NEWARK, N.J. — Officials from the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) commemorated the 20th anniversary of the federalization of the airport today.
Newark launched under TSA security oversight on August 8, 2002, with a security checkpoint staffed by federal TSA officers 11 months after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
The Aviation and Transportation Security Act (ATSA) became law in November 2001, establishing the TSA. That fall, TSA consisted of about 100 people working at folding tables in the basement of Department of Transportation headquarters. Today, 20 years later, there are 430 federalized airports and a workforce of 60,000 employees nationwide. Approximately 1300 TSA employees work at Newark.
From the earliest days of TSA, employees had “a sincere drive to protect the traveling public and an innovative mindset,” TSA Acting Administrator David Pekoske said.
The federalization of Newark Airport held special significance in thwarting possible future terrorist attacks and was extra meaningful to the region because on Sept. 11, 2001, terrorists hijacked United Flight 93 out of Newark, which crashed into a field in Shanksville, Pa., killing everyone on board. Flight 93, which was originally en route from Newark to San Francisco, departed from Newark’s Terminal A on that fateful day.
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey partnered with the pioneers of the young TSA to host TSA and allow officials to test the new policies and procedures as plans for the wider federalization of airports across the country took shape.
“From our initial federalization as a TSA airport on August 13, 2002, until the present moment, the TSA team here at Newark Liberty has been executing our mission successfully, and in recognition and honor of the passengers and crew of United Flight 93,” said Thomas Carter, TSA’s Federal Security Director for New Jersey.
“On that terrible day, the passengers and crew decided to fight the hijackers to ensure another building was not targeted, resulting in the loss of even more innocent lives. Those passengers were the very first individuals who stood up to the evil of 9/11 and with their actions declare: ‘Enough!’ We strive to press that sentiment forward and we come to work each and every day, with that same mindset – never again,” he said.
In the intervening years since launching, TSA has developed and implemented strong security procedures, built a well-trained and highly skilled professional workforce, and introduced a wide array of state-of-the-art technologies to screen passengers, baggage and cargo.
“We are a team of dedicated professionals focused on our mission to ensure that travelers get to their destinations safely. During the past 20 years, we have met and overcome numerous challenges from the initial start-up to making substantial and routine enhancements to our security operating posture and procedures in order to make the adjustments necessary to address the evolving threats of our adversaries,” Carter continued. “We have worked through government shut downs, hurricanes and now a pandemic. We have persevered through the past two decades and still continue to execute our mission effectively and efficiently. It’s awesome!”
Carter pointed out that the Newark team’s “dedication and perseverance is furthered by the fact that we have 225 employees who have been here at Newark every single day for the last 20 years – our entire existence. They are our rocks, our leaders, who serve as mentors to our new folks, many of whom were too young to remember the horrific events of 9/11.”
Guided by an intelligence-based approach, today TSA is at the forefront of security technology and innovation. Technologies such as computed tomography, credential authentication technology and advanced imaging technology have greatly improved TSA’s detection and identity verification capabilities in ways the initial group of TSA employees could have only imagined 20 years ago.
The airport’s name was changed from Newark International Airport to Newark Liberty International Airport in 2002 to pay tribute to the victims of the September 11 attacks and to the Statue of Liberty, which is located only a few miles from the airport.