9/11, A day that changed Aviation forever.

A terrorist attack that took place on American soil forever changed the aviation industry.

This year will mark the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attack on the world trade center. Many changes have been made in the world of aviation since the tragic event took place. Today the president of the meridian airport authority remembers the day that changed the airline industry forever.

Tom Williams said, “I remember getting a call from the control tower manager with a somewhat shaky message saying, We've been put on a threat level. That's the equivalent of being at war.”

He remembers the immediate changes that begin to happen in the airline industry then.

“The President ordered the National Guard to come to every airport. So we had several National Guardsmen that were here that really served as law enforcement.”

The aviation industry for the first time in history shut down for 3 days grounding all civilian planes.

“The International Guard supporting military protection missions being flown over the United States. But that was it, there was no civilian flying at all.”

Williams tells us how aviation has made changes within airports since the 9/11 attacks.

“Since then, a lot has changed. The TSA has been created. We were one of the first airports in Mississippi where the TSA set up Operation Force.”

Williams shares his strangest memory from that day in the form of two eerie long-distance phone calls he had received.

"They both had accents and were asking if the planes were still flying. So I've always wondered we reported it to the FBI at the time, but I've always wondered if there was some network that was checking those types of things."

Flying now today aircraft security has greatly evolved, now all passengers 18 years and older must now have a valid government-issued id to fly, improved security screenings, and the TSA was created in direct response to the tragic events of 9/11.