the day travelling by plane changed forever
We woke up and switched on the TV as we got ready to go to the airport. BBC news was talking about something about airports and safety and we switched it off because we thought it was just a standard report. Little did we know that we were witnessing the way that flying internationally had changed!
Arriving at the airport, the check-in lines were out the door. There were people everywhere and we were still oblivious. We saw that all the flights out of Belfast airport had been cancelled and just wanted to make sure that our flight to Edinburgh was still scheduled. So far it was – but had been delayed. So finally we got to the front of the queue and told that we were NOT allowed to bring anything on the plane except our passports and wallets, nothing else at all! This is when we found out that there had been a terrorism threat on a transatlantic flight. And it was the day that travelling by plane changed forever: it was the birth of the RULING for 100mL maximum for liquids on flights.
As we waited in Belfast airport, we could see all these flights getting cancelled. And we starred in anticipation for the flight to Edinburgh. It didn’t seem to be cancelled, just getting pushed back so we browsed through the news stands and shops and completely lost track of time. Next thing we hear is the announcement that it is the last call for boarding for the flight to Edinburgh – then began the mad dash to the gate!
To think that we not only remembered when air travel changed but we actually experienced it from Day 1.
wise monkeys abroad 