Why was 9/11 possible then yet something like it hasn’t happened since?
airline passengers would never allow the plane to be taken over by several guys with box cutters again
Airline hijackings happened all.the.time in the 70s and 80s, less so in the 90s, but still a known thing. Much of the time, the terrorists would force the plane to land, get most of the passengers off the plane and then try and get the crew to fly to Cuba or Tunisia or whatever. Passengers weren't going to fight if they thought they had an 80% chance of making it home. Sep 11th changed that. Terrorists are not going to be able to easily get compliance with air plane passengers as easily anymore.
The better cockpit doors and rules around them probably help. The TSA safety theatre does not. But the main thing is the unwillingness of regular travelers to be so easily cowed by loud foreign words and small, sharp objects.
