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~60 airplane hijackings per year in the 70s. We’ve significantly reduced it down to <4 per year. https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/airliner-hijackings-and-fa

~60 airplane hijackings per year in the 70s. We’ve significantly reduced it down to <4 per year. https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/airliner-hijackings-and-fatalities-from-them https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/airliner-hijackings-and-f...

echoangle 2y ago
Hijacking an airplane isn’t an attack on the TSA specifically though. We were talking about the security of the TSA building itself.
HWR_14 2y ago
Yes, but the TSA wasn't created in the 1980s, when most of the decrease happened. The TSA wasn't invented until after 9/11.
potato3732842 2y ago
Who's we? Al Qaeda reduced it down to ~4 per year because now passengers no longer assume to survive and act accordingly. Locked doors and plain clothes security are just icing on the cake.
- echoangle 2y ago
  > Who's we? Al Qaeda reduced it down to ~4 per year because now passengers no longer assume to survive and act accordingly. You think hijackings decreased because the passengers are more likely to attack the hijackers now? I think it’s more likely that surveillance and intelligence is better now and most hijacking attempts get discovered before they are executed.
  - potato3732842 2y ago
    Airline and security protocols are no longer "comply with everything so that nobody gets killed". Doors are locked. Passengers will likely bum rush you. There might be armed security on any given flight. The odds of success are unbelievably long compared to what they were in the 80s. Just not worth it vs a "boring" bombing or whatever.
  - Terr_ 2y ago
    Not parent poster, but absolutely. Look at all those other pre-2001 hijackings, and ask yourself what would have happened if most of the passengers were terrified that the hijackers were preparing to destroy the entire plane and everyone on it, regardless of any demands being made or met. Would-be hostage-taking hijackers know it too: Their business plan, as it were, has been ruined for a generation by their suicidal colleagues.
Zak 2y ago
Reinforced doors and a belief among everyone from passengers to pilots that a successful hijacking is likely to lead to death rather than inconvenience reduced hijacking after 2001. I would be surprised if searching passengers more aggressively or requiring people to prove their address to get a driver's license had much to do with it.
- Terr_ 2y ago
  Yeah, I think passenger game-theory is the number one reason, and that was already in place on September 12th, 2001. Passengers are now aware that hijackers might actually just buying time until they can trigger a murder-suicide attempt, and many will believe it is likely enough that they need to fight for their own lives. The old assumptions that "almost everyone gets out alive by passively cooperating" no longer hold.
  - searedsteak 2y ago
    This happened on the 11th. See United 93.

echoangle 2y ago

Hijacking an airplane isn’t an attack on the TSA specifically though. We were talking about the security of the TSA building itself.

HWR_14 2y ago

Yes, but the TSA wasn't created in the 1980s, when most of the decrease happened. The TSA wasn't invented until after 9/11.

potato3732842 2y ago

Who's we? Al Qaeda reduced it down to ~4 per year because now passengers no longer assume to survive and act accordingly. Locked doors and plain clothes security are just icing on the cake.

echoangle 2y ago
> Who's we? Al Qaeda reduced it down to ~4 per year because now passengers no longer assume to survive and act accordingly. You think hijackings decreased because the passengers are more likely to attack the hijackers now? I think it’s more likely that surveillance and intelligence is better now and most hijacking attempts get discovered before they are executed.
- potato3732842 2y ago
  Airline and security protocols are no longer "comply with everything so that nobody gets killed". Doors are locked. Passengers will likely bum rush you. There might be armed security on any given flight. The odds of success are unbelievably long compared to what they were in the 80s. Just not worth it vs a "boring" bombing or whatever.
- Terr_ 2y ago
  Not parent poster, but absolutely. Look at all those other pre-2001 hijackings, and ask yourself what would have happened if most of the passengers were terrified that the hijackers were preparing to destroy the entire plane and everyone on it, regardless of any demands being made or met. Would-be hostage-taking hijackers know it too: Their business plan, as it were, has been ruined for a generation by their suicidal colleagues.

Zak 2y ago

Reinforced doors and a belief among everyone from passengers to pilots that a successful hijacking is likely to lead to death rather than inconvenience reduced hijacking after 2001. I would be surprised if searching passengers more aggressively or requiring people to prove their address to get a driver's license had much to do with it.

Terr_ 2y ago
Yeah, I think passenger game-theory is the number one reason, and that was already in place on September 12th, 2001. Passengers are now aware that hijackers might actually just buying time until they can trigger a murder-suicide attempt, and many will believe it is likely enough that they need to fight for their own lives. The old assumptions that "almost everyone gets out alive by passively cooperating" no longer hold.
- searedsteak 2y ago
  This happened on the 11th. See United 93.