Aviation Security | September 11, 2001 Terrorist Attacks in the United States | Air Travel
Aviation security became a major issue following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in the United States in which hijackers crashed two commercial jetliners into the World Trade Center in New York City and another into the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, outside Washington, D.C. In November 2001 the United States Congress enacted the Aviation and Transportation Security Act in response to the attacks, which exposed a number of weaknesses in airport and airline security. The new law expanded the number of baggage screeners, imposed standards for their training, and made them federal employees for an interim period of time. Beginning in January 2002 it required that all passenger luggage, including checked luggage, be examined. It also mandated that by the end of 2002 all luggage must be put through special explosives-detecting devices. The law increased the number of armed federal air marshals flying on domestic flights and required international airlines to turn over advance copies of their passenger lists to U.S. Customs officials for background checks to screen out suspected terrorists. (Aviation Security, September 11, 2001 Terrorist Attacks in the United States, Air Travel Security)
Aboard commercial airplanes, the law required that cockpits be fortified to prevent intruders from commandeering the airplanes, as happened during the September 11 attacks. A number of hijackers, who were all foreign nationals, had attended flight training schools in Florida. The new law mandated that flight instructors report the names of any foreign nationals seeking training on aircraft weighing more than 5,600 kg (12,500 lb). Flight instructors were required to report the names to the U.S. attorney general’s office for screening, and the attorney general’s office was also required to review the background of any foreign national seeking to sell, lease, or charter a plane weighing more than 5,600 kg. (Aviation Security, September 11, 2001 Terrorist Attacks in the United States, Air Travel Security)
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