Airline Industry Information: Number of aircraft hijacked, crashed into US landmarks: Large loss of life and widespread damage reported

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Number of aircraft hijacked, crashed into US landmarks: Large loss of life and widespread damage reported

The United States of America has been rocked by a series of terrorist attacks involving commercial aircraft.

Two aircraft have crashed into the World Trade Center in New York City, one aircraft and a helicopter have crashed into the Pentagon in Washington DC, one aircraft has crashed into a town in the Pittsburgh area and reports say that a further aircraft is en route to Washington DC to an as-yet-unidentified target.

American Airlines has confirmed that it has lost two aircraft - a Boeing 737 and a Boeing 767 - with 156 passengers and an undetermined number of crew on board so far. One aircraft was AA flight 11 from Boston to Los Angeles. The other aircraft and route plans are not immediately known.

So far the situation seems to be confined to the United States although a number of key commercial buildings, embassies and government facilities around the world have been closed as a precaution. So far there is nothing to suggest that the attacks are likely to spread around the world but this scenario cannot be ruled out.

New information is flowing in all of the time with many reports appearing to be confused, in part due to the rapidly changing situation.

All US domestic airports have been closed with new movements cancelled due to the uncertain circumstance. It is understood so far that aircraft inbound to the USA are being diverted wherever possible to alternative airports outside of the country. Some flights have turned around en route to the United States and returned to their original destination.

United Airlines has cancelled all of its worldwide flight movements and other US carriers are expected to follow suit.

Reports suggest that Canada is also closing its borders to inbound air traffic.

A host of other terrorist incidents including a car bomb exploding outside the State Department in Washington are being reported.

The twin towers of the World Trade Center have been destroyed by the aircraft crashes and a significant proportion of the Pentagon has been damaged. No figures have been released, or even calculated, of the number of people killed and injured through the incidences. Rudolph Giuliani, mayor of New York, has said that a tremendous number of lives have been lost in the New York incidents alone. Reports indicate widespread panic during evacuations and people have been jumping to their death from high-rise buildings affected.

(Note: AII will be updating this story throughout the evening)

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