Aviation and Transportation Security Act

 Aviation and Transportation Security Act

    Security at airports were at a relaxed state pre-September 11, 2001. The security was operated by the airlines and airports themselves, which was geared towards operating at a low cost and in a way not to increase the passengers' wait time (Villemez, 2011). Airport security had procedures in place to prevent explosives from boarding an aircraft. At the time, officials did not believe a terrorist would put their own lives at risk by boarding an aircraft with an explosive. Aircraft flight deck doors were not fortified and in some cases, would be left unsecured during flight. The events of September 11, 2001 resulted in the passing of the Aviation and Transportation Security Act, which changed aviation security forever. The Aviation and Transportation Security Act created the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and would go on to create and implement new security procedures on passenger and luggage screening. TSA eliminated the ability for non-ticketed passengers to go through security, new screening equipment to process luggage, banning of liquids, and the removal of shoes during the screening process (Villemez, 2011). Aircraft modifications to fortify flight deck doors and replacement of first-class cabin curtains. The no-fly watch provided by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to the airlines and the TSA also had security updates. The no-fly watch list now included the intelligence community's no-fly list (Brill, 2016). The combination of the events of September 11, 2001 and the passing of the Aviation and Transportation Security Act changed the aviation community's security and made aircraft travel safer.

References

Brill, S. (2016, September). Is America Any Safer?. The Atlantic. Retrieved 16 January 2022 from https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2016/09/are-we-any-safer/492761/

Villemez, J. (2011, September 14). 9/11 to now: Ways we have changed. PBS News Hour. Retrieved 16 January 2022 from https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/911-to-now-ways-we-have-changed