On the morning of September 11, 2001, the nation and even the so-called "New York minute" rush came to a screeching halt. Americans sat frozen in fear, glued to the television and watched the demise of the World Trade Center. Hundreds of hardworking people- mothers, fathers, sons, and daughters were killed due to the lack of airline security put into effect that day. Americans now realize actions to change the safety of the airlines is needed. Increasing airline security will reduce chances of dangerous items and violence occurring on flights, but also reduces the convenience of flying.
Until September 11th, current airline security had worked surprisingly well. "Every year, 1,000 to 2,000 weapons were found by the employees at metal detectors. Even more guns and knives were found in airport trash cans and rest rooms, where they have been discarded." (Adair, Bill) This creates the impression that all weapons were confiscated before the planes left the airport. Although, "inspectors have found that unauthorized people could get access to airplanes and that many weapons went undetected by security employees." (Adair, Bill) The World Trade Center disaster could have happened even earlier due to the lack of airline security America had allowed.
Sky Marshals occupying each flight would greatly reduce the chance of violence or hijacking by an unruly passenger. The executive director of the Aviation Consumer .
Action Project (ACAP) Paul Hudson points out that the "Sky Marshall program which has been largely disbanded clearly needs to be restored for all long distance flights." Sky Marshals, also known as Federal Air Marshals (FAMs) "respond to criminal incidents aboard U.S. air carriers, as well as other in-flight emergencies. FAMs are authorized to carry firearms and make arrests, while preserving the safety of aircraft, crew, and passengers." (Department of Transportation of FAA) For example, having a Federal Air Marshall aboard each flight would provide a sense of security for the passengers.
