This paper describes our nation and the worlds mindset about airline terrorism before 9/11 and airline terrorism today. This remains a very real and deadly subject even though we don’t have as many incidents occurring at this moment in time. Still the potential for countless lives being lost in an aircraft accident from the actions of a terrorist or terrorist organization is still very real and innocent families across this nation and abroad remain the targets. Additionally, it will show that the security measures in place at airports prior to 9/11 were far less adequate, than today, and personnel responsible for airport security at the gates and throughout were either poorly trained or not trained at all when it came to hijackers and terrorist. This paper will also identify the extensive security measures, rules and training that have been put into place, which helped to curtail acts of terrorism onboard airliners.
Introduction
Whether we would like to admit it or not there was a time, prior to September 11, 2001 when airline terrorism was a very real danger and it seemed as thought we averaged a hijacking or terrorist event every thirty days somewhere in the world. Gladly this wasn’t the case, in an online article I read there was a interview held with a person who spoke to my thoughts, he said “One example was a study I conducted on media coverage by the New York Times during a 17 -year, pre-9/11 period of 1978 to 1994. Among other things, I found that fatal airline events that involved jet aircraft that were hijacked, sabotaged, or destroyed by military action, which represented about 8% of the fatal airline accidents reported by the Times during that period, accounted for about 48% of all the airline accident articles in that period“ (T. Curtis, personal interview, September 11, 2009). Back then, it was easy to visualize a small suitcase being carried aboard an aircraft with a explosive inside, capable of ending the lives of everyone onboard men, women, and children; with no regard to age, sex, and religion.
The media coverage seemed to focus on the individual hijacker because somehow it seemed as though we knew who he was and where he came from. Sometimes it seemed as though we knew why and most cases we did because that was their plan; they wanted the attention so they can give their list of demands.
The terrorist attacks on September 11, 2011 prompted the world to reevaluate and drastically modify airport and airline security. “Four targets had been chosen, all iconic American buildings that would send a clear message of the depth of their hatred for the United States. All four planes crashed, killing all on board—terrorists, crew members, and passengers, along with hundreds who were killed inside the structures, on the ground, and the men and women who ran into collapsing buildings in an effort to try and save others” (Smutz 1). As Jason Villemez said “the decade after the 9/11 attacks reshaped many facets of life in America” (Villemez 1). Before the attacks, people did not think that large scale hostility towards innocent people in our country was remotely possible. Ever since that fateful moment, citizens in America are on their toes every day worrying about another attack happening. United States citizens have had to adapt and change in response to this fear of further terrorist assault on our country. One of the ways they have adapted is by changing their means of security concerning airline travel.
The immediate financial repercussions of the terrorist attacks were astronomical. Makinen (2002) reports airlines received a $15 billion federal aid package. Additionally, insurance ...
It has been widely accepted from media depiction of terrorist attacks, that they normally occur in the streets of some Middle Eastern town, within a war-torn over ran village seized by a drug cartel, on a train or discotheque in Europe, or somewhere other than in the sky. As stated within The National Counterterrorism Center: Report on Terrorism (2011), traditional or well know tactics account for some 80% of all attacks, terrorist attacks directed toward airlines or air vehicles are less than 2%. For this reason many such threats are discounted or its relevance to put resources toward investigating. Prior to the attack on Pan Am Flight 103, intelligence data received was disseminated however, no high level officials were directly involved in the security measures required to thwart the event. December 21, 1988 was a day when the consequences of complacency would be felt by the nation.
On September 11th, 2001, four planes were hijacked, two planes hit the twin towers, one hit the pentagon, and one crash-landed in a field in Pennsylvania. Since then the government has been doing everything it can to help with security at airports, in airplanes, and in everyday life. Even though the government has been trying to increase security, terrorists have still been successful. Since 9/11, the government has taken many steps to increase security and decrease terrorism. However, security has increased, while terrorism has not decreased.
The security at airports has continued to tighten based on the numerous threats against the people of the United States. The greatest level of concern is the terrorist attacks on New York’s World Trade Center on September 11, 2001 (Airport). After terrorists of Al Qaeda hijacked four planes and intentionally flew two of them in the World Trade Center, the government formed the Transportation Security Administration, TSA, to enforce rules of what someone could carry on a flight. The new TSA and rules though did not prevent others from threatening the country. Eight years after the attacks on the World Trade Center, Umar Abdulmutallab, known as the Christmas Day bomber, got on a flight while hiding a bomb in his underwear (Airport). In that incident, airport security did not have the ability to recognize the bomb. At the time of the incident, the metal detectors o...
As the blood trickled down the flight attendant’s neck, they all prayed that they wouldn’t die. A dark skined man headed toward the front of the plane to claim his next victim. He slowly pressed the cold, red blade of a knife into the pilot’s neck. Many of those who saw screamed. They all knew, then, that they would die. Passengers felt the plane take some wild turns and they realized that they had turned around. Not long after this occurred to four planes, every single passenger died. Terrorists had taken over planes in America. Four planes, nineteen terrorists, and almost 3,000 dead people later, the United States of America has been changed forever.
The investigation led to the arrest of a man that placed a bomb in his mothers’ luggage and was the beneficiary of his mother’s life insurance policy. Another inflight bombing would occur in 1960 where a National Airline’s flight exploded killing all 34 people on board and again in 1962 where a Continental Airline’s flight exploded killing 45 people on board. The increase and frequency of these bombings did not bring a significant change in the screening of passengers and their luggage it would take another fourteen years before the FAA under the control of the Federal Government to pass legislation that allowed for the screening of all passengers and their luggage. The central point that drove the 1974 Air Transportation Security Act was a combination of aircraft bombings and the start of aircraft hijackings. One of the first United States incidents involving a hijacked aircraft took place in Portland, Oregon on a scheduled route to Seattle, Washington in 1971. A man identified only as D.B. Cooper quietly took over control of a TWA Boeing 727 aircraft once it was airborne. He indicated to a flight attendant that he had a bomb in his briefcase and he intended to detonate if his demands were not met. The plane landed safely in Seattle and
On September 11, 2001 terrorists apprehended 4 airplanes and committed the most heinous act in American history. They flew two planes into the world trade center, one into the Pentagon, and one crashed in a field in Pennsylvania crash killing more than three thousand American citizens. Since 9 /11many things have changed in America in relation to our national security.
Ever since the attacks of the World Trade Center and the Pentagon on September 11th 2001, America has never been the same. After this horrific event America has made many numerous changes to make sure that this would never happen again like making changes to air travel security to border protection changes and many government and leadership changes.
Over 3,000 dead, two skyscrapers in the middle of New York City destroyed along with a portion of the Pentagon, and four airliners crashed by an attacking force of only 19 militant Islamic radicals (9-11 Attacks, n.d.). The results of that day illustrate how important it is to secure our airports and ensure that passengers are being adequately screened to prevent any further attacks using such devastating tactics. It is therefore imperative that each airport facility managers analyses their airport’s situation and makes the best decision for its safety and security.
In the wake of 9/11, the once “simple things in life” required not much thought at all now they have been transformed into complicated procedures only brought about in a time of war. Traveling by air has been a very rewarding experience for most but courtesy of terrorism, it has mutated into a list of banned items, random luggage searches, and armed soldiers ominously toting M-16 rifles.
On September 11th the men of Al Qaeda, a terrorist group that has been the center of attention for some time now, hijacked 4 planes and used them as guided missiles to attack the people and government of America. These attacks were not against military targets or troops, they were aimed at the innocent civilians of everyday life. These cowardly attacks are the reason that the U.S. has devoted more time to national security, specifically airport security (September, 2004).
Terrorism occurs all around the world, and because of that, security of airports should be at its maximum. After the Belgium airport bombing, the security debate picked up steam again, specifically in Europe, where the terrorist attack occurred. However, the Belgium bombing was not the first shocking terror. The bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 struck fear within many people, it being one of the first memorable events caused by a terrorist. This individual, "In violation of security procedures...picked up some Air Malta baggage tags for 'Abdulbset'..." (Wicker 29). In this example, this bomber, worked with the airport. It goes to show how easy it was for this individual to go unnoticed and get the bomb onto the plane. With this said, security should be placed in all parts of the airport and not just for checking passenger luggage, as well as
The threat and risk of terrorism in the United States has posed somewhat of a predicament as to how we manage terrorism, border and transportation security collectively. Immediately after the 9/11 attacks we realized that terrorism was a concern and that we needed to pay more attention to but, neglected to maintain focus on the all hazards of emergency management. At that time, we may have been doing the right thing by putting all our efforts toward planning and response for additional terrorist attacks. However, I believe we may have dropped our guard on securing the boarders even though we beefed up the transportation security through the implementation of the TSA, and Federal Air Marshals on the aviation side. An example was the entry of the 9/11 terrorist into the country, although the security concern then was based upon identification and did not involve a vetting process like the borders. The United States shares a total of 7,514 miles of Canada and Mexico, which becomes difficult to provide a secure border 100% of the time (Haddow, Bullock, & Coppola, 2014). But, like any security operation gaps, flaws and opportunities for improvement are always a part that require assessment, evaluation and corrective action. The nations security and
Those men managed to get past our high tech security systems and onto those planes. Thousands of innocent people lost their lives because some men smarted out fool proof system. The creators of airport security must have been unfamiliar with the saying, "where there’s a will, there’s a way." No one wants to admit to himself or herself, or anyone else for that matter, that sick people who thrive on pain and suffering, really do exist. Because airport security creators didn’t think about this fact, or they thought about it and chose to ignore it, innocent people lost their lives.