WASHINGTON, D.C. — Federal transportation officials urged more vigilance on airplanes, at airports, on trains and along waterways on Wednesday, a day when more people than usual plan to stay close to home, the Associated Press reported.
Some travelers had already delayed their travel plans even before the threat level was raised to code orange, which signals a “high risk” of attack.
Airlines cut their domestic flights by 13 percent on Sept. 11 from the previous Wednesday, according to OAG Worldwide, a company that provides flight information. There were 15 percent, or 332,307, fewer domestic seats sold for the anniversary of the terrorist attacks than for a week ago, OAG said.
David Stempler, president of the Air Travelers Association, said some people decided not to fly on Sept. 11 because they feared a terrorist attack or wanted to avoid security hassles.
“Some people just felt it was a bad time to be traveling, because it should be a day of remembrance,” he said.
Flight restrictions will coincide with public ceremonies at the three Sept. 11 crash sites in New York, Virginia and Pennsylvania. The Federal Aviation Administration is also coordinating closely with the military and the North American Aerospace Defense Command to monitor airspace, said Leonardo Alcivar, a transportation department spokesman.
“This is all being done out of an abundance of caution,” Alcivar said. “There’s no specific threat within the United States.”
The Coast Guard will be more visible at ports and waterways with increased patrols and inspections, he said.
All federal air marshals are either on flights or getting on flights, said Robert Johnson, Transportation Security Administration spokesman. The federal air marshal program, which had 33 marshals active on Sept. 11, has expanded significantly since then, but transportation officials won’t say by how much.
Newly hired federal security directors told rank-and-file workers, including passenger screeners and law enforcement officials, to be alert and to look out for anything out of the ordinary, Johnson said. All airports have been notified of the heightened alert, but won’t tell the public what security precautions are being taken, he said.
The TSA since last year hired 158 federal security directors to act as a single point of contact for security for commercial airports. Some have responsibilities for more than one airport, and all airports have been notified of the heightened alert, Johnson said.
Alcivar said federal highway and transit officials are urging state and local transit agencies to increase law enforcement visibility, if it’s appropriate. Many will choose to take precautions according to their local needs, such as posting a police officer under an interstate highway bridge, he said.
Amtrak, the national passenger railroad, will put additional police officers in train stations and on platforms, spokeswoman Karina Van Veen said. She said other enhanced security measures will not be disclosed to the public.
Amtrak had announced plans to enforce tighter identification requirements – including random ID checks of passengers on trains – beginning Tuesday. But a spokesman said that plan was announced prematurely and is still under consideration.
People are only avoiding travel on the anniversary itself, shifting their plans to other days this week, said Terri Shank, spokeswoman for Orbitz, the Chicago-based travel Web site. Only 9 percent of this week’s air travel booked on Orbitz will take place on Wednesday, she said. Wednesdays usually account for 12 percent of a week’s air travel.