Twenty-five years ago, we made a promise as a profession and as a nation to Never Forget the day that changed our country and how we work forever.
Part of never forgetting is for those with no living memory and those born after September 11, 2001 to learn the significance of September 11, 2001 and the continuing legacy and resolve of those we lost.
On this 25th anniversary, a new generation will hear what we lost, and how people answered the call with bravery, compassion, unity, and service that still shape our country.
Flight Attendants did not inherit the role of aviation’s first responders. It was claimed in service, in training, and, on September 11, 2001, in the last minutes of lives given so others might have a chance.
A quarter century has passed. The calendar has moved, but our memory has not. Those of us who lived through it still know where we were, and we still know the names of those who never came home.
Our work asks us to meet people at their most vulnerable - when they are hopeful, frightened, impatient, or kind - and to stand as a calm, guiding force when crisis strikes.That trust is a genuine privilege, and so is the responsibility that comes with it.
We fly because people trust us to get them through the hours between departure and arrival. On September 11th, that trust was answered with courage no one should ever have been asked to give.
The terrorist attacks were meant to scatter and divide us, but it didn’t work. Instead, we stand together, we carry their names, and we don’t allow hate to win.
Our mission is to continue shining a light even in the darkest of times and to snuff out the ignorance and hate that can divide us.
Today and every day, we honor the courage and conviction of the heroes of September 11th.
Please join us for a moment of silence and quiet reflection today at 8:46 a.m. Eastern Time, when the first of four planes filled with passengers and crew, Flight 11, struck the North Tower of the World Trade Center.
8:46 a.m. North Tower- American Flight 11: Barbara Arestegui, Jeffrey Collman, Sara Low, Karen Martin, Kathleen Nicosia, Betty Ong, Jean Roger, Madeline Sweeney, Dianne Snyder, Captain: John Ogonowski, First Officer: Thomas McGuinness, Customer Service Representative: Renee Newell
9:03 a.m. South Tower - United Flight 175: Robert J. Fangman, Amy N. Jarret, Amy R. King, Kathryn LaBorie, Alfred G. Marchand, Michael C. Tarrou, Alicia N. Titus, Captain: Victor Saracini, First Officer: Michael Horrocks, Customer Service Representatives: Marianne MacFarlane and Jesus Sanchez
9:37 a.m. Pentagon - American Flight 77: Michele Heidenberger, Jennifer Lewis, Kenneth Lewis, Renee May, Captain: Charles Burlingame, First Officer: David Charlebois
10:03 a.m. Shanksville, PA - United Flight 93: Lorraine G. Bay, Sandra Bradshaw, Wanda A. Green, CeeCee Lyles, Deborah Welsh, Captain: Jason Dahl, First Officer: Leroy Homer
