As of 11:55 AM PST, 9/13/01
By Leslie Gornstein
The Associated Press
An Italian jet landed at Los Angeles International Airport
Thursday, marking the first arrival of an airliner carrying
passengers in California since the nation’s airways were shut
down because of four deadly terrorist hijackings.
Alitalia Flight 622, carrying 147 adults passengers, three
infants and a crew of 12 touched down at midmorning on a flight
from Calgary, Canada, where it spent two days after its journey
from Milan was diverted on Tuesday.
Two dozen city and airport police stood watch inside the
international terminal as the jet rolled in.
Officials earlier warned the thousands of travelers stranded in
the state to stay away from all airports unless they had airline
flight confirmations, and then to expect long delays, stringent
checks and extensive uniformed and undercover police presence.
“˜”˜We will be everywhere at this
airport,” Airport Police Chief Bernard Wilson told a
news conference at Los Angeles International.
San Francisco International expected initial arrivals of an
Alitalia plane from Milan, Italy, and a Korean Air plane from
Seoul, both of which were diverted to Vancouver, British Columbia,
airport spokesman Mike McCarron said.
Debra Wasser waited at San Francisco International even though
she was told it was not certain that her flight back to New York
would leave.
“˜”˜You have to just understand, I want to get home to
my family, but …,” she said, adding that the
inconvenience didn’t matter. “˜”˜There’s so
much sadness. This pales in comparison.”
The return to operations was slow. Two empty American Airlines
jets are being repositioned and two cargo planes landed at Los
Angeles International Airport early Thursday. Only about a dozen
passenger flights diverted to Canada, Mexico and Hawaii were
expected there during the day.
Los Angeles International Airport and Ontario International
Airport to the east were to officially open at noon, but on an
extremely limited basis, said Lydia Kennard, executive director of
Los Angeles World Airports, the city’s airports
department.
The airports in Sacramento, San Jose, San Diego, Palm Springs
and John Wayne in Orange County also were opening Thursday. Burbank
Airport was still awaiting federal approval to reopen.
Tightened security included the end of curbside baggage
check-in, only passengers with tickets or flight confirmations
allowed past terminal checkpoints, extensive bag searches and
further limits on items that may be taken aboard planes.
“˜”˜All knives and other cutting instruments are
banned,” Kennard said in Los Angeles.
The terrorists who hijacked the four California-bound flights
are believed to have been armed with knives.
Officials cautioned that travel would be anything but normal for
more than a week.
Los Angeles International, normally the nation’s third
busiest in number of passengers annually, expected just a few
scheduled departures Thursday and Friday, and operations at about
50 percent of normal over the weekend and 100 percent by late next
week, said Michael DiGiralamo, deputy director for operations.