One of the biggest differences between pre and post 9/11 flying is that never again will passengers on airliners sit helplessly and watch a hijacking take place. Now that folks know what these evil men are willing to do, they will try to stop them as soon as any hijacking intention is announced. Because of security procedures, we have a reasonable degree of trust that no explosives can be brought on board a plane, so that if someone says they have a bomb, it's likely they're lying to try to keep everyone compliant. Either way, since the outcome would likely be the same, bomb or no, if the passengers don't fight back, I believe that they will fight to subdue anyone attempting a hijacking.
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