Indy Airport Commemorates 21st Anniversary of 9/11
Event commemorates the men and women who lost their lives in terrorist attacks
INDIANAPOLIS (Sept. 11, 2022) – The Indianapolis Airport Authority hosted its annual Patriots Day ceremony at the Indianapolis International Airport (IND) to commemorate the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States. The ceremony honored the nearly 3,000 men and women who lost their lives this day 21 years ago.
IAA first responders and local officials from the Transportation Security Administration participated in today’s annual ceremony to remember victims and first responders who lost their lives at the World Trade Center in New York, the Pentagon in Washington D.C., and United Flight 93 over Pennsylvania.
“While it’s been more than two decades since that fateful day, we unite each year here at the Indianapolis International Airport to remember and honor those who perished, and acknowledge the strength through unity that has enabled us to endure the decades as a community and a nation,” said IAA Executive Director Mario Rodriguez.
A piece of the World Trade Center steel recovered from Ground Zero, measuring approximately 12” x 12” x 6” and weighing about 40 pounds, was placed on display in Civic Plaza for the day.
“For the past 21 years, we have met here to honor all those who perished and showed great bravery on that day,” said IAA Sr. Director of Operations and Public Safety Keith Berlen. “This ceremony is a promise in action that their memories and their sacrifices will never be forgotten.”
In 2011, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey presented the recovered steel to local Indianapolis public safety responders and IAA employees who assisted at the attack site in 2001. The artifact remains on display permanently at the Indy airport’s fire station 1 throughout the year.
“This isn’t just a mere piece of steel,” said IAA Fire Chief Fred Pervine. “It’s a symbol of the strength and resolve of the brave first responders who rushed into the jaws of danger at Ground Zero, and that their legacy lives on.”
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About the Indianapolis Airport Authority
The Indianapolis Airport Authority owns and operates Indiana’s largest airport system in the Indianapolis metropolitan area. In addition to the Indianapolis International Airport (IND), its facilities include the Downtown Heliport, Eagle Creek Airpark, Hendricks County Airport-Gordon Graham Field, Indianapolis Regional Airport and Metropolitan Airport. IND generates a $5.4 billion total annual economic impact for Central Indiana – without relying on state or local taxes to fund operations. More than 10,000 people work at the airport each day, and 22,600 area jobs have a connection to the airport. In 2021, IND served more than 7.1 million business and leisure travelers. IND is consistently ranked, year after year, as the best airport in North America and the nation, based on ease of use, passenger amenities, customer service, local retail offerings and public art.