Bay Area airports have increased security in response to what appears to have been an attempted terrorist attack on a Detroit-bound flight on Christmas Day.
Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, 23, a Nigerian national, allegedly attempted to destroy a Northwest Airlines aircraft by detonating a device on its final approach to Detroit Metropolitan Airport on Christmas Day, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
Passengers and flight crew subdued and restrained Abdulmutallab and he was taken into custody by Customs and Border Protection agents upon landing.
The incident has prompted San Francisco International Airport to beef up the number of San Francisco police officers working there, airport spokesman Mike McCarron said. The security screening process has not changed, he said.
Oakland International Airport has increased the number of Alameda County sheriff’s deputies on foot and vehicle patrol, airport spokesman Robert Bernardo said this morning.
He said the airport has not yet been directed by the Department of Homeland Security to alter security procedures.
No changes have been made at Mineta San Jose International Airport, said Vicki Day, the airport’s director of customer services.
The Transportation Security Administration posted a notice on its Web site stating that while security checkpoint requirements for passengers departing from U.S. airports will remain the same, there will be additional security measures at in place.
Those include explosive detection canine teams, additional law enforcement officers and gate screening, according to the TSA.
Passengers flying into the U.S. from abroad will likely notice additional security measures at international airports such as pat-downs and bag searches, according to the TSA.
President Obama is expected to speak publicly about the Northwest Flight 253 incident sometime today.
