25 years since 9/11: How the attack changed the aviation world

25 years after the September 11 attacks, an article examines how the attack changed the aviation world: the collapse of the American paradigm, three major changes implemented (airport security, cockpit locking, hand-to-hand combat training for crews), and the fact that despite improvements, plane hijackings still occur.

25 years after the September 11 attacks, an article examines how the attack changed the aviation world. The author describes the collapse of the American paradigm, according to which plane hijackings were intended to secure hostages and demands, not for a suicide attack. The three major changes implemented following the disaster: airport security transferred to the TSA with rigorous screenings; cockpit door locking during flight; and hand-to-hand combat training for flight crews. The author notes that despite improvements, since 2001 there have been 26 hijacking attempts worldwide, including EgyptAir Flight 181 in 2016 and Ethiopian Airlines Flight 702 in 2014, and explains that the internal threat (a hijacking co-pilot) and smuggling of explosives remain challenges.