To say Sept. 11 forever changed the way we fly may be a bit of a stretch. Forever is a long, long time. But it’s no leap at all to say that what happened that Tuesday morning nearly 10 years ago fundamentally altered commercial aviation – at least for as far ahead as we can envision.
The International Air Transport Association, a global industry trade group, just released a summary of how that day affected us all, called The Impact of September 11 on Aviation.
The changes in the way we navigate security are profound – and costly. IATA Director General and CEO Antony Tyler says, “Airlines and their passengers currently pay a security bill that …ballooned to $7.4 billion by 2010.” While calling on governments “to foot the bill of security threats which are national challenges in the same manner as they would do in another sector,” the IATA chief also wants them to embrace a “risk-based” approach to screening, something the United States Transportation Security Administration professes to be doing.
He cautions, “We must accept that there is no such thing as 100 percent risk-free security. Governments must focus on the probable and not all that is possible and avoid policies driven by knee-jerk reactions.”
In the seemingly interminable time since the twin towers fell governments have taken a number of concrete steps aimed at rendering flying safer. Some are solid. Many remain controversial. Here are some of the most notable changes:
- Oct. 2001. The US Patriot Act boosts the ability of the government to surveil surroundings.
- Nov. 2001. The TSA takes over airport security.
- Dec. 2001. Passengers have to remove their shoes for separate screening.
- Jan. 2002. FAA says airlines must reinforce cockpit doors.
- Nov. 2003. The International Civil Aviation Organization requires hardened cockpit doors on international flights on aircraft with more than 60 seats.
- Jan. 2004. The US begins to fingerprint non-US citizens entering the country by air. There are some exceptions.
- Aug. 2006. Liquids in containers of 3.4 oz. are banned from carry-on luggage. Laptop computers have to be removed form carry-ons and screened separately.
- Jan. 2007. The US and the European Union ink an agreement to share passenger data.
- Nov. 2010. TSA introduces enhanced screening technology, and implements a more extensive pat-down procedure.
As governments change the way screen passengers, bags and cargo, the bad guys adapt. We’re 10 years out from the darkest day of the new millennium and it’s still a continual game of move and counter-move. Don’t look for it to end anytime soon.
Story by Jerry Chandler
(Image: Scott Hudson)
