So Much For The Holiday Hiatus

Intelligence warnings about terrorists bent on using foreign airlines to attack targets in the US forced the cancellation of Air France service between Paris and Los Angeles over the Christmas holiday. They also triggered high-level, intensive security talks between officials in the US and France.

Six flights were cancelled Christmas Eve and Christmas Day -- three headed from LA to Paris and three headed from Paris to LA.

In addition, Chicago Mayor Richard Daley, often seen by aviation advocates as the man who cried wolf, secured from the Department of Homeland Security TFRs over parts of the Windy City. For the third time in two years, flights below 3,000 have been banned by the TSA over downtown Chicago unless otherwise given permission.

LAX-Paris Threat

French Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin said through a spokesman that the decision to cancel the flights came early Wednesday after American authorities notified France "two or three" suspicious people, tentatively identified as Tunisians, planned to board the flights. That word came after French television news reports indicated American authorities were worried about al Qaeda terrorists trying to board the flights.

The French Interior Ministry said the cancellations came after an official request from the American embassy in Paris. American officials refused to confirm that statement.

Seven people were arrested by French police Wednesday. Six were reportedly Algerians, one an American citizen. They were detained briefly, questioned, then released, according to the Interior Ministry.

On the surface, at least, French officials played down the possible air threat. One source in the country's judicial branch said none of the passengers on the canceled flights had any overt links to terror groups. Law officers in France said they found little evidence that terrorists planned to use any of the Air France flights to attack American targets.

American security officials are also reportedly talking with executives at Mexico's Mexicana Airlines. In Washington, Homeland Security has reportedly passed along to several governments news of a "very credible threat" by terrorists to use airliners as human-guided weapons in another wave of September 11th-style attacks.

And In Chicago...

The TFR over Chicago is nothing new. Indeed, Chicago Emergency Management spokesman Larry Lanford said the city requested it Monday, after the federal government took us to Threat Level Orange.

"The request was made as soon as we went to orange as a matter of course. There was no specific [threat]," Langford said. "We just asked for the same thing as we did before."

There is no time limit on the new Chicago TFR. It doesn't affect commercial aircraft into and out of both O'Hare and Midway. However, GA aircraft, charters and other non-commercial flights must have permission prior to busting the TFR bubble.

That bubble is defined by Lake Michigan on the east, Irving Park Road on the north, Ashland Avenue on the west and the Eisenhower Expressway on the south, according to the FAA.

Already, GA pilots seem wary of the request. The AOPA  "is trusting that this [temporary flight restriction] is based on true security concerns and not politically driven," said Senior Vice President Andy Cebula. "We would hate to see a flood of requests for unwarranted or politically driven airspace restrictions."

The Chicago TFR Directive

NOTAM:  3/2133 
Issued:  12/24/2003 16:47 
Effective:  Immediately - Until Further Notice 
State:  IL 
Facility:  ZAU - CHICAGO (ARTCC),IL. 
Type:  SECURITY 
Description:  CHICAGO, IL. 
 
Actual TFR 
FDC 3/2133 ZAU IL.. FLIGHT RESTRICTIONS CHICAGO, IL. EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE, PURSUANT TO 14 CFR SECTION 99.7, SPECIAL SECURITY INSTRUCTIONS, EXCEPT FOR MEDEVAC, LAW ENFORCEMENT, RESCUE/RECOVERY, EMERGENCY EVACUATION AND FIRE FIGHTING OPERATIONS, ALL VFR FLIGHT OPERATIONS ARE PROHIBITED WITHIN AN AREA BEGINNING ON THE LAKE MICHIGAN SHORE LINE (415232N/873658W OR THE CHICAGO OHARE /ORD/ VOR/DME 115.4 DEGREE RADIAL/ 14.6 DME), THEN WEST VIA THE EISENHOWER EXPRESSWAY TO THE INTER- SECTION OF THE DAN RYAN EXPRESSWAY (415232N/873844W OR THE ORD 118 DEGREE RADIAL AT 13.4 DME) THEN NORTH VIA THE DAN RYAN/ KENNEDY TO THE INTERSECTION OF ASHLAND AVENUE (415454N/874004W OR ORD 110.2 DEGREE RADIAL AT 11.5 DME) THEN NORTH VIA ASHLAND TO THE INTER- SECTION OF IRVING PARK ROAD (415716N/874010W OR ORD 098.6 DEGREE RADIAL AT 10.7 DME) THEN EAST VIA IRVING PARK TO LAKE MICHIGAN SHORELINE (415718N/873828W OR ORD 097.4 DEGREE RADIAL AT 12 DME) THEN SOUTH VIA THE SHORELINE EXCLUDING OLIVE PARK AND NAVY PIER TO THE POINT OF BEGINNING AT AND BELOW 3000 FEET AGL UNLESS AUTHORIZED BY ATC. AL PEREZ, 773-838-0677, IS THE POINT OF CONTACT. ELGIN TRACON, (847) 608-5654, IS THE FAA COORDINATION FACILITY.

FMI: www.tsa.gov/public