Air security tightened globally in wake of bomb threat

Governments tightened aviation security on Monday after two U.S-bound bombs sent in air cargo from Yemen were intercepted in Dubai and Britain. The devices, discovered on Friday, were hidden in printers and would have been powerful enough to destroy the planes carrying them, Britain said.

Britain said it believed the attempt was organised by al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), but said it had no information the organisation was planning further attacks.

The plot highlighted what appeared to be a loophole in air cargo security that put passengers’ lives at risk after Qatar Airways confirmed the Dubai parcel had been transported on its passenger planes from the Yemeni capital Sanaa via Doha.