BWI security 'heightened' but no delays expected
Security at Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport is at a heightened state after the U.S. military's killing of Osama bin Laden but travelers are not expected to face delays, an airport spokesman said Monday morning.
BWI remains "vigilant as always" after the announcement of bin Laden's death, said airport spokesman Jonathan Dean.
"There is a general level of heightened security awareness for airports across the nation," Dean said. He added that airport officials are working closely with federal authorities on security measures.
"There is no indication of a specific threat here," Dean said. He said the security measures are not expected to create delays or have any other significant effect on travel through the airport.
Meanwhile, U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said her department has no plans to issue a transportation security alert.
"I have been clear since announcing (the National Terrorism Advisory System) in January that we will only issue alerts when we have specific or credible information to convey to the American public," Napolitano said.
The Transportation Security Administration released a statement on its response to the killing of bin Laden:
TSA continually evaluates the latest threats and screening measures which are implemented based on the latest intelligence. As always, passengers may notice a variety of security measures at U.S. airports to include the use of explosives detection technology, physical bag checks, random gate screening, canine teams and behavior detection officers. We ask the traveling public to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity to the authorities.
