Hacker Newsnew | past | comments | ask | show | jobs | submitlogin

Plane hijacking was an every decade occurrence. So there there isn't enough data to say if they have made a difference yet (this is debatable, but there at least isn't enough data to have high confidence). That is before we get into confounders: the economy is different. The 9/11 hijacking changed the game so potential hijackers are less likely to try since passengers are no longer going to sit back expecting a free trip to Cuba. cockpits are not locked in flight, so a hijacker couldn't do anything even if they tried.

None of the TSA screening changes would have made a difference. The knifes the hijackers used were placed on the planes ahead of time (the old metal detectors would have found them). Checking IDs against a no-fly list could be done in many less intrusive ways.



This is well before TSA but plane hijacking used to be common occurrence: "Between 1968 and 1972, more than 130 American airplanes were hijacked. Sometimes there was more than one hijacking on the same day. "

https://www.vox.com/2016/3/29/11326472/hijacking-airplanes-e... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_aircraft_hijackings#19...




Consider applying for YC's Fall 2026 batch! Applications are open till July 27.

Guidelines | FAQ | Lists | API | Security | Legal | Apply to YC | Contact

Search: