The deadly terrorist bombings in Brussels have led to stepped up security in the United States. WKSU’s Kevin Niedermier checked on reaction at Northeast Ohio's airports.
The nation’s major airports including those in New York, Washington D.C., Chicago and Los Angeles all report stepping up security. Kristie Van Auken of the Akron-Canton Airport says the airport has been at heightened security since 9/11, and passengers there will see business as usual following the Brussels bombings.
“We have Summit County sheriff’s deputies that are always on patrol at the airport; we have explosion detection dogs at the airport; we have all sorts of security, team members that are there to insure that you get safe passage, the Transportation Security Administration. So we are fully staffed now and have been.”
VanAucken says if you’re flying from Akron-Canton to domestic destinations there should be no delays resulting from the bombings in Brussels. But, she says it you’re flying overseas, there are some things you should take into consideration.
“You might be flying Delta, American or United from CAK. If you’re on any of those carriers, then your flight could be impacted. And if your airline has not reached out to you already, we would highly recommend that you be in contact with your airline before coming to the airport because there’s a strong likelihood your itinerary could be impacted.”
Amid the construction going on at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, passenger Leslie Turner of Cleveland felt secure as she waited for her flight to Florida following the Brussels bombings.
“I was concerned, but it was overseas so I’m thinking we’ve got a lot better security than they do overseas. So I think we’ll be just fine. With the construction, it seems just pretty much business as usual.”
As a precaution, officials at Cleveland Hopkins say more uniformed officers are patrolling the airport, as are more behavior detection and K-9 officers.
