E-Paper
Shoe-bomb scare holds up flights in New York
"The passenger then put on his shoes and exited the area," said Clark, who was unable to explain why the man was not stopped.
All outbound flights were held and a terminal at the La Guardia airport was evacuated after a security alert over a passenger's shoes.
"The decision was taken to remove passengers from the terminal out of an abundance of caution," said Yolande Clark, a spokeswoman for the federal Transport Security Administration.
According to Clark, a male passenger who was selected for secondary screening set off an alarm when his shoes were passed through a detector that checks for explosives.
"The passenger then put on his shoes and exited the area," said Clark, who was unable to explain why the man was not stopped.
As well as evacuating the building, all outbound flights were being held up while security personnel searched for the passenger, Clark said.
Incoming flights landed as normal, she added.
Passengers' shoes have been regularly checked at airports since the attempt by British "shoe-bomber" Richard Reid to blow up a Paris-Miami flight in 2001 using explosives hidden in his soles.
