Head of Logan Intl Airport During 9/11 Attack Discusses the Tragic Day & How She Rebuilt Her Life
Virginia Buckingham, who ran Boston's Logan Airport on 9/11, recounts the confusing morning two hijacked flights departed from her airport, being blamed and forced to resign, and a different way of thinking about resilience.
About This Episode
Everyone remembers where they were on September 11, 2001, a day that forever changed the fabric of our country. On that fateful morning, Virginia Buckingham was working as the head of Boston Logan International Airport — the departure site for the airliners that slammed into the Twin Towers. In this powerful installment of Open Mike Podcast, Virginia recalls managing the surreal events of that day, dealing with the sociopolitical fallout of unfairly being blamed for the attacks, and rebuilding her life after being scapegoated for unthinkable tragedy.
Show Notes
- Virginia’s bio
- Welcoming Virginia Buckingham to the show!
- Everyone remembers where they were on 9/11. Where were you on that day?
- When did you realize that two planes had left Boston Logan International Airport and were “down?”
- Can you take us through the chaos of that day?
- At some point in time after 9/11, there was some blame directed your way… ten men got through your security — did they have weapons on them?
- The checkpoints at that time were overseen by airlines and security independent securities, not the airport operators
- Was there anything wrong with the hijackers’ passports or other red flags that should have been detected?
- No one contemplated, before 9/11, that anyone would use a massive airliner as a weapon?
- Virginia was forced to resign six weeks later due to a public poll in which 40% of people thought she should be fired
- Virginia’s book On My Watch, explores how she put her life together after being the focus of national vitriol
- You’re forced to resign, and three years later, the 9/11 Commission Report comes out and probes questions about security the other airports involved. What were the other airports, and what did the report say about their security?
- Fast forward nineteen years… how do you feel today?
- You talk about setbacks and your book is very inspiring for those experiencing them…
- When did the hijackers who went through Logan buy their airline tickets and through what method?
- Were any of the hijackers on any watch lists at that point?
- Are we safer flying now than we were on September 11, 2001?
- Blame is a destructive force in our culture
- In hindsight, could anything have been done to prevent this?
- The hijackers took flight lessons before their attacks — is that regulated now?
- Was it hard to relive this when writing On My Watch, or was it a cathartic experience?
- What is the core message of the book?
- You mention that we can take lessons learned from 9/11 and apply them to the COVID-19 pandemic — can you elaborate?
- You’re an inspiration for those fighting against adversity. Do you have any final thoughts for our audience?
- Thank you to our guest, Virginia Buckingham. Her book, On My Watch, is available on all platforms
- Thanks for tuning in to Open Mike!
FAQs
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What happened at Logan Airport on the morning of September 11, 2001?
Virginia Buckingham said she was driving in, listening on the radio as the second plane hit, when she got a call from her office at Logan saying “two planes are off the radar.” On a very confusing morning of conflicting reports, it was several hours before they knew for sure; ultimately they learned about United 175 and American 11. Her team opened an emergency operations center and a family assistance center, closed the airport and cleared thousands of passengers from the terminals.
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Why was Virginia Buckingham blamed and forced to resign after 9/11?
Buckingham said questions quickly arose about whether something specific about Logan allowed the attacks, which made little logical sense since it happened at two other major airports at the same time. She said she “became an easy answer to a very complicated question” as a political appointee who was younger and a woman. She was forced to resign six weeks later, after a public poll found almost 40% of the public thought she should be fired.
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What did the 9/11 Commission conclude about Logan's airport security?
Buckingham said she asked the commission’s investigators to say so if they found Logan’s security was no different than any other airport’s, for her and for the people who work at Logan. The very first footnote of the report said that Logan’s security at the checkpoints was no different than at other airports. She said she expected that to be a huge relief, but it wasn’t.
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What is the message of Virginia Buckingham's book On My Watch?
Buckingham said that beyond the destructiveness of blame, the book is about a different way of thinking about resilience. She uses the metaphor of sea glass, which comes from a bottle broken apart over many years by sand, salt and waves and becomes something completely different, yet still of value and capable of bringing meaning and joy to others; you carry your brokenness and your joy side by side to build a new life.
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Are airports safer today than they were on September 11, 2001?
Buckingham said yes, noting that she has been out of the aviation industry for 19 years and would not claim to be an expert on it now. She pointed to changes in security, including TSA agents at checkpoints and cockpit doors that stay shut and won’t open for anything, and said disrupting terrorists where they live before they get organized has clearly made a difference.
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