07/09/23
Glasgow Airport back to normal after security chaos amid suspected terrorist search
Glasgow Airport has confirmed services are back to normal today after security was disrupted on Wednesday amid a search for a suspected terrorist. Travellers faced major disruptions yesterday afternoon as police hunted escaped prisoner Daniel Abed Khalife.
The 21-year-old has been on the run since around 7.50am yesterday after escaping from HMP Wandsworth, apparently by clinging to a delivery truck from the prison kitchen. He was on remand in the category B prison while awaiting trial in relation to terrorism and Official Secrets Act offences.
The ongoing manhunt for Khalife caused major delays at UK airports, including Glasgow, after an alert was issued by Counter Terrorism Command. Border Force officials have been stringently checking passengers' travel documents before they board flights.
Huge queues built up throughout the airport with reports several members of the public were no longer being allowed into the building due to it being 'at capacity'. A tannoy announcement told frustrated passengers the delays were being caused by a 'national incident'.
Traveller John Robertson, who was heading to London, explained: "When I got to security about 12.45pm it seemed a lot busier than usual. I then noticed the x-ray belts were all at a standstill.
"That’s when I heard from a staff member that the police were looking for someone and that the security had been closed temporarily. After about an hour it started moving and I got through the x-ray.
"That’s when I saw the other queue. The police had set a checkpoint up just before you entered duty free and every passenger had to go through a passport check by border force officers.
"The same idea as when you normally arrive from abroad... There was no communication with passengers at all.
"A woman beside me thinks she missed her flight but she couldn’t get back out of the security area to check and there were no staff providing info.
"I was near the front of the main queue and the airport x-ray staff seemed just as clueless as us."
A spokesperson for Glasgow Airport told the Daily Record the airport is back to running normally this morning following yesterday's incident.
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