On that morning, four commercial airliners traveling from the northeastern United States to California were hijacked mid-flight by 19 al-Qaeda terrorists. The hijackers were organized into three groups of five hijackers and one group of four. Each group had one hijacker who had received flight training and took over control of the aircraft. Their explicit goal was to crash each plane into a prominent American building, causing mass casualities and partial or complete destruction of the targeted buildings.
The first plane to hit its target was American Airlines Flight 11. It was flown into the North Tower of the World Trade Center complex in Lower Manhattan at 8:46 am. Seventeen minutes later at 9:03 am, the World Trade Center's South Tower was hit by United Airlines Flight 175. Both 110-story towers collapsed an hour and forty-two minutes later, leading to the collapse of the other World Trade Center structures including 7 World Trade Center, and significantly damaging surrounding buildings.
A third flight, American Airlines Flight 77, flown from Dulles International Airport, was hijacked over Ohio. At 9:37 am, it crashed into the west side of the Pentagon (the headquarters of the American military) in Arlington County, Virginia, causing a partial collapse of the building's side. The fourth, and final flight, United Airlines Flight 93, was flown in the direction of Washington, D.C. This flight was the only plane not to hit its intended target, instead crashing in a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania at 10:03 am. The plane's passengers attempted to regain control of the aircraft away from the hijackers and ultimately diverted the flight from its intended target. Investigators determined that Flight 93's target was either the White House or the U.S. Capitol.
“The terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon were not only assaults on the United States of America, they were also aimed at the global air transportation system,”.
“We must continue to give the families and loved ones of the victims, and the victims themselves, the recognition and acknowledgement they deserve, while drawing inspiration from the heroes that day.” Billions of dollars have funded airport and aircraft security since then, but the aviation sector still remains a prime terrorist target, industry leaders say.
The 19 hijackers involved killed almost 3,000 people that day.
American Airlines flight 11 and United Airlines flight 175 were the first to crash into the buildings – both killing over 2,500 people, including the terrorists and the flight crew.
Then, American Airlines flight 77 crashed and killed almost 200 people.
The “ultimate sacrifice” of all flight crew, especially on the last flight, United Airlines flight 93, who disrupted the final attack, resulting in the death of all onboard.
United Airlines flight 93 coming from Newark was the one hijack attempt that failed to reach the buildings, as flight crew were able to deter the jet, landing in Somerset County, Pennsylvania.
Although all died, many commemorate the first responders on that aircraft who potentially saved thousands of other lives that would have been lost if it crashed into the buildings.
“Two decades later, we are still living with their consequences, including a vastly expanded security and intelligence apparatus that overlays air travel,”. Since that day, security at airports and on planes have continued to tighten, as it began the epidemic of terrorist attacks in years to come.
Airlines were directed to enforce locked and armoured cockpit doors to keep pilots safe, meaning all new aircraft were required to be manufactured that way. Bans were placed on sharp objects and screening became federalised by the Transportation Security Administration.
As terrorist fears grew, regulators began to respond faster to threats. At the end of 2001, the failed attempt of the “shoe-bomber plot” resulted in the requirement of removing shoes during screening.
In 2006, when British police discovered the trans-Atlantic bomb threat, passengers were banned from carrying liquids and gels of a certain size in luggage. Numerous other security measures have been enforced amid different terrorist threats, but Walsh said “security is a constantly evolving challenge”. Although security has “significantly progressed”, he believes the sector “must stay ahead of emerging security threats” as new forms continue to emerge.
“To do this effectively we need to take a more integrated approach on things like cyber risks, drones, and insider threats,” Walsh said.
TO EVERYONE THAT LOST A LOVED ONE THAT DAY AND TO THOSE LEFT BEHIND WHO STILL SUFFER, THOUGHTS AND BEST WISHES GO OUT TO YOU ALL.
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