Evolving risks
SEPT. 11, 2001:
Terrorist hijackings kill 2,977 people at the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and in Pennsylvania.
NOVEMBER 2001:
President George W. Bush signs the Aviation and Transportation Security Act, creating the TSA.
DECEMBER 2001:
Shoe bomber unsuccessfully tries to ignite explosive devices hidden in his shoes on a flight from Paris to Miami.
DECEMBER 2002:
TSA deploys systems nationwide to screen all bags for explosives.
NOVEMBER 2002:
Department of Homeland Security is established.
MARCH 2003:
Newly created Customs and Border Protection brings together three existing airport functions: immigration, customs and agriculture.
EARLY 2003:
TSA begins training flightdeck personnel to carry firearms; the first armed pilots are aboard commercial flights by April.
APRIL 2003:
All air carriers meet requirements to reinforce cockpit doors on commercial planes.
DECEMBER 2004:
The Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 is signed into law, adds butane lighters to TSA’s list of prohibited items.
MARCH 2005:
TSA bans all common lighters.
AUGUST 2006:
All liquids, gels and aerosols are banned from carry-on luggage after British officials foil terrorists’ plot to detonate liquid explosives on flights from the U.K. to the U.S. and Canada.
AUGUST 2006:
TSA requires passengers to remove shoes to screen for explosives.
AUGUST 2006:
TSA deploys federal air marshals overseas.
SEPTEMBER 2006:
TSA creates the “3-1-1” rule. Instead of a total ban on liquids, gels and aerosols, passengers can bring toiletries of 3.4 ounces or less that fit into a quart-size, clear plastic zip-top bag.
MARCH 2008:
TSA deploys canine teams to help screen cargo loaded on U.S. passenger planes. It later expands program to include passenger and baggage screening at airports.
DECEMBER 2009:
Would-be bomber tries to detonate a bomb concealed in his underwear while aboard a flight from Amsterdam to Detroit. Passengers and crew restrain him and put out the fire.
MARCH 2010:
TSA begins formally install- ing full-body scanners designed to detect nonmetallic explosives and other threats that may elude traditional metal detectors. About 500 machines are deployed by year’s end.
OCTOBER 2010:
British and United Arab Emirates authorities intercept two explosive devices concealed in printer cartridges aboard cargo planes from Yemen. Authorities determine the devices were intended to detonate during flights to the U.S.
NOVEMBER 2010:
Air cargo shipments to the U.S. from Yemen are suspended indefinitely. Passengers cannot have printer cartridges in their carry-on baggage.
NOVEMBER 2010:
TSA rolls out new pat-down procedures to airports nationwide.
NOVEMBER 2010:
“Don’t touch my junk” goes viral after John Tyner records a conversation he has with a TSA officer explaining the pat-down procedure. He tells the agent “If you touch my junk, I’m going to have you arrested.”
OCTOBER 2011:
TSA begins PreCheck program.
NOVEMBER 2013:
An armed man at Los Angeles International Airport kills TSA Officer Gerardo Hernandez and wounds two other officers and a passenger.
DECEMBER 2014:
TSA enhances full-body scanners and explosives trace detection. It also focuses on improved pat-down procedures and specialized screening requirement for select passengers.
DECEMBER 2014:
Delta Air Lines employee arrested for allegedly helping smuggle guns onto planes at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.
JUNE 2015:
ABC News reveals an internal investigation in which TSA officers failed to detect mock explosives or banned weapons in 67 out of 70 tests.
MAY 2016:
Long security lines at Chicago O’Hare International Airport cause hundreds of people to miss their flights. Many sleep on cots in the airport, drawing attention to long TSA lines around the country.
AUGUST 2016:
False reports of gunfire cause chaos at John F. Kennedy International and Los Angeles International airports. Sources: Transportation Security Administration, Chronicle research