibian air travel

A TERROR alert that forced long delays in scores of flights from British airports yesterday and disrupted international travel will also affect Air Namibia’s flights from the United Kingdom, the airline warned yesterday.

The flights that Air Namibia has between Windhoek and London’s Gatwick airport will continue as scheduled, but passengers on these flights will also be affected by the stringent new security measures that the British airport authorities started enforcing from yesterday, Air Namibia announced in a media statement. The move comes after British authorities said yesterday they had thwarted a terrorist plot to simultaneously blow up several aircraft flying to the United States using explosives smuggled in hand luggage.British police arrested 21 people and said they were confident they had captured the main suspects, Nampa-Reuters reports.Britain and the United States ramped up security, causing severe delays at airports.NAMIBIAN FLIGHTS Air Namibia’s flight SW 385 from Hosea Kutako International Airport to Gatwick Airport near London each Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday evening connects Namibia with the United Kingdom three times a week.Flight SW 386 in turn departs from Gatwick to Hosea Kutako International Airport each Wednesday, Friday and Sunday evening.Gatwick Airport remains open and flights are still arriving and departing at that airport, although some lengthy delays were experienced yesterday, Air Namibia said in its press release.The airline added that the situation was expected to improve as additional resources were put in place.Air Namibia expects both flights SW385 and SW 386 to continue operating as normal, with the flights to remain on schedule, the airline stated.However, passengers have to take note that they might have to expect “unusually long queues, extremely thorough security questions and checks” at Gatwick, Air Namibia added.With only a few exceptions, all cabin luggage and carry-on luggage will with immediate effect have to be booked in as hold luggage on all flights departing from UK airports, the airline said.Items that may still be taken through UK airport security would preferably have to be carried in a single transparent plastic bag.Nothing may be carried in pockets from Gatwick Airport, the airline emphasised.Items that may be carried onto flights by passengers include pocket-sized wallets and their contents, but no handbags.Also still allowed are essential travel documents, prescription medicines and medical items sufficient for the flight, such as a diabetic kit, spectacles and sunglasses, but not their carrying cases, contact lens holders, without bottles or solution, unboxed female sanitary items, unboxed tissues or handkerchiefs, and keys, but no electronic key fobs or buttons or batteries.No liquids such as hair gel or drinks are allowed to be taken aboard.People travelling with babies may carry baby food, milk or sanitary items essential for a flight – such as nappies, wipes, creams and nappy disposal bags – with them onto a flight, but they may be asked to taste the baby food and otherwise demonstrate the authenticity of the baby products.Cellphones will not be allowed on flights departing from the UK, and must be packed into hold luggage, or these will be confiscated at the security search point, the airline warned.GHASTLY SPECTRE The suspected plot raised the spectre of a strike to rival the scope of the September 11 attacks on the United States and came 13 months after four British Islamist suicide bombers killed 52 commuters on London’s transport system.”We are confident we have disrupted a plan by terrorists to cause untold death and destruction,” said London police’s Deputy Commissioner Paul Stephenson.”Put simply, this was intended to be mass murder on an unimaginable scale.”Airport departure halls in London were jammed with people yesterday, waiting as airlines cancelled flights and trying to sort out their bags as hand luggage and liquids were banned from flights and passengers with babies were made to publicly taste their food.Stephenson said the plot had “global dimensions” and that police were co-operating with foreign agencies.The move comes after British authorities said yesterday they had thwarted a terrorist plot to simultaneously blow up several aircraft flying to the United States using explosives smuggled in hand luggage.British police arrested 21 people and said they were confident they had captured the main suspects, Nampa-Reuters reports.Britain and the United States ramped up security, causing severe delays at airports.NAMIBIAN FLIGHTS Air Namibia’s flight SW 385 from Hosea Kutako International Airport to Gatwick Airport near London each Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday evening connects Namibia with the United Kingdom three times a week.Flight SW 386 in turn departs from Gatwick to Hosea Kutako International Airport each Wednesday, Friday and Sunday evening. Gatwick Airport remains open and flights are still arriving and departing at that airport, although some lengthy delays were experienced yesterday, Air Namibia said in its press release.The airline added that the situation was expected to improve as additional resources were put in place.Air Namibia expects both flights SW385 and SW 386 to continue operating as normal, with the flights to remain on schedule, the airline stated.However, passengers have to take note that they might have to expect “unusually long queues, extremely thorough security questions and checks” at Gatwick, Air Namibia added.With only a few exceptions, all cabin luggage and carry-on luggage will with immediate effect have to be booked in as hold luggage on all flights departing from UK airports, the airline said.Items that may still be taken through UK airport security would preferably have to be carried in a single transparent plastic bag.Nothing may be carried in pockets from Gatwick Airport, the airline emphasised.Items that may be carried onto flights by passengers include pocket-sized wallets and their contents, but no handbags.Also still allowed are essential travel documents, prescription medicines and medical items sufficient for the flight, such as a diabetic kit, spectacles and sunglasses, but not their carrying cases, contact lens holders, without bottles or solution, unboxed female sanitary items, unboxed tissues or handkerchiefs, and keys, but no electronic key fobs or buttons or batteries.No liquids such as hair gel or drinks are allowed to be taken aboard.People travelling with babies may carry baby food, milk or sanitary items essential for a flight – such as nappies, wipes, creams and nappy disposal bags – with them onto a flight, but they may be asked to taste the baby food and otherwise demonstrate the authenticity of the baby products.Cellphones will not be allowed on flights departing from the UK, and must be packed into hold luggage, or these will be confiscated at the security search point, the airline warned.GHASTLY SPECTRE The suspected plot raised the spectre of a strike to rival the scope of the September 11 attacks on the United States and came 13 months after four British Islamist suicide bombers killed 52 commuters on London’s transport system.”We are confident we have disrupted a plan by terrorists to cause untold death and destruction,” said London police’s Deputy Commissioner Paul Stephenson.”Put simply, this was intended to be mass murder on an unimaginable scale.”Airport departure halls in London were jammed with people yesterday, waiting as airlines cancelled flights and trying to sort out their bags as hand luggage and liquids were banned from flights and passengers with babies were made to publicly taste their food.Stephenson said the plot had “global dimensions” and that police were co-operating with foreign agencies.