United Cancels Planned 9/11 Flyover

The Denver tribute would have paired a Boeing 777 with four F-16s on the 25th anniversary of the attacks.

United Cancels Planned 9/11 Flyover
[Credit: KITTIKUN YOKSAP | Shutterstock]
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Key Takeaways:

  • United Airlines canceled its planned Sept. 11 memorial flyover over Denver, intended for a private employee remembrance of the 25th anniversary.
  • The cancellation was due to "concerns in the community" that the highly visible and audible formation could be mistaken for an emergency.
  • Despite the flyover cancellation, other United Airlines memorial events, including a World Trade Center steel monument unveiling and moments of silence, will still proceed.
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United Airlines has canceled a planned Sept. 11 memorial flyover over Denver that would have featured a Boeing 777 escorted by four Colorado Air National Guard F-16s. The airline said it suspended the plan because of “concerns in the community,” according to the Denver Gazette.

The formation was expected to fly over United’s Flight Training Center as part of a private employee remembrance marking the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks. The flyover was planned for around 9:03 a.m., corresponding with the time United Flight 175 struck the South Tower of the World Trade Center.

Denver’s Office of Emergency Management had issued advance notice because the formation would be highly visible and audible, and officials were preparing emergency dispatchers for calls from residents who might mistake it for an emergency.

Other United memorial events will continue. The airline plans to unveil a 9-foot-11-inch monument at its Denver training center made from World Trade Center steel and dedicated to the crews of United Flights 175 and 93. United and American Airlines employees also plan moments of silence at Denver International Airport.

Matt Ryan

Matt is AVweb's lead editor. His eyes have been turned to the sky for as long as he can remember. Now a fixed-wing pilot, instructor and aviation writer, Matt also leads and teaches a high school aviation program in the Dallas area. Beyond his lifelong obsession with aviation, Matt loves to travel and has lived in Greece, Czechia and Germany for studies and for work.
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