Air Travel Attitude in America After Attacks

On the eleventh day of September 2001, air travel irrevocably changed. In the immediate days following the tragedy, airspace closed, airplanes remained on the ground and people wondered if the airline industry would ever recover. Would people feel safe enough to return to the skies?

One year later, much of the trust in the safety of air travel that appeared to be lost in the ashes of September 11th was regained. Airplanes fill the once silent skies of the days that followed September 11th. Although much has returned to "normal", the flying public has been tempered with the knowledge that passenger airplanes were used as instruments of destruction. And this is the impression that will keep lingering in the minds of the generations to come.

Now with distance from September 11th, it is important to take a look at the changing attitudes of passengers

Quick summary of the findings in the September 11th Survey
Highlights from Travelocity's survey about post-September 11th flying attitudes include:

• Most of those surveyed were not affected by 9/11 events or have returned to their prior level of comfort in regards to flying.

• The majority of respondents feel that the level of safety is equal or better today than right after 9/11 as concerns for personal safety have subsided.

• 90% of respondents are equally or more willing to travel today compared with immediately after 9/11.

• Although 1 in 4 respondents avoided travel immediately after the events of 9/11, only 1 in 16 continue to avoid travel today. To further bolster this claim, 88% have respondents have taken a trip since 9/11.

• More of those surveyed are now checking in all luggage or are using electronic ticketing in order to make air travel easier.

All these findings are a good sign for the airlines industry that was battered after the ghastly terrorist strikes, which left many doubts in the minds of the industry watchers.