How Travel And Airport Security Changed After 9/11 : NPR

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TSA Timeline: How Travel And Airport Security Changed After 9/11 : NPR

"It was so easy — a lot of us were surprised it hadn't happened sooner," says Jeff Price, who was assistant security director at Denver International Airport on Sept. 11, 2001, and is now an aviation security expert at Metropolitan State University of Denver.

Airport security at that time was carried out by private contractors, usually hired by the airlines, with few federal standards. Those security contracts usually went to the lowest bidder.

"Before 9/11, security was almost invisible, and it was really designed to be that way," Price says. "It was designed to be something in the background that really wasn't that noticeable and definitely did not interfere with aircraft or airport operations."

"You could walk up to the gate at the very last minute. You did not have to have a boarding pass," Price says. "All you had to do was go through the security checkpoint — no questions asked, no ID needed."

That forever changed on Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2001.

Now, travelers often stand in long lines at security checkpoints with wait times that can exceed an hour. We take off our shoes, empty our pockets and take laptops and other devices out of carry-on bags before stepping into high-resolution, full-body scanners, while our bags go through 3D-imaging X-ray machines. And don't forget to take your liquids of 3.4 ounces or less out of your carry-on.

A time line of what happened on September 11th

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On September 11, 2001, a series of coordinated terrorist attacks were carried out by the extremist group al-Qaeda on the United States. Here’s a brief rundown of the events:

  1. American Airlines Flight 11: At 8:46 AM (Eastern Daylight Time), American Airlines Flight 11, a Boeing 767, was hijacked and crashed into the North Tower of the World Trade Center in New York City.
  2. United Airlines Flight 175: At 9:03 AM, United Airlines Flight 175, another Boeing 767, was also hijacked and crashed into the South Tower of the World Trade Center.
  3. Pentagon Attack: At 9:37 AM, American Airlines Flight 77, a Boeing 757, was hijacked and crashed into the Pentagon, the headquarters of the United States Department of Defense, in Arlington, Virginia.
  4. United Airlines Flight 93: At 10:03 AM, United Airlines Flight 93, a Boeing 757, was hijacked as well. Passengers on board fought the hijackers, leading to the plane crashing into a field in Pennsylvania, preventing another target from being hit.
  5. Collapse of the Twin Towers: At 9:59 AM, the South Tower collapsed, followed by the North Tower at 10:28 AM. These collapses resulted in the deaths of thousands of people, including first responders.
  6. Immediate Aftermath: The attacks led to widespread panic, evacuations, and the closure of U.S. airspace. A state of emergency was declared in various areas, and the U.S. government grounded all flights.
  7. Casualties: Nearly 3,000 people were killed in the attacks, making it one of the deadliest terrorist acts in world history.
  8. Response: In the aftermath, the United States initiated the War on Terror, including the invasion of Afghanistan to dismantle al-Qaeda and remove the Taliban regime. Security measures were significantly heightened in the U.S. and globally.

The September 11th attacks had profound and lasting impacts on U.S. foreign and domestic policies, as well as on global geopolitics.