Is Airline Travel Safer Since 9/11?

The September 11th attacks devestated the airline industry; forcing many travelers to question the integrity of airport security. For those traveling this Monday, saying goodbye at the airport took on a whole new meaning. Patti Trudell dropped of family leaving Shreveport from Shreveport Regional Airport Monday. "You have to be careful, you have to be alert, but you also have to live your life," Trudell said. Yet, five years after 9/11, many still choose not to travel because they fear a similar attack could happen again. "The attacks on 9/11 certainly turned the airline industry upside down," Bill Cooksey of the Shreveport Airport Authority said. Those who do travel say they are always on guard. "I pay a lot more attention to the inside of the airport, I look at the people, I think a lot more," Lori Greene, a Tyler resident, said. Yet, despite those fears, the travel industry is slowly getting back to normal. One of the most significant reasons for that is increased security. After 9/11, the Transportation Security Administration hired 60,000 screeners, the agency now employs 43,000, and developed new tools to detect explosives and other threats. Yet, as the threat of terrorism evolves, the agency must evolve to combat that threat. "Things are getting better," Cooksey said," we`ve seen a lot of changes and a lot of hard work." Though the increased security measures might seem like a headache to many travelers, most say the inconveniences are more than worth it. "I don`t mind the inconveniences," Greene said, " I`d rather have inconveniences than be where we were 5 years ago."