The Enduring Impact of 9/11 on the Business of Travel
Photo Credit: Tribute in light memorial where the World Trade Center once stood on the day aviation changed and thousands passed away. WikiMedia Commons / Dennis Leung
Skift Take
Twenty years after that fated day, enhanced security measures are now just part of the routine of travel — and the cost of doing business across the globe.
In a matter of three hours on a beautiful, crisp September morning two decades ago, the future of the travel industry changed forever.
As the world prepares to remember and honor the victims on the 20th anniversary of 9/11 on Saturday, the aviation business, in particular, still feels the impact deeply from that day when air traffic was eerily grounded. Even hotels still live with specter of being soft targets.
Gone are the days of strolling through an airport without the need for a boarding pass. However, an airport pilot program testing the efficacy of allowing non-ticketed passengers past security has come into play in the past few years.
Instead, passengers and airline personnel alike face increasing enhanced security measures in airports and on aircraft — not to mention additional taxes on tickets and travel to pay for all the additional security.
Getting to and from destinations is an endurance play, like it never was before. The hassles and delays are just part of
