US media reports have suggested that al-Qaeda sympathisers in Syria and Yemen were planning to create bombs that could be smuggled through airport security.
Speaking to the BBC, a US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) official said the changes were a response to a ‘credible’ threat but was unwilling to comment further, as they did not want to expose more information to terrorists about updated security measures.
UK Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin has confirmed that steps will be taken to ensure flights are safe, and has confirmed that passengers should not worry about ‘significant disruptions’ to their journeys.
However, longer queues at security have not been ruled out by the UK government.
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