September 13, 2001 Posted: 1:09 PM EDT (1709 GMT)
Passengers trickled into New York's LaGuardia airport Thursday morning. Federal officials have allowed New York's airports to reopen on a "limited basis."
(CNN) -- United States airlines and airports were set to begin resuming operations Thursday after the nation’s airspace was reopened to commercial air traffic.
Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta allowed the reopening of most airports at 11 a.m. but cautioned that the system would start up gradually.
“A system as diverse and complex as ours cannot be brought up instantly, and so we will be reopening airports, and airlines will be resuming their flights, as they meet the new security measures that we are now imposing,” he said.
Those measures include a ban on all knives, the elimination of curbside and off-airport check-ins, the use of federal air marshals, and a prohibition of all but ticketed passengers beyond airport metal detectors. Passengers also will be required to go to ticket counters to check in.
“We experienced an unprecedented assault on our commercial aviation system and in times such as these we will use all available resources to ensure the safety of our travelers,” Mineta said.
Travelers were encouraged to contact airlines to determine when or whether their flights would operate on schedule and to prepare for delays at the airports.
“Anyone planning on flying today or not even today but henceforth should check with their airlines regarding the level of service and flights schedules and especially be able to allow plenty of time to deal with the heightened security precautions,” Mineta said.
Several airlines said they would offer only limited schedules Thursday.
United Airlines said it did not expect to begin operating any scheduled flights until 7 p.m. EDT Thursday. It said it already had completed two of its diverted international flights Thursday morning, and that it would continue completing flights diverted September 11 throughout the day.
Delta Air Lines said it would begin very limited operations at noon EDT Thursday, noting its first priority would be returning flights that were diverted Tuesday to Canada and elsewhere.
American Airlines said it expected to complete 153 flights that were diverted. At least one flight had already reached its destination, from Canada to Dallas, Texas.
Continental Airlines said it was suspending its regular schedule for Thursday, but will fly its diverted flights. Continental officials also said they may add at least one flight to accommodate their passengers.
Northwest Airlines said that regardless of airports' status, its flights would not resume until 6 p.m. Central time.
Earlier Thursday, all three New York airports -- LaGuardia, Kennedy and Newark -- reopened on a limited basis, New York Port Authority spokesman Steve Coleman said. He gave no indication how many flights would be allowed in and out of New York.
Washington, D.C., decided to keep Reagan Washington National Airport closed. Washington Metropolitan Airport Authority released a statement saying that facilities at Dulles are open, but the airlines will not be ticketing passengers.
Among many that opened was Atlanta's Hartsfield International Airport, the world's busiest.
"We want to stress that things will move slowly," Benjamin DeCosta, Hartsfield's general manager, told CNN. "We have new security procedures in place and we want people to bring with them their confirmed reservations, tickets, and their patience."
All U.S. flights were grounded for the first time in history, after Tuesday's terrorist hijackings and plane crashes.