Egypt Isolates Beirut Flight

Egyptian authorities, intent on preventing any possible hijackings, cordoned off a Lebanese airliner with armored vehicles, marksmen and special police units when it flew here from Beirut on Saturday.

The Middle East Airlines plane was the first to land from Beirut since authorities tightened security measures.

Airport sources said the plane was kept in a remote corner of the airport. Passengers were frisked and had to identify their luggage on the runway before they were taken in a bus escorted by police to the terminal for another body search. One piece of luggage not claimed by passengers was taken away by army demolition experts, the sources said.