MASS. – Born out of 9/11, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) works to make sure airports and aircraft are safe.
“It was necessary for the country to rethink screenings, security screenings, for aircraft,” TSA New England spokesperson, Dan Velez, said.
Hijackers took over four U.S. flights on September 11, 2001. Two planes departed from Boston’s Logan Airport. The TSA came to be just two months later, when former President George W. Bush signed the Aviation and Transportation Security Act.
“We know the threat is still out there and we’re going to make sure we stay ahead of it,” Velez said.
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the FAA reported nearly three million travelers flew in and out of U.S. airports on a daily basis. To protect passengers, upgrades to airport technology were a must, they say.
“Computed tomography which is 3D x-ray scanning,” Velez said. “Advanced imaging technology which is a high advanced body scanner as well as credential authentication technology where we can verify the validity of a person’s id. And not to mention our K9 teams and our federal air marshals that are on aircrafts.”
Prior to the 9/11 attacks, there were security screenings, but they weren’t as intrusive as they are now. Families could also walk to airport gates to pick up or see their loved ones off. Velez says in the last two decades, balancing safety and passenger satisfaction has been a challenge.
“I’d say the majority of the folks know why we’re there,” Velez said. “They know what we’re doing. And they know we’re there to keep them safe. So the majority of folks are okay with some of the inconveniences that you have to go through in order to be safe.”
The TSA will commemorate the 20th Anniversary of the 9/11 attacks with moments of silence throughout the day at airports nationwide. It’s a reminder Velez says of why their work is important.
“We can never forget it,” Velez said. “And it’s something we’re going to think about every single year. And we’re going to make sure that it doesn’t happen again.”
