September 11 flight restrictions overturned
The US government has overturned a Pentagon plan to restrict foreign flights in New York and Washington on September 11 after deciding it would break international agreements.
The ban would have prevented foreign-owned airlines from flying over, into or out of the New York area for 10 hours on the anniversary of the terrorist attacks.
The three Washington-area airports would have been closed to overseas airlines for two-and-a-half hours.
The restrictions would have also covered Shanksville, Pennsylvania, where a hijacked plane crashed on the day of the attacks.
Officials said the Pentagon had asked for the restrictions because of fears about its ability to defend the skies during commemorative ceremonies, including ones featuring President George Bush.
Intelligence agencies and the Secret Service were involved in the planning, officials said.
Airlines said the limits – the most severe since authorities reopened the skies on September 13 – would have disrupted flight schedules throughout the world, inconveniencing travellers for much of the week.
US officials concluded they would breach international air traffic agreements in which countries give reciprocal privileges to one another’s flights. Officials said the pacts prevent them from giving different treatment to domestic and foreign carriers.
