Brazil: Havoc at Olympic airport as security tightens in Rio de Janeiro

Airport staff in Rio de Janeiro’s Santos Dumont had never seen anything like it. Just 18 days before the start of the Olympics, security lines were so long they snaked around the entire second floor of the terminal. The reason for the chaos at the city’s domestic airport centered on new security guidelines starting Monday that require passengers to go through checks as though they were flying international. Travellers in Brazil are not usually required to remove coins, belts or separate laptops for domestic flights. While aviation agency Anac said the measures weren’t connected to the Olympics, they were announced Friday after a terror attack in Nice prompted Brazilian authorities to promise stricter security procedures during the games, which begin Aug. 5. <br/>