Flights to United States restart from Moscow

MOSCOW, Sept 16 (Reuters) - Flights from Russia to the United States resumed on Sunday amid increased security checks for the first time since Tuesday's terror hijacks in New York and Washington.

Four aircraft seized by suicide hijackers slammed into the Pentagon in Washington, destroyed the World Trade Center twin towers in New York and crashed near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, provoking an unprecedented closure of U.S. airspace.

An official at flight enquiries in Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport said Aeroflot (AFLT.RTS) flight SU-315 had safely taken off for New York earlier on Sunday and a Delta Air Lines (DAL.N) flight was also due to depart for New York. Most tickets for the flights had been bought before Tuesday's attacks.

Russian television said security controls at the airport had been stepped up for the flights and police were shown carrying out random document checks at the airport.

Television showed long queues at the airport as all luggage was hand searched for the U.S. flights and people were being asked to declare any metal objects that could be used as possible weapons, down to those as small as nail clippers.

The flight enquiries official said four Aeroflot flights were scheduled to fly to various destinations in the United States on Monday, as well as one to Canada. Aeroflot is Russia's flagship carrier.

The U.S authorities announced a limited reopening of airspace on Thursday, but only a handful of flights crossed the Atlantic. European airlines were told they had to wait a little longer, though some planned flights to Canada.

Aeroflot had two flights in the air heading to the United States on Tuesday, which eventually put down in Canada.

A spokeswoman for Aeroflot said on Friday that flight SU-329 bound for Chicago finally went to that U.S. city, while flight SU-315, heading from Moscow to New York, was still in Montreal.