On September 27, 2001 President Bush announced his administration's plans to improve security at U.S. airports and aboard the country's airliners. The proposals come in the wake of the September 11 Attack on America in which nearly 7,000 were killed when terrorists seized control of four aircraft; piloting two of them into the World Trade Center, one into the Pentagon, and crashing the final plane in a field in rural Pennsylvania.

Bush's plan calls for strengthened Federal oversight of airport security personnel, widely believed to be the weakest link in aviation security. However, the plan calls for airport security to remain in the control of the private sector, rather than a nationalization of airport security personnel. "The last thing we need is 27,000 more Federal employees at this juncture." said Rep. John Mica, R-Fla. However, Democratic congressional leaders indicate that they would prefer making airport security personnel employees of the Federal government.

Other Bush proposals include adding armed marshals to many domestic flights, better securing the cockpit door, and installing cameras that would allow pilots to monitor activity in the passenger cabin. Regarding the suggestion by the Air Line Pilots Association that all pilots should be permitted to carry firearms; "There may be better ways to do it than that, but I am open for any suggestion." said Bush.

The President announced the proposals in Chicago, where he encouraged Americans to get back to their normal routines and to not be fearful of aviation. "One of my concerns is that this terrible incident has convinced many Americans to stay at home. One of the keys to economic recovery is going to be the vitality of the airline industry." he said.