LUBBOCK, Texas (KCBD) – One of the biggest ways Sept. 11 changed daily life was in air travel. Immediately after the attacks, passengers were stranded during a nationwide ground stop, beginning changes in the way people fly that remain in effect today.<\/p>\n
RELATED: 25 years after 9\/11 attacks, TSA reflects on mission to protect and \u2018stay ahead\u2019 of threats<\/a><\/p>\n A routine day interrupted<\/p>\n Mark Earle said no day at an airport is routine, especially at a cargo hub like Lubbock.<\/p>\n \u201cI couldn\u2019t tell you anything about September 10th, it was a day in the life,\u201d Earle said.<\/p>\n Earle was the director of aviation for the Lubbock International Airport at the time. He said an entirely new set of problems began on Sept. 11, 2001, during his drive to work.<\/p>\n \u201cI was just turning to exit and I got a call on my cell phone from my wife. She was really animated and said, \u2018You wouldn\u2019t believe this, but an airplane\u2019s hit one of the World Trade Center towers,\u2019\u201d Earle said.<\/p>\n As soon as the second plane hit the South Tower, Earle and his staff tuned into the news and started working the problem.<\/p>\n \u201cGenerally it was a huge challenge ahead to adjust to protect against this and put the system back together again. We just started working through it,\u201d Earle said.<\/p>\n Lubbock\u2019s tarmac fills with grounded planes<\/p>\n A national ground stop forced Lubbock to line up aircraft along its tarmac. A timelapse from the Smithsonian shows how nearly 4,000 planes found a place to land in less than two hours, at various airports around this nation.<\/p>\n \u201cIt felt just that familiar feeling of \u2018this is horrible,\u2019 but you\u2019re focused on the things you need to do to fix the problem,\u201d Earle said.<\/p>\n Earle and his staff spent days at the airport without going home. Flights were halted for two days, and when the first one left, air travel had changed.<\/p>\n \u201cIt will affect the check-in process at the ticket counter, it will affect the screening checkpoint process, and how long it takes to get through that,\u201d Earle said in a 2001 interview, seen in KCBD archive video.<\/p>\n More forward to today, Earle recalls, \u201cboth the FAA security apparatus, congress, heavily involved — more involved than normal with day-to-day operations, everybody\u2019s just trying to solve problems.\u201d<\/p>\n New security protocols take shape<\/p>\n Over the next year, staff from Lubbock worked with industry groups and the government to establish new security protocols to prevent another tragedy, which would ultimately turn into the TSA and the Department of Homeland Security.<\/p>\n \u201cThe support and understanding that everybody gave from the public to the city council supporting what the airport did but especially the team members at Lubbock International Airport, they did a great job,\u201d Earle said.<\/p>\n While security policy and technology are evolving and changing, Lubbock helped give air travelers their confidence back in the wake of tragedy.<\/p>\n Related stories<\/p>\n Lubbock photographer recalls documenting 9\/11 from New York rooftop<\/a><\/p>\n 25 years after 9\/11: Rep. Arrington recalls attack from White House<\/a><\/p>\n Texas Tech Air Force ROTC, area first responders mark 25th anniversary of 9\/11 with memorial stair climb<\/a><\/p>\n Texas Tech orchestra honors 9\/11 with concert on 25th anniversary<\/a><\/p>\n