How 9/11 transformed air security forever -- even as some measures go by the wayside

Nearly a week after the 9/11 attacks, aviation security expert Jeff Price described how a pilot asked passengers for help in the unlikely event of a hijacking, underscoring how quickly air travel security changed. The article recounts how, before Sept. 11, domestic passengers in North America could often reach gates with minimal screening and sometimes without showing ID. After 2001, security tightened dramatically: in Canada, agents employed by the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority created in April 2002 took over passenger screening, operating under a standardized regime even when outsourced to private contractors such as GardaWorld and Paladin. New rules included removing shoes, taking laptops out, restricting liquids to 100 millilitres, and banning knives up to 10 centimetres. The piece traces the broader shift from convenience-focused screening to permanent protocol-heavy security.