After Day of Chaos, D.C. Airports at Ease

Washington area airports returned to a state of calm yesterday -- or what passes for calm during the busy summer travel season -- after a day of widespread disruptions caused by the breakup of a terror plot in London.

At the region's three major airports yesterday, passengers came early and prepared. Most had made sure that bottled water, toothpaste, shampoo and other liquids were left at home or packed in checked luggage to comply with new prohibitions on carry-on items.

They also found relatively empty concourses and short waits at security checkpoints, unlike the chaos, long lines and two-hour delays that hampered air travelers Thursday. At Reagan National Airport, for example, passengers were clearing security checkpoints yesterday in 10 minutes or less.

"I'm surprised how normal everything seems," said John Jackson, 50, who was killing time with a cup of coffee and three paperbacks.

Jackson, who was headed to a nephew's wedding in Atlanta, said he woke at 3:45 a.m., left his home in Accokeek with plenty of time and arrived at National about 5:15 a.m. He then learned that his flight had been delayed, and suddenly he had eight hours to spare.

"Oh, well," he said. "I like to read, and I don't get the chance to do it too often."

The security changes came yesterday after London police said they had interrupted a terrorist plot to blow up several U.S.-bound jets with bombs made of innocuous-looking liquids. Police said terrorists planned to smuggle the liquids onto the planes, mix them in-flight and detonate them with electrical devices. In response, officials hastily banned liquid and gel carry-on items, such as lotion, deodorant and perfume.

Karen Wright, 44, who flew into National on Thursday for a day of meetings and expected to depart that night, was less resigned to the delays. She had to spend the night in a hotel when her flight home to Boston was canceled. She said she was frustrated and eager to go home.

"I think everybody knows it's an unfortunate situation, what happened in London, but the airports can't seem to react quickly," Wright said. "It seems they were taken by surprise that you could create bombs with liquid, and that's scary. Our response is always a beat behind. And it makes you think every time you have to travel, 'Do I really have to go?' "

Airport and security officials passed out fliers about carry-on restrictions and made periodic announcements reminding people that the Department of Homeland Security had raised the nation's threat level for the aviation sector to orange for commercial aviation in or destined for the United States.

But the mood of urgency and alarm, along with the huge crowds, that was found at the airport a day earlier had dissipated. Airport businesses were mostly empty, and restaurants had few patrons.

About 5 a.m. at Dulles International Airport, when the heaviest wave of travelers began arriving, it took at most 40 minutes for travelers to reach security checkpoints. By 8 a.m., the wait took only a few minutes and as few as 30 people trickled through the roped-off checkpoint maze.