Saturday marked the twentieth anniversary of the deadly terrorist attacks against the United States. On September 11, 2001 (911), four planes were hijacked and turned into weapons, killing 246 passengers and 2,771 people on the ground in the worst attacks on American soil. The attacks prompted an outcry from around the world and the whole aviation industry was completely shocked. The use of an aircraft as a terrorist weapon was just unthinkable before then.
As a result of the incident, the Unites States realigned policies around fighting terrorism and bilateral relationships strengthened or crumbled depending on where other governments stood. The resulting horror and outrage prompted America to launch a war on terror that began with the invasion of Afghanistan in October 2001, culminating just last month in a chaotic troop withdrawal and the fall of Kabul to the Taliban.
Moreover, the attacks shocked the world into realizing that aviation security was lacking against unconventional threats. It damaged the whole psychology of air travel. Although, there had been previous high-profile international terrorism incidents that involved plane hijackings and vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices, the September 11 attacks marked an innovation of tactics and strategy that evaded the then existing aviation security measures. Governments around the world moved swiftly to improve their intelligence systems and came up with response plans in the event of terrorists weaponizing another commercial jetliner.
In the meantime, the occurrence triggered a wave of new security measures that travelers initially found tedious but have become accustomed to today. One of the security changes included the drawing up of restricted areas, such as boarding gates, that only allowed access to travelling passengers. Airlines also quickly shored up cockpit defenses, to bolster the cockpit door, a long-standing weak point exposed by hijackers. Air marshals became routine on board flights, especially throughout the U.S. Besides, governments around the world banned travelers from carrying a variety of electronic devices over fears that explosives could be concealed and brought onto an aircraft. The ban on electronic devices are examples of how the aviation industry has raised its vigilance in a global effort to thwart terrorism.
Meanwhile, screening of passengers and their baggage in the immediate aftermath of the attacks were intensified, with greater focus placed on additional physical searches. Authorities monitored baggage and hand luggage more closely, thus enabling officials to plug a glaring loophole that allowed small knives to pass through airport security. Airports around the world also improved pre-screening procedures with high-tech equipment to detect weapons and explosives, and shared intelligence gathered on travelers with relevant agencies.
While the purpose of risk management is to minimize the potential negative consequences of threats and ensure safety and security, the attacks of September 11 proved to the industry that it was essential to stay ahead of such risks. Therefore, most airports introduced a behavioral-based detection programme, under which frontline airport staff were trained to identify suspicious behavior during their interactions with passengers. Airports also improved their passenger identity verification processes and upgraded perimeter fences with latest intrusion detection system. Biometric passport became the standard travelling document, thus denying terrorists and spies the opportunity of having multiple passports for covert operations.
More substantive changes to aviation security rules came after “shoe-bomber” Richard Reid in December 2001 failed in a bid to blow up an American Airlines flight in Paris bound for Miami, and Umar Farouk Mutallab’s attempted detonation of plastic explosives hidden in his underwear while on board Northwest Airlines Flight 253 enroute from Amsterdam to Detroit on Christmas day 2009. New rules saw passengers having to remove their shoes for checks and restricted from carrying liquid containers larger than 100 milliliters (0.2 pints) onto aircraft as well as body scanner at departure gates. The additional checks challenged limited airport spaces and had an impact on how airports were designed. Notably, the screening of checked-in luggage became mandatory.
In essence, the September 11 attacks serve as a catalyst for innovation and investment in research and development. The updated airport security protocols change passenger behavior, as they now have to arrive several hours before their flights. Twenty years of tightened security measures later, the chances of authorities detecting terror plots have vastly improved through profiling, deployment of equipment and technology to unearth hidden weapons and explosive materials, or the use of stolen and fake travel documents. Such counterterrorism efforts on land have ensured that terrorists cannot take their schemes into the aircraft.
Although, the September 11 was a domestic terror event, and even with stringent international rules for aviation, it is up to governments around the world to ensure high standards of safety. While travel fears grew in the wake of September 11, the sector recovered to reach a total of 1.5 billion international tourist arrivals in 2019. But loopholes remain as there are varying levels of security in different countries. Much as terrorists’ aim to exploit system vulnerabilities would never go away, butgovernments must ensure that the particular pathways or options they think are available to exploit are blocked. Of course, there had been instances of passengers using stolen passports, while terrorists may also deploy “clean skins,” persons with no records of criminal or extremist behavior, to evade detection. However, the onus is on the authorities to ensure that measures are put in place, including intelligence gathering and the use of technology to prevent evil doers from executing their agenda.
With analysts warning that extremist groups will be emboldened by the Taliban seizing power in Afghanistan, the threat of terrorism remains very much alive. There is the need to watch for new threats if the Taliban’s return to power enables al-Qaeda to revive its international agenda over the next decade. Terrorists are constantly looking for opportunities to launch attacks that cause high damage and fear, so it is crucial for airports to remain alert even during periods where the threat is perceived to be low.
Following Kabul’s fall to the Taliban, former British prime minister Tony Blair has warned about the need to protect people against bioterrorism threats, such as the release of viruses. No doubt, governments had been monitoring bioterrorism activity from as early as the 1990s, after Japanese cult group and terrorist organization Aum Shinrikyo in 1995 launched a sarin gas attack in the Tokyo subway, which injured thousands. Japanese authorities last year said Aum Shinrikyo remained a threat, with three splinter groups actively recruiting members and building up cash reserves. Although, there is still controversy on the origin of Covid 19, there is however, no misgiving that viruses on a pandemic level are threats to humanity at large. While terror threats remain, the advent of coronavirusand the measures to combat it are leading to yet more rules that will again change the face of aviation safety, perhaps even for the better.
Notably, Covid-19 has disrupted global travel and left airlines and airports operating at a fraction of their peak. Many countries have implemented measures including on-arrival tests and quarantine zones at airports. It is pertinent to point out that technologies such as remote and touch-free check-ins as well as self-baggage check-ins, were already being used at some airports even before the pandemic. Clearly, the onset of the pandemic has served to accelerate that implementation and will most certainly lead to new, creative ways to further reduce the risk of spreading contagion. What has become obvious is that pandemic measures now serve as an additional layer of vetting and monitoring that would make air travel more difficult and costly for international terrorists.
After the attacks of September 11, the increased aviation security measures brought inconvenience, but travelers eventually accepted them as the new normal for safe air travel. Looking ahead, travelers would also have to accept the inconveniences of pandemic-era air travel, especially now that flying is more of necessity, than luxury. But, for how long are we going to be encumbered by the pandemic and other such viruses that are lurking in some parts of the globe? For another ten years or more? Only time will tell.
Mr Oloko writes from Abuja, Nigeria
