Long delays and frayed nerves test travelers

Airport workers yelled ``No liquids, no liquids!" to nervous passengers in sprawling lines as terrorism once again cast a shadow over Logan International Airport, where a rapidly bolstered security force yesterday confiscated thousands of portable liquid containers.

The airport was the departure point for two hijacked planes on Sept. 11, 2001, and a month before that grim date's fifth anniversary, Governor Mitt Romney yesterday summoned National Guard troops, citing the airport's unique place in terrorism annals as requiring high security levels.

``Logan has a specific history with regards to the initiation of terrorist activity on airlines, and therefore we have a heightened degree of concern here," Romney said.

Amid nationwide increases in airport security, California was the only other state to call up the National Guard, and more than 50 armed guardsmen were expected to be in place today at Logan Airport. The first National Guard members arrived at Logan yesterday and were given the power to make arrests. One of their duties will be to examine carry-ons for liquids at boarding gates, Romney said.

At the start of the day, all passengers were screened for possession of liquids at departure gates, an added layer of security that contributed to massive lines at the established security screening posts, because Transportation Security Administration workers were pulled off their screening posts to conduct the second checks at the gates in the event that passengers bought coffee or water in the terminal after they passed through security. The result: flight delays of up to three hours both in the morning and evening.

Massport officials expected the situation to improve today, with airline employees and the National Guard overseeing the individual gate checks and TSA employees returning to their normal posts.

But it was the unprecedented ban on carry-on liquids that defined the day, with Logan's garbage bins overflowing with Coke cans, perfume bottles, half-filled coffee cups, and a world of other products that passengers have long considered routine conveniences but are now considered suspicious.

``It's just like a helpless feeling because you can't do anything about it. It's just frustrating," said Andres Zambrano , 21. ``When I got here, everybody was panicked. I couldn't even get through to ask an employee what was going on."

Romney said the new restrictions would be in place indefinitely, and with Big Dig closures already hampering traffic flow to Logan, a trip to the airport yesterday became even more complicated.

``At this stage, we don't know how long this heightened state of alert will be enacted, and so we just don't know how long this could be. It could be a matter of days. It could be weeks," said Romney.

The last comparable increase in security measures occurred in December 2001, when a flight carrying British national Richard Reid , who wore shoes packed with explosives, was diverted to Boston, prompting airport security nationwide to begin scrutinizing shoes. At Logan yesterday five flights were canceled and dozens were delayed, with airlines scrambling to re book passengers. American Airlines canceled an inbound flight from London because of crowding and security screening issues at Heathrow. An outbound flight to London was also canceled.

``We haven't seen lines like that since 2000," said Logan spokesman Phil Orlandella.

Homeland Security officials in Washington will decide how long the liquids ban and extra screening for liquids at departure gates will last. Throughout the day, the threat level at Logan and airports around the nation remained at orange, the second-highest level on the Homeland Security Department scale.

The disarray at Logan contained some bizarre moments. In the early afternoon, a man garbed in white, with a filtration mask, heavy boots, and a duffel bag frightened some people as he walked through Terminal B. After a heated conversation with State Police officers, he was released. The man said that he needed the mask because of allergies.

Another moment of tension occurred in Terminal E, where the nearby sound of women laughing infuriated Lynn Forlizzi of Methuen. Forlizzi stood up and shouted at the women, telling them that she was worried about her son who was serving with the Army in Iraq.

``It's not funny," Forlizzi told the other women, who immediately fell silent. ``It's terrible what happened."

Still, there were moments of joy -- some prompted by relief.

When weary passengers from British Airways Flight 213 -- the first flight to arrive in Boston from Heathrow -- walked into Terminal E, they were five hours late.

Donald L. Miller, 61, said he and his wife decided to take separate flights to Boston after learning about the terrorist threats. Miller, who lives in London and is an investment banker, was greeted with a powerful hug from his daughter, Mika Miller .

Miller said security at Heathrow was intense. The plane was not allowed to depart London for more than three hours after it finally boarded. But once the flight began, ``it was actually really routine," Miller said. ``I think it was the safest day to fly."

Mac Daniel and John R. Ellement of the Globe staff contributed to this report.