From hours at security to bulletproof cockpits: How 9/11 changed air travel

The September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, which involved hijacked planes crashing into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, led to significant changes in air travel security. In response, the US enacted the Aviation and Transportation Security Act (ATSA) in November 2001, establishing the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). These measures included mandatory ID and baggage checks for all passengers, reinforced and locked cockpit doors, and bans on knives and box cutters in carry-on baggage. Further security enhancements implemented later included mandatory shoe checks following an attempted shoe-bombing, the Federal Flight Deck Officer program allowing pilots to carry handguns, and restrictions on liquids in carry-on luggage after a plot to use liquid explosives was foiled.

On September 11, 2001, the United States experienced what President George W. Bush described as its "darkest hour" due to brutal terrorist attacks. Two hijacked airliners were deliberately flown into New York's World Trade Centre, causing its destruction, while a third crashed into the Pentagon. President Bush addressed the nation, condemning the attacks as "despicable" and stating that thousands had lost their lives. He emphasized that while these acts had shattered steel, they could not diminish American resolve.