FEAR DISRUPTS LAX SCHEDULES 6 FLIGHTS BETWEEN PARIS, LOS ANGELES CANCELED BECAUSE OF TERROR CONCERNS.

Byline: Rick Orlov Staff Writer

Six airline flights between Paris and Los Angeles were canceled due to heightened terrorism fears Wednesday as toughened security measures went into effect at Los Angeles International Airport at the height of the holiday travel season.

Three Air France flights from Paris to L.A. and three from L.A. to Paris - scheduled for Wednesday and today - were called off at the request of the U.S. Embassy in France after intelligence officials said they suspected that passengers with links to extremists might try to board the flights, The Associated Press reported.

The cancellations came on the first day of a 12-day ban on dropping off or picking up passengers directly in front of LAX terminals, one of a number of stepped-up security measures announced by Mayor James Hahn late Tuesday at the urging of the Federal Transportation Security Administration.

``We are taking this action as a precautionary measure,'' Hahn said in announcing the measures. Under the new measures, parking in designated airport parking lots was still allowed.

For travelers, he meant even more hassles and the need to arrive even earlier to catch flights.

Charlie Jenkins, 42, who surprised his girlfriend with a holiday trip to France, was scheduled to take a 7 p.m. flight Wednesday to Paris from LAX.

``At this point, the terrorists have won. They've got us terrified,'' said Jenkins, a Santa Monica resident.

Still, Jenkins and his girlfriend planned to take a flight today to Atlanta, where they will pick up a connection to Paris. ``I got lucky; I found a way to Paris.''

Gavin Ridling, 24, of Santa Monica, waited outside Terminal 5, where Air France operates.

``Why should I be scared,'' Ridling joked. ``I took karate in the seventh grade, so everyone in my plane is safe.''

Ridling said he was traveling to Seattle and was more concerned about the case of mad cow disease in Washington state than terrorists. ``I'm more worried about the hamburgers than the terrorists.''

Despite early-morning congestions and confusion at LAX, traffic was surprisingly light in Wednesday afternoon.

LAX has been a target of terrorism in the past. Authorities prevented a New Year's Day 2000 bomb plot when the bomber was caught at the Canadian border. And on July 4, 2002, an Egyptian-born man shot and killed two people at the LAX ticket counter of El Al Israel Airlines.

The cancellation of flights on Wednesday followed an ongoing series of discussions between U.S. and French officials over terrorist threats.

Earlier this week, U.S. officials placed the nation on ``orange'' alert, the second-highest level, because of information that terrorists might be planning a new attack.

As part of the investigation, the U.S. officials apparently asked French officials to delay the flights scheduled to Los Angeles. Air France officials said they were trying to arrange alternative flights for its passengers.

The cancellations underscored the concern officials have during this period and at airports during what is considered the second biggest travel time of the years.

LAX, for example, is expected to see 2.6 million travelers for the period that began on Dec. 19 and runs through Jan. 4.

LAX spokesman Tom Winfrey said the heightened security would mean extra police officers on duty to increase visibility and check on vehicles. The airport will reimburse the city for extra costs.

The LAPD is shifting officers from throughout the city to provide the personnel needed, Officer Adriana Sanchez said.

``We will move in people as needed, but we are also making sure that our patrol services are not jeopardized anywhere in the city,'' Sanchez said.

Winfrey said officials are urging passengers to allow extra time for flights out of LAX - 2.5 hours for domestic flights and 3.5 hours for international flights.

At Bob Hope Airport in Burbank, officials said they were continuing to allow passengers to be picked up or dropped off at curbsides, but that security had been increased, with more random checks of vehicles and inspection of all baggage.

Spokesman Mike Post said the airport had taken a number of precautions over the past two years to improve security, including security blast walls and vehicle barriers.

Los Angeles Police Department officials said earlier this week that members of the public should call [phone]) (ATHREAT) if they see something out of the ordinary, such as someone acting in a strange manner or people not normally in their neighborhood.

LAPD Chief Bill Bratton, appearing on KTLA (Channel 5), said he believed the city was prepared and encouraged the public to go ahead with holiday plans even as law enforcement remains on alert to potential problems.

Bratton said there was no plan to cancel the Rose Parade in Pasadena or other remaining events planned for New Year's. An outdoor concert set for New Year's Eve on Grand Avenue in front of Disney Hall had already been canceled as of Tuesday, due to slow ticket sales, heightened security concerns and the threat of rain.

Staff writer Michael Gougis and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Rick Orlov, [phone]

rick.orlov(at)dailynews.com

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Photo:

Holiday travelers watch Wednesday as their suitcases are checked by canine officer ``Rody'' and LAX Airport Police Officer Robert Corchado, part of stepped-up security at the airport.

John Lazar/Staff Photographer