Closings and Cancellations Following The September 11 Attacks - Travel Effects

Travel Effects

For at least a full day after the attacks, bridges and tunnels to Manhattan were closed to non-emergency traffic in both directions. Among other things, this interrupted scheduled deliveries of food and other perishables, leading to shortages in restaurants.

With the unprecedented implementation of Security Control of Air Traffic and Air Navigation Aids (SCATANA) plan, all civilian airplane traffic in the United States and Canada was grounded until September 13, 2001. All non-military flights needed specific approval from President Bush and FAA. There were only a few dozen private aircraft which received the approval in that time period. United Airlines cancelled all flights worldwide temporarily. First, the stranded planes were allowed to go to their intended destinations, then limited service resumed. All incoming international flights were diverted to Canada in Operation Yellow Ribbon. Some of the international flights that departed from South America were diverted to Mexico as well, however, its airspace was not shut down. On Thursday night, the New York area airports (JFK, LaGuardia, and Newark) were closed again and reopened the next morning. The only traffic from LaGuardia during the closure was a single C-9C government VIP jet, departing at approximately 5:15 p.m. on the 12th.

Civilian air traffic over central London was rerouted around the city's airspace and all flights to the United States and Canada were suspended.

Much of Lower Manhattan below Canal Street was closed to pedestrians after the attacks. From September 27, 2001, one-occupant cars were banned from crossing into Lower Manhattan from Midtown on weekday mornings in an effort to relieve some of the crush of traffic in the city (the morning rush hour lasts from 5:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.), caused largely by the increased security measures put in place.