Cairo - MENA
Passengers lined up at departure and arrival halls of Cairo airport due to tight security measures taken after two makeshift bombs were detected Tuesday.
A security plan outlined by airport police in coordination with security bodies of the Cairo Airport Company and EgyptAir is now in place.
Sappers have combed the vicinity of the airport using explosive detectors and sniff dogs as a precautionary measure, a security source said.
Troops have been deployed at entrances to the different airport halls and only passengers were allowed into and out of the halls, the source added.
Those are just precautionary measures, the source stressed.
Airliners had informed passengers that they needed to show up three hours ahead of scheduled take off, the source said.
He urged all passengers to come on time set by their airline companies so that security troops can check their baggage and crosscheck their IDs.
The shuttle bus route has also been changed as part of the new security measures.
But this irritated employees and passengers alike because they had to take a longer course of about 100 meters to reach the halls.
Airport troops have also closed one road running parallel to departure and arrival halls.
Part of the parking area is also closed to cars, except for those of employees and officers.
Another part of the parking area is opened to cars of the passengers and their families.
The automated shuttle train will be operative for 24 hours to ferry passengers to the different airport halls. This is meant to ease the congestion at the airport.
The train usually works 14 hours a day.