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==Arrests==
On 9 August 2006, British police arrested 24 people for questioning. The arrests were made in London, [[Birmingham]], and [[High Wycombe]], Buckinghamshire, in an overnight operation. Two of the arrests were made in the Birmingham area and five were made in High Wycombe; firearms officers were not involved in the arrests.<ref name="BBC-suspects">{{cite news|title=Homes cleared in anti-terror raid |work=BBC News |date=10 August 2006 |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/beds/bucks/herts/4780697.stm |access-date=20 February 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131212222206/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/beds/bucks/herts/4780697.stm |archive-date=12 December 2013 |url-status=live }}</ref> The key suspects were British-born [[Muslims]], some of [[British Pakistanis|Pakistani descent]].<ref>{{cite news|first=Philip |last=Webster |author2=Sean O'Neill |author3=Stewart Tendler |date=11 August 2006 |title=A Plan 'to commit unimaginable mass murder' |work=The Times |___location=London |access-date=17 February 2009 |url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article606341.ece |archive-url=https://archive.today/20110222012903/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article606341.ece |archive-date=22 February 2011 |url-status=
Eight of the suspects were later charged with conspiracy to murder and commit acts of terrorism, a further three with failing to disclose information about acts of terrorism, and one youth with possession of articles related to a terrorist act. Others were released without charge.<ref name=natta20060828 />
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==Public announcement==
On 10 August 2006, British [[Home Secretary]] [[John Reid, Baron Reid of Cardowan|John Reid]], broke the news, along with [[Douglas Alexander]], the Transport Secretary.<ref name="Reid statement">{{cite news|title=Parties 'united' over terror plot |work=BBC News |date=10 August 2006 |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/4778713.stm |access-date=18 February 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060906112707/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/4778713.stm |archive-date=6 September 2006 |url-status=live }}</ref> The same day, [[Deputy Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis|Deputy Commissioner]] of the [[Metropolitan Police]], [[Paul Stephenson (police officer)|Paul Stephenson]], said that a plot, intended to destroy as many as ten aircraft in mid-flight from the United Kingdom to the United States using explosives brought on board in the suspects' [[luggage#Hand luggage|hand luggage]], had been disrupted.<ref name="BBC-disrupted"/> News media reported that planned targets included [[American Airlines]], [[British Airways]], [[Continental Airlines]], and [[United Airlines]] flights from [[London Heathrow Airport|London Heathrow]] and [[London Gatwick Airport|London Gatwick]] airports to Chicago, Illinois; Los Angeles; Miami; Orlando; Boston; Newark; New York City; San Francisco; Cleveland and Washington, D.C.<ref name="MSNBC-plot">{{cite news|title=Details emerge on alleged plot to bomb airliners |work=[[NBC News]] |access-date=20 February 2009 |date=10 August 2006 |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna14278216 }}</ref> [[Air Canada]] flights were also included, with destinations being [[Montreal]] and [[Toronto]]. [[BBC]] security correspondent [[Gordon Corera]] said the plot involved a series of simultaneous attacks, targeting three planes each time.<ref name=autogenerated3>{{cite news|title='Airlines terror plot' disrupted |work=BBC News |date=10 August 2006 |access-date=18 February 2009 |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4778575.stm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090216211421/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4778575.stm |archive-date=16 February 2009 |url-status=live }}</ref> Reports vary regarding the number of planes involved, ranging from three to twelve.<ref name="NY Times">{{cite news |first=Alan |last=Cowell |author-link=Alan Cowell |author2=[[Dexter Filkins]] |title=British Authorities Say Plot to Blow Up Airliners Was Foiled |work=The New York Times |access-date=18 February 2009 |date=10 August 2006 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/10/world/europe/11terrorcnd.html| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120502164409/http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/10/world/europe/11terrorcnd.html| archive-date=2 May 2012| url-status= live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|first=Sandra |last=Laville |author2=[[Richard Norton-Taylor]] |author3=Vikram Dodd |title='A plot to commit murder on an unimaginable scale' |date=10 August 2006 |access-date=18 February 2009 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2006/aug/11/politics.usa1 |work=The Guardian |___location=London |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110224030447/http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2006/aug/11/politics.usa1 |archive-date=24 February 2011 |url-status=live }}</ref> In a press release, the [[United States Secretary of Homeland Security]], [[Michael Chertoff]], said "multiple commercial aircraft" were targeted.<ref name="DHS-Chertoff">{{cite press release |title=Statement by Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff Announcing a Change to the Nation's Threat Level for the Aviation Sector |publisher=[[United States Department of Homeland Security]] |date=10 August 2006 |url=https://www.dhs.gov/xnews/releases/pr_1158349923199.shtm |access-date=18 February 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110106053831/http://www.dhs.gov/xnews/releases/pr_1158349923199.shtm |archive-date=6 January 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Some reports say the attacks were planned for 16 August, but police said no evidence of any specific date had been found.<ref name="TIMES-focus">{{cite news|title=Focus: Terror in the skies |work=The Times |___location=London |access-date=19 February 2009 |date=13 August 2006 |url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article607604.ece |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110622072843/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article607604.ece |archive-date=22 June 2011 |url-status=
In the United States, the announcement was made during a joint press conference by the Secretary of Homeland Security, Michael Chertoff, the [[United States Attorney General|Attorney General]] [[Alberto Gonzales]], the Administrator of the [[Transportation Security Administration]] [[Kip Hawley]] and the Director of the [[FBI]], [[Robert Mueller]]. Chertoff refused to be drawn on questions about the design of the devices or whether any bombs had actually been built.<ref name="DHS-Chertoff"/>
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===Scepticism in response to the arrests===
Several commentators expressed [[scepticism]] over the allegations.<ref>{{cite news|first=Sandra |last=Laville |title=Five key questions for anti-terror investigation |date=19 August 2006 |access-date=18 February 2009 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2006/aug/19/terrorism.world |work=The Guardian |___location=London |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110224030453/http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2006/aug/19/terrorism.world |archive-date=24 February 2011 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Judith |last=Latham |title=London Terror Plot: Skepticism Surrounding Handling of the Crisis |date=16 August 2006 |access-date=18 February 2009 |url=http://www.voanews.com/english/archive/2006-08/2006-08-18-voa21.cfm |publisher=[[Voice of America]]|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090825230524/http://www.voanews.com/english/archive/2006-08/2006-08-18-voa21.cfm |archive-date = 25 August 2009|url-status=dead}}</ref> Many mentioned the [[2 June 2006 Forest Gate raid|Forest Gate raid]], the shooting of [[Jean Charles de Menezes]] and the [[Iraq War]], all based on [[Intelligence (information gathering)|intelligence]] that turned out to be wrong, as reasons for their doubts.<ref>{{cite news|first=Paul |last=Donovan |date=14 August 2006 |title=Scepticism is needed |access-date=18 February 2009 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2006/aug/14/pauldonovan |work=The Guardian |___location=London |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081204043230/http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2006/aug/14/pauldonovan |archive-date=4 December 2008 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|first=Sean |last=O'Neill |author2=Stewart Tendler |date=12 August 2006 |access-date=18 February 2009 |title=Past blunders put pressure on police to make case stick |url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article606828.ece |work=The Times |___location=London |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110224025949/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article606828.ece |archive-date=24 February 2011 |url-status=
Former UK ambassador to Uzbekistan [[Craig Murray]] was sceptical of the account of the plot. He said that "None of the alleged terrorists had made a bomb. None had bought a plane ticket. Many did not have passports". He also suggested that suspected ringleader Rashid Rauf had invented the plot under torture in Pakistan.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.irna.ir/en/news/view/menu-239/0608180833175231.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930230056/http://www.irna.ir/en/news/view/menu-239/0608180833175231.htm |archive-date=30 September 2007 |title=Be skeptical about UK's terror alert, says former ambassador |publisher=[[Islamic Republic News Agency]] |date=18 August 2006 |access-date=18 February 2009}}</ref>
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On 12 August a public argument broke out between [[BAA plc|BAA]], the operator of Heathrow and other airports, and [[British Airways]], with [[Willie Walsh (Irish businessman)|Willie Walsh]], BA's Chief Executive, accusing BAA of not being able to cope with the increased security and baggage checks. [[Ryanair]] also called on the British government to employ police and military reservists to speed up the full body searches which were now mandated.<ref>{{cite news|title=Ryanair calls for reservists to speed up checks. |work=[[Irish Independent]] |date=14 August 2006 |url=http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-16380023_ITM |access-date=8 September 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121020035729/http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-16380023_ITM |archive-date=20 October 2012 |url-status=live }}</ref>
Three days later on 12 August 2006 the owner and operator of London Heathrow, [[BAA plc|BAA]] ordered airlines using the airport to make a 30 per cent reduction in departing passenger flights (something BA was already having to do as many passengers missed flights due to the extra time it took to clear security), to help reduce delays and cancellations.<ref>{{cite news|first=Ben |last=Hoyle |author2=Rosemary Bennett |title=Travel chaos as airlines ordered to slash flights |work=The Times |___location=London |date=14 August 2006 |url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/travel/news/article608319.ece |access-date=18 February 2009 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20110222221609/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/travel/news/article608319.ece |archive-date=22 February 2011 |url-status=
On 18 August Ryanair's CEO, [[Michael O'Leary (businessman)|Michael O'Leary]] delivered an ultimatum to the British government demanding the resumption of normal hand baggage dimensions and hand screening one passenger in four instead of one in two within one week, otherwise Ryanair would sue the Government for compensation under section 93 of the [[Transport Act 2000]]. The government responded that the actions were taken under the Aviation Security Act 1982, and no compensation was payable.<ref>{{cite news|title=Ryanair issues luggage ultimatum |work=BBC News |date=18 August 2006 |access-date=19 February 2009 |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/5261908.stm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081215085622/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/5261908.stm |archive-date=15 December 2008 |url-status=live }}</ref>
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===Economic effects===
''[[The Times]]'' commented on the day after the arrests that the economic effects were minor. It observed that the real commercial risk is that "people may stop travelling ... because they are tired of complying with necessary security measures."<ref>{{cite news|title=Terror may already be priced into values |url=http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/columnists/article606276.ece |date=11 August 2006 |access-date=19 February 2009 |work=The Times |___location=London |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110612112029/http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/columnists/article606276.ece |archive-date=12 June 2011 |url-status=
[[British Airways]] cancelled 1,280 flights, at an estimated cost of £40 million.<ref>{{cite news|date=5 September 2006 |title=BA says terror alert cost it £40m |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/5316920.stm |access-date=19 February 2009 |work=BBC News |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231211065126/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/5316920.stm |archive-date=11 December 2023 |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Ryanair]] had to cancel 500 flights at an estimated cost of £3.3 million.<ref>{{cite news|date=25 August 2006 |title=Ryanair to sue government for £3m |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/5285102.stm |access-date=19 February 2009 |work=BBC News |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060829154637/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/5285102.stm |archive-date=29 August 2006 |url-status=live }}</ref> [[EasyJet]] had to cancel 469 flights, at a cost of about £4 million.<ref>{{cite news|date=7 September 2006 |title=Security alert cost Easyjet £4m |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/5323082.stm |access-date=19 February 2009 |work=BBC News |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120723235319/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/5323082.stm |archive-date=23 July 2012 |url-status=live }}</ref> BAA said the alert cost them £13 million.<ref>{{cite news|date=12 September 2006 |title=BAA says terror alert cost £13m |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/5338080.stm |access-date=19 February 2009 |work=BBC News |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120712061608/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/5338080.stm |archive-date=12 July 2012 |url-status=live }}</ref> In November 2006, BA also claimed the increased security measures since August had cost it £100 million.<ref>{{cite news|access-date=19 February 2009 |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/6112252.stm |work=BBC News |date=3 November 2006 |title=BA's terror alert bill hits £100m |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230306234309/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/6112252.stm |archive-date=6 March 2023 |url-status=live }}</ref>
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