NATCA Remembers September 11, 2001

Sep 11, 2025

Today marks the 24th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. NATCA remembers those who lost their lives that day and commends the aviation safety professionals that were on duty that day for their bravery and hard work.

It fills us with great pride to represent the men and women who handled such a terrible event seamlessly, professionally, and safely. After an unprecedented shutdown of the National Airspace System was ordered, our members across the country sprang into action to order every aircraft in their airspace to land immediately. Controllers guided 700 aircraft to land in the first four minutes, 2,800 in the first hour, and over 4,500 within the first three hours. Over a million passengers landed without incident.

There were no guidelines to go by, but on that day, the aviation professionals came together to ensure the trust that the public places in us every day was safeguarded. By remembering this anniversary, we are reminded that we must remain committed to our duty of protecting the National Airspace System.

We invite you to read accounts from our members of what it was like working as an air traffic controller during this time.