Bangor airport grinds to halt New security measures in place

BANGOR – Security tightened Wednesday at a largely empty Bangor International Airport, where flights remained grounded in the wake of Tuesday’s terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon.

One day after the attacks prompted the government to ground all commercial flights for the first time in history, travelers scrambled to rent cars, take a bus or find a hotel room for the night.

Disappointed but understanding of the Federal Aviation Administration’s decision to continue its nationwide airspace closure until at least noon today, many travelers hoping to fly out of BIA were optimistic.

“We’ll find a way,” said 22-year-old Cori Floyd of Bedford, Iowa, while her newlywed husband, Isaac Floyd, also 22, filled out forms at the Budget rental car desk in BIA’s lower terminal.

The couple, scheduled to fly from Bangor to Kansas City on Wednesday afternoon, decided instead to hit the road and drive to tiny Bedford, a 24-hour nonstop trip from Bangor.

The Floyds were among a trickle of hopeful travelers who arrived at the airport just as security officials – under strict FAA orders – were beefing up security and admittedly feeling the pressure, some said.

“Everybody’s a little nervous,” said one member of airport security as he made a brief stop in the lower terminal.

Cori Floyd, after struggling to refold her newly acquired Maine map, had a firsthand look at that tension Wednesday after her husband rushed back to the rental car desk to ask a question about the cost.

“You can’t fool around. This is a secure area, out here,” said one obviously agitated Budget employee, who came into the terminal and told the couple to move their rental car from the front of the building.

As part of the enhanced security, no unattended vehicles will be allowed within 300 feet of the airport, thus closing much of the short-term parking until further notice. Wednesday, tow trucks moved about 20 unattended cars to more remote areas of the parking lot.

With reports of the terrorists using knives to hijack some of the four fatal Tuesday flights, no knives of any kind will be permitted on any aircraft under the heightened security. Security officers previously had allowed pocket knives on commercial flights.

Interim airport director Rebecca Hupp said she could not comment on many of the new security measures, but advised passengers to expect boarding delays and arrive at the airport more than the customary one hour before takeoff.

“The safety of our traveling public is our first priority,” Hupp said. “We want to thank everyone for their patience, cooperation and understanding.”

Security personnel said Wednesday that every bag would either be X-rayed or manually searched under the new rules. Bags found unattended would be confiscated by police, according to an airport announcement.

Both passengers and airline personnel also will undergo additional screening before boarding an airplane, airport officials said.

While the airport is not scheduled to resume commercial service until later today at the earliest, Hupp said an Air Tours flight with 360 international passengers waylaid at BIA could depart sooner if the FAA opted to allow the diverted aircraft to fly to its original destination.

Lillian O’Shaughnessy of Long Island, N.Y., said she hoped to reach her destination sometime soon, but was in no real hurry.

Originally scheduled to take a 9:30 a.m. flight through Boston to New York, O’Shaughnessy, 71, instead will spend another day with her daughter and 8-month-old grandson, Ryan, in Bar Harbor, she said.

“It might be inconvenient for some, but you can’t complain,” she said.