(Washington, D.C., 9/11/2026) The Coalition of Airline Pilots Associations (CAPA), representing over 30,000 professional airline pilots, remembers the victims who lost their lives on 9/11/2001 and their families.
“On this day, we pay special tribute to our fellow crewmembers who fought and died on that day,” stated Captain Harvey Meek, CAPA President, “we honor them today by continuing to advocate on Capitol Hill for strong security programs, such as the Federal Flight Deck Officer Program (FFDO) and robust secondary barriers on commercial aircraft.”
FFDOs are the volunteer pilots trained to provide the last line of defense for our nation’s skies. FFDOs undergo rigorous training to become Deputized Federal Officers that provide an armed defense of the flight deck against acts of terrorism and any attempt to use a passenger or cargo aircraft as a weapon of mass destruction.
“For almost twenty-five years, FFDOs have covered millions of flights at virtually no cost to the government. As quiet professionals, FFDOs often use their vacation time, pay their own expenses, and expend extraordinary effort to ensure they stay current and qualified, all with no recognition or fanfare,” said Captain Bill Cason, Director of Security for CAPA who also serves as the President of the Federal Flight Deck Officers Association (FFDOA).
CAPA has also been a strong advocate for the installation of secondary barriers on all transport-category aircraft to help eliminate a vulnerability in flight when the hardened cockpit door must be opened temporarily for physiological reasons.
“While much has been done, make no mistake, aviation remains a crown jewel target for terrorism,” said Meek, “we call on Congress to fully fund the FFDO program and ensure every airliner flying today has an installed secondary barrier.”
