John Cheetham
Regional Commercial Manager Asia Pacific
British Airways World Cargo

     11th September 2001 was one of those watershed days that everyone will remember. I was working at our head office in London as part of a small team managing the operation of our freighter aircraft.
     It was afternoon in London by the time events were unfolding across the pond. The first I heard was a rumor from someone on my floor that 'a couple of aircraft hit the twin towers.' I immediately thought that they must be some sort of small stunt aircraft involved in a show. It didn't even cross my mind that this might be a terrorist act.
     The internet was down on my computer and it was only when someone managed to find a television and put the news on that we started to realize the full extent of what was happening. With about 20 of us crowded around a small monitor there was absolute silence as we watched the repeated image of the aircraft hitting the towers. It was an extremely emotional time for everyone in the business and our thoughts went out to our colleagues and friends who were living out the nightmare in New York.
     From a work perspective, we were not allowed to send any aircraft over to the US. I remember seeing pictures of Halifax airport, which had been used to divert aircraft unable to turn back. Every conceivable space on the airfield seemed to have been taken up by parked aircraft. The next two weeks of my life were spent making up day to day schedules for the freighters to try and move as much freight as possible, whilst the passenger fleet was trying to get back to normality.
     As time moved on, it was clear that the world was never going to be the same again. Airport security has become more intrusive. We now think nothing of removing shoes, belts, coins and keys at the same time as trying to take out a laptop, polythene wash bag and a mobile phone, and still end up being frisked.
     Sadly, now when I hear of a disaster or explosion in the world, my thoughts immediately jump to terrorism – this was never the case before 9/11.
     From a cargo perspective, British Airways got onto the front foot in terms of a strict security regime. Cargo screening and audits of our security procedures are comprehensive, as they should be. As a frequent traveller, this gives me confidence when I set foot on a British Airways aircraft.
     I personally believe that there needs to be more consistency between regulations from country to country. It doesn't seem logical to me that two aircraft on the same route would have different regulations solely because of where they are registered.
     Recent events with the printer cartridges clearly show that we can never be complacent when it comes to security. Our processes and policies need to evolve with the technology that becomes available, but a coordinated approach from the regulatory authorities would certainly be beneficial to the industry and our customers.