Today (Friday), we observe the 25th anniversary of the September 11th terrorist attacks that occurred in the United States.
Nineteen men from the extremist group al-Qaeda took over four commercial airplanes. Two of the hijacked planes flew into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center. Both tall towers collapsed.
A third plane crashed into the Pentagon, which is the headquarters of the U.S. military, near Washington, D.C.
A fourth plane crashed in an empty Pennsylvania field. Passengers fought the hijackers to stop the plane from hitting another target in Washington, D.C
At that time, Prince George Airport was still operated by Transport Canada.
According to YXS and archived materials from the Prince George Citizen, our airport initiated the following response:
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All outgoing flights from Prince George were frozen following the federal grounding order.
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No commercial flights arrived at the airport on September 11, although flights already in progress were permitted to land.
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Thirty-four commercial flight movements had been scheduled that day.
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The terminal became congested as passengers looked for information and alternate transportation.
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Security was initially increased to its maximum level, a measure that had previously been used during the Gulf War, and was later reduced to an enhanced level.
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The RCMP Emergency Response Team attended the airport to familiarize its members with the facility in case an emergency response was required.
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No suspicious incidents were reported at the airport.
The airport remained closed to regular commercial traffic on September 12th, apart from a small number of medical and humanitarian flights.
Reduced commercial service resumed the following day (September 13). Later that afternoon, approximately 20 per cent of normal flight activity had operated, with the airport expecting to reach 50 per cent by the end of the day.
Air Canada Regional, which normally operated 11 daily departures, completed six that day.
By September 14th, approximately 90 per cent of normally scheduled flights were operating.
Airport Manager Stieg Hoeg estimated the two-day shutdown cost the airport at least $20,000 in lost revenue, with further losses expected from the reduced schedules.
Additional security measures during the recovery included:
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Requiring passengers to arrive approximately two hours before departure
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Requesting photo identification
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Increased questioning about baggage
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Prohibiting sharp objects from carry-on baggage
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Additional scrutiny of electronic devices
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Temporarily prohibiting vehicles from stopping or parking within 50 metres of the terminal
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Bringing in additional airport and airline personnel
The airport moved into what Hoeg described at the time as a “holding mode,” maintained heightened security and prepared for a gradual resumption of service.
