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America's New War: Domestic Air Travel Starts Up Again Across the Country

Aired September 14, 2001 - 18:36   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Wolf Blitzer in Washington. Here's a look at the latest developments at this hour: President Bush has visited the incredible ruins of the World Trade Center in New York. Surrounded by scores of rescuers and volunteers, Mr. Bush vowed that those responsible for Tuesday's attacks, quote, "will hear from us soon." In return, he was greeted with thunderous cheers of "USA! USA!"

The Justice Department in Washington identified 19 men suspected of hijacking those four planes on Tuesday. All are linked to the accused terrorist Osama bin Laden. Bin Laden is believed to be in Afghanistan where the United States says he runs this terrorist operation.

The U.S. Senate, followed by the House of Representatives, has approved $40 billion in emergency spending to wage war on terrorism and aid victims of Tuesday's attacks. President Bush also authorized the call-up of some 50,000 military reservists for, quote, "homeland defense" -- Joie.

JOIE CHEN, CNN ANCHOR: Wolf, let's continue now. Look at this hour, this is a live picture of Lower Manhattan. If you can look from mid-downtown to Lower Manhattan, this is what you would see at this hour. Look a little bit closer at what is still smoldering, the ruins of the World Trade Center. Already, rescuers have removed 10,000-plus tons of debris, from the big crater left of the World Trade Center.

Thousands of people involved in rescue and support, you see them working away desperately in their efforts at this hour, and at this hour there remain 4,763 people still missing, still not accounted for. And so, the work does go on in New York City.

Also at this hour, the airports in this nation are getting back in place, getting back and putting more planes in the sky. CNN's Maria Hinojosa is at one of them now. Maria, talk to us about the scene that you seeing at La Guardia at this hour?

MARIA HINOJOSA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Joie, it's been yet another frustrating day here at La Guardia Airport. First of all, the airport has been officially open since this morning, but here at the American Airlines terminal, you can see that the gate down there is closed. And over here at the ticket counters, just a few people, no lines at all. Beyond that, at ATA terminal, there is a flight that I've just been told will be departing for Chicago, but again at the American Airlines information about flights, everything pretty much is saying canceled, canceled, canceled, canceled.

Now, at about 11:20 today, the official ban on takeoffs and arrivals was lifted. But the first plane did not take off here until good news, 4:30 more or less here at La Guardia, when the first plane started taking off. There have been sporadic takeoff and arrivals since then, mostly United and Continental flights.

Now, here in the airport, though, things are really far from normal. You see, you hear no announcement, there is nothing of those loudspeakers making announcements of when planes are going to be taking off or not. You see a lot more presence of U.S. Marshals and of police, armed customs officials, for example. But even so, given the fact that people have been stranded here for three to four days now, the mood among many of the people has been very calm. Of course, that's tempered with the fact they have just, as all of us here, suffered through an extraordinary tragedy.

So, many people are saying the fact that we are here, that we can't take off for another couple of days, we are alive, and that's what most important. In terms of pilots, there are discussions among the Airline Pilots Association to perhaps revamp regulations, perhaps fortifying cockpit doors, perhaps allowing pilots to carry firearms or stunt guns. So, while things have clearly changed on land, things will also change in the air -- Joie.

CHEN: CNN's Maria Hinojosa at La Guardia. Now, we move back to Wolf in Washington.

BLITZER: Thank you very much, Joie. Our Patty Davis has been checking in to see what's happening with the aviation industry. First of all, Patty, tell us what we know about those voice and flight data recorders that were recovered from that American Airlines jet that slammed into the Pentagon Tuesday morning.

PATTY DAVIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, the National Transportation Safety Board has analyzed those, it was given those last night in conjunction with the FBI and the Justice Department. Justice Department official tells CNN that the voice recorder on that American Airlines flight that smashed into the Pentagon was indeed the tape on that was indeed damaged. Not sure how useful that will be to the investigation.

Now, overall, though, they're hoping to get some useful information. They still have the flight data recorders that they will get information from -- Wolf.

BLITZER: And what about the damage, the incredible damage that's being done to the U.S. airline industry as a whole? What's happening on that front, and what's the government planning on doing about it?

DAVIS: Well, Congress is looking at a $2.5 billion bail-out of the airline industry, really unprecedented for the airline industry. The industry itself is saying that it expects to lose worldwide about $4 billion because of the incidents this week in New York and Washington. That's on top of $6 billion because of the poor economy that the industry was already facing in losses -- 10 billion total there. American Airlines, one spokesman telling me today that that certainly will help -- the funds will help the airlines weather the latest crisis.

Now, overall about 2,000 airlines, according to the FAA -- 2,000 flights were in the air today by mid-day. That's about half, 40 to 50 percent, of what's normal. In terms of American Airlines, they said they were operating at about 30 percent of normal schedule, including international flights. They gradually will go up to 80 percent of their schedule. United, 20 percent of normal schedule, and Delta domestic flights they're just saying simply will gradually resume.

Now, as of 4:00, the news from the Department of Transportation was that general aviation, which had been restricted, is now allowed to get back into the air. But there are certain restrictions on that. They cannot fly within 25 miles of Washington, D.C., or New York. Now, overseas carriers as well allowed to get back into the air. The FAA saying that indeed they're allowed, as long as they meet all the extra security precautions that have been implemented by the FAA, as well as the airports that they're flying from.

Now, in terms of airports that are still closed, Washington, Reagan is still closed, at least today and tomorrow, until further notice is what that airport is saying. Boston Logan also closed at this point, but Massport, the port authority there in Massachusetts saying that that airport plans to open as of 5:00 a.m.

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