25 Years After 9/11, ALPA Reflects on an Industry Transformed and the Security Work Still Ahead

MCLEAN, Va.— Today, the Air Line Pilots Association, Int'l (ALPA), marked 25 years since the September 11 terrorist attacks with a ceremony at its Remembrance Garden, gathering to speak the names of those lost and to make sure this history is never allowed to fade.

"As time marches on, it should be matched by our resolve to never let that commitment fade," said ALPA president Capt. Jason Ambrosi. "Our collective cause is to carry forward the significance of this moment in history. We will never forget that our industry can change in one morning, and we will be vigilant at all times. That is our commitment at ALPA. We will put the safety of our members, the traveling public, and the communities under our wings first."

That commitment has driven ALPA's fight to strengthen aviation security industry-wide in the 25 years since the attacks. Through its advocacy, ALPA pushed to harden flight deck doors and helped establish the Federal Flight Deck Officer program, which has trained and armed thousands of pilots to serve as a last line of defense on roughly one million flights a year. But a security gap remained for more than two decades: what protects the flight deck in the moment the door has to open. After sustained pressure from ALPA and delays by airlines and manufacturers, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) finally enforced secondary flight deck barriers on newly manufactured passenger aircraft.

"Secondary barriers on new aircraft are the law of the land," Ambrosi said. "While we honor the progress we've made, today we are reminded that our work isn't done. Every plane already in service, already carrying passengers, is still allowed to fly without a secondary barrier."

The push for a secondary flight deck barrier was first developed through industry design guidance in 2011 and mandated by Congress in the 2018 FAA Reauthorization Act before the FAA's 2023 rule cleared the way for installed physical secondary barriers (IPSBs) on new passenger aircraft. With more than 150 newly manufactured, secondary-barrier-equipped aircraft expected to join U.S. airline fleets by the end of 2026 alone, ALPA is calling on the FAA to move now on rulemaking to retrofit the in-service fleet so that flight deck protection doesn't depend on which aircraft happens to show up at the gate.

"ALPA's commitment is to remain vigilant and always put safety and security first. It is time for the FAA to issue rulemaking requiring airlines to retrofit their planes already flying. All passengers deserve to have the same aircraft security protections no matter which airplane they travel on," added Ambrosi.

Founded in 1931, ALPA is the largest airline pilot union in the world and represents more than 80,000 pilots at 42 U.S. and Canadian airlines. Visit ALPA.org or follow us @ALPAPilots on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and X.Contact: ALPA Media, 703-481-4440 or Media@alpa.org.