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.
Until September 11, 2001 public security was not very hard to bypass. On this horrific day in history not only was the United States shaken, but also every country in the world surrounding it. Airport security had failed the nation and had hence led to the event, which is now known as the “9/11 terrorist attacks.” Four planes had been hijacked the morning of the attacks with the first plane hitting the North Tower of the World Trade Center. Next came the second plane into the South Tower. The third plane then hit the western face of the Pentagon. Finally, the fourth plane landed in a field in Pennsylvania, but it was originally targeted for the White House (Kean). As a result of this event, airport security around the world has been tightened. America was targeted in retaliation of America’s support to Israel throughout the Persian Gulf War. This group was also known as al Qaeda (“9/11 attacks”). By studying the causes and effects of 9/11 people can be more aware of their surrounding and feel much more safe.
ABSTRACT: Terrorists were very active long before September 11. This essay reviews the 1988 downing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland and the March 1995 gas attack in the Tokyo subway. The results of these terrorist acts, who carried them out, how they were carried out, and what can be done in the future to prevent such incidents from happening again are all investigated.
As the 19 hijackers made their way through the three East coast airports, on September 11, 2001, planning on executing the world’s worst terrorist attack in history, they test the U.S airport security. At almost every step along the way, airport security posed no challenge to the 19 terrorist hijackers. Not to their ability to purchase tickets, to pass security checkpoints while carrying knives, and other objects that be used as weapons on them. Not one step of airport security posed as a challenge or threat to the terrorist. If airport security was more advanced and carful as it is now, the hijackers would have never made their way on to the
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.
a series of deliberate and deadly terrorist acts. The victims were in airplanes or in their offices – secretaries, businessman and women, military and federal workers. Moms and dads, friends and neighbors. Thousands of lives were suddenly ended by, despicable acts of terror. The pictures of airplanes flying into buildings fires burning, huge structures collapsing have filled us with disbelief, terrible sadness and a quiet unyielding anger.
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
Before the dreaded day of September 11, 2001, a person or persons flying could be escorted to their gate by family members and loved ones. The thought that a gun would or could be brought on board of an airplane and used as a means to hijack an airplane never crossed a passenger’s mind. Isaac Yeffet said, “After Lockerbie, everyone thought; now we’ve learned the lesson of how to be proactive instead of being reactive. Unfortunately, September 11 came and we know the result. Thousands of people lost their lives. Security totally failed, not at one airport, at three different airports around the country.” Due to the terrorist attacks on 9/11, the United States government decided airport security needed to be updated and become more stringent. These updates included a formation of TSA and Sky Marshalls, tighter security measures, and policy changes.
Every day millions of people put their trust in those around them. When the passengers boarded the flights on September 11th, 2001, they put their trust in the planes, the pilots, and the other passengers. On this devastating day about 3,000 people lost their lives. One of America’s only terrorist attacks on US soil, the attacks on 9/11 affected the United States by killing many people in Manhattan and Washington D.C., sending its economy into deficit, and sparking a war in Afghanistan.
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.
One major organization that was created from the attacks on September 11th that lead to the declaring “War on Terror” was the creation of TSA, Transportation Security Administration. TSA was created to develop policies to protect airport transportation and prevent aircraft hijacking. It oversees security for highways, railroads, buses, mass transit systems, pipelines and ports. Though they are mostly responsible for screening passengers and checked and carry-on luggage at about 450 airports. Different types of TSA employees are; Transportation Security Officer, Federal Air Marshal, Transportation Security Inspector and National Explosives Detection Canine Team Program. (Security, 2010) T...
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.
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.
Aviation security plays a vital role in the aviation industry, from protecting passengers, staff and aircraft. The aviation industry, more specifically airports and aircraft, make prime targets for malicious harm, crime, and other threats because of the vast amount of people that use air transportation. Although there are many risks that are posed to the aviation industry, we can only hope to have learned from the history of airport bombings, hijackings, and sabotage terrorist attacks. The aviation industry faces threats at each step of the journey, but assessing the risks properly will help deter and mitigate these threats. Conducting risk analysis in today’s aviation security is not only important to the aviation industry, but it is important