How 9/11 Changed U.S. Travel, Security And How You Get On A Plane

ACROSS AMERICA — More than two decades ago, going to an airport or boarding a plane was as simple as riding a bus or train on your daily commute.

After Sept. 11, 2001, it all changed.

Twenty years after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, nearly an entire generation of Americans has little to no idea what it was like to hop on a plane prior to 9/11.

Full-body scanners at security checkpoints didn’t exist. Pat downs weren’t necessary, and you never had to remove your shoes. You didn’t have to squeeze tiny amounts of shampoo and conditioner into small, see-through bottles.

The attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people on 9/11 ushered in a new era of transportation security in the United States. From heightened screenings to federal agents on planes to new standards for state-issued IDs, changes have been quick and enduring.

How drastically have things changed? Here are some of the primary ways U.S. security and traveling by air have evolved since the Sept. 11 attacks.

Department of Homeland Security

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security was created as a direct result of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Former President George W. Bush created both the Office of Homeland Security and the Homeland Security Council to coordinate counterterrorism efforts by federal, state, and local agencies.

Both entities were superseded in 2003 by the Department of Homeland Security, an executive division of the federal government responsible for protecting the country against terrorist attacks.

Today, the agency oversees several others responsible for domestic security and emergency preparedness, including U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Transportation Security Administration, the Secret Service, and the Coast Guard.

Transportation Security Agency

The Transportation Security Administration, part of the Department of Homeland Security, was established by the Aviation and Transportation Security Act, passed by Congress and signed into law by George W. Bush in November 2001.

Perhaps the most recognizable responsibilities of the TSA are to oversee airport security and preventing aircraft hijacking.

TSA officers also examine passengers’ luggage at U.S. airports while others work behind the scenes, determining whether a passenger may pose a security threat and deciding who should not be allowed to board a plane.

Airport Security

Airport security has changed exponentially since the Sept. 11 attacks.

In the early 1960s, airport visitors could wander between concourses, and passenger gates were commonly in the open air with direct access to the jetway passengers traveled to board the plane. It wasn’t until the late 1960s, after several high-profile hijackings, that some security measures were put in place.

In 1973, the Federal Aviation Administration implemented a requirement that all airlines screen passengers and their carry-on baggage for metal objects. Mostly, this was done by private companies.

It wasn’t until 9/11 — nearly 30 years later — that things changed dramatically.

Three days after the attacks, when airlines returned to the skies, airport passengers were greeted by armed National Guard personnel. Ordered to protect the nation’s airports, they remained on patrol for several months.

In November 2001, President Bush passed the Aviation and Transportation Security Act, which required all screening to be conducted by federal officials. Also included in the bill: required screening of all checked baggage and an expansion of the Federal Air Marshal Service.

Not long after the passage of the Aviation and Transportation Security Act, Richard Reid — also known as the shoe bomber — used matches in an attempt to ignite explosive devices hidden in his shoes on a flight from Paris to Miami. Five years later, due to continuing threats, passengers were asked to remove their shoes at airport security checkpoints — something that’s still done today.

Also in 2006, terrorists attempted to detonate liquid explosives carried on board at least 10 airplanes traveling from the United Kingdom to the United States and Canada. In response, the TSA banned all liquids, gels, and aerosols from passenger carry-on luggage.

A month after implementing the rule, however, the TSA amended the rule to allow passengers to carry liquids, gels and aerosols in containers of only 3.4 ounces or less inside a clear, resealable 1-quart plastic bag.

The TSA has a full timeline of post-9/11 transportation security changes on its website.

A 2019 study found that the average time to get through security at some of the nation’s busiest airports varied from just over 23 minutes at Newark Liberty to nearly 20 minutes at Miami International Airport. During peak hours, those times but could go as high as 60 minutes and 37 minutes, respectively.

Will the heightened security measures ever go away? Not likely. In fact, the security measures adopted after 9/11 have proved permanent enough that they’re even being incorporated into billion-dollar airport terminal renovations.

REAL ID Act

The REAL ID Act, passed by Congress in 2005, put in motion a 9/11 Commission recommendation that the federal government “set minimum security standards for state-issued driver's licenses and identification cards.”

While REAL IDs are optional, once the law is in place, you'll need some form of acceptable identification to board domestic flights and access federal buildings if you do not obtain one. Other IDs that will be accepted to fly or get into a federal building include a U.S. passport or a military ID.

The Department of Homeland Security initially postponed REAL ID enforcement from Oct. 1, 2020, to Oct. 1, 2021, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic that closed driver’s license stations across the country. The deadline was extended again this year to May 3, 2023.