Key facts
- Before 9/11, friends and family could accompany travelers through security without a boarding pass.
- Knives and blades smaller than 4 inches were allowed in carry-on bags.
- Private companies, not the government, handled airport screenings before 9/11.
- Checked luggage was not subject to universal explosives screening before 9/11.
- X-ray baggage screenings were introduced in the 1950s.
- In 1973, magnetometers and X-ray machines were mandated for passenger and carry-on screening.
Airport security was significantly more relaxed before the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, with fewer restrictions on what passengers could carry and who could accompany them through screening checkpoints. In the 1970s, friends and family could escort travelers to their gates without needing a boarding pass, and items like knives and blades under 4 inches were permitted in carry-on luggage. The responsibility for security screenings lay with private companies, not a centralized government body like the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), which was established after 9/11.
Over the decades leading up to 2001, security measures did evolve in response to various threats, including bombings like the 1988 Pan Am attack over Lockerbie, Scotland, and hijackings. X-ray machines and metal detectors gradually became common features at airports. However, these measures were still considered lax by today's standards. For instance, checked luggage did not undergo universal explosives screening, and while signs warned against bringing weapons, the actual screenings were less stringent.
X-ray baggage screening technology began appearing in the 1950s, and by 1973, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) mandated the use of magnetometers and X-ray machines for screening passengers and their carry-on items on commercial flights. Despite these advancements, full-body scanners, a common sight today, did not arrive until 2007. The transformation of airport security was rapid and profound in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, making the pre-9/11 era of air travel seem almost unrecognizable.