9/11: 20 y T
Saturday marks two decades since the terror attacks in the US. Ian Taylor looks at how the fallout from that day reshaped travel restrictions but did little to slow global growth in tourism
he 20th anniversary of September 11 will be marked in ways no doubt not intended when
President Biden confirmed the US withdrawal from Afghanistan. The attacks by hijacked aircraft
on New York’s Twin Towers and the Pentagon killed almost 3,000 people and triggered a 20-year war after the US and Nato invaded Afghanistan and in 2003 went to war in Iraq. The impact on travel was far less
deadly, but the legacy of the attacks provides pointers to what we might expect as the world learns to live with Covid-19. The immediate impact was
stunning, with US aviation grounded. Within days, industry leaders were warning of failures. Iata chairman Leo Mullin warned the US government: “At least three of our major members are on the brink.” The increase in insurance premiums alone threatened to bankrupt the sector. The US Department of
Transportation (DoT) subsequently
reported: “It took until July 2004 for the industry to match and surpass pre-9/11 levels.” In the event, there were no major
US airline failures. But over four years, every major US international carrier bar American Airlines passed through bankruptcy protection. Employment in the sector fell by 28%, or 150,000 jobs. The DoT reported in 2005:
“Today’s airline industry presents a different picture than prior to September 11, with more passengers flying low-cost carriers, fewer empty seats and a smaller workforce. Available seats only recently reached pre-9/11 peaks. In contrast, air passenger travel reached its pre-9/11 peak in July 2004 and continued to grow.” In Europe, Belgian
carrier Sabena collapsed in November 2001 after part- owner Swissair failed to offer a bailout. Swissair followed, taking down France’s second-largest carrier
9%
Decline in international arrivals to UK in 2001
Air Liberté, which it part-owned. However, Swissair-Sabena had been struggling for years. Out of the failures, Swissair subsidiary Crossair emerged as Swiss and Sabena gave way to Brussels Airlines – both now part of the Lufthansa Group.
Impact in UK You would be hard-pressed to claim 9/11 had a dire impact on UK outbound travel. ONS figures suggest a mere slowdown in growth of outbound holidays between 2000 and 2004. Overseas holiday numbers rose
from 36.7 million in 2000 to 38.7 million in 2001 and to almost 40 million in 2002, then passed 41 million in 2003 and reached almost 43 million in 2004.
UK airport passenger numbers
rose from 168 million in 1999 to 180 million in 2001 (+7%) and 199 million in 2003 (+10.5%) also suggesting no great detriment. This was despite the international tension through 2002 as the US and UK prepared for an invasion of Iraq, launched in March 2003. There was a dip in European air
traffic in this period, with the number of commercial flights falling from 8.7 million in 2000 to 8.5 million in 2002. UK data for overseas business
travel suggests the source of the decline, with outbound corporate trips falling 11% between 2000 and 2003, reflecting the impact on transatlantic traffic. Indeed, ONS data suggests there was no overall growth in corporate trips in the decade to 2009. A dip in overseas visitors to
the UK is also clear between 2000
10
9 SEPTEMBER 2021
travelweekly.co.uk
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