We all remember that day nearly 14 years ago, when the U.S. was attacked, bringing down the Twin Towers in New York City. Friday night, Aug. 14, American Airlines Cargo had the honor of transporting a significant piece of 9/11 history, a metal beam from the World Trade Center’s foundation.
AA Cargo started the process Aug. 12, working closely with the Kennedy Space Center Fire Rescue and members represented by the Transport Workers Union (TWU) – International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, to begin the transport of the 2,000-pound beam. AA Cargo and a partner trucking company donated the transportation and their services to transport the artifact, which took a fully escorted journey from New York to South Florida. American’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) team refurbished a tug and dolly specifically to transport the beam and also created a special crate for its journey to Cape Canaveral.
Ground services transported the beam, housed in an American-flag-draped container, from the facility at JFK to Philadelphia, where it was carefully loaded onto a 767-300 bound for Miami. On Aug. 14, the beam successfully travelled to its final resting place at the Kennedy Space Center Fire Rescue 9/11 Memorial in Cape Canaveral.
The organizers held a formal ceremony at JFK as the beam was transferred from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey to American’s cargo facility.
“I am deeply moved by the many groups that came together in order to make the movement of this historical item possible,” said Korina Trinh, a cargo operations control analyst with AA Cargo, who coordinated the logistical elements. “I am grateful for the opportunity to be entrusted with coordinating the transportation of such an important part of our history. I had the utmost confidence in my colleagues and counterparts’ abilities to ensure this beam would arrive at its destination safely and with the honor, dignity and respect it deserves.”
A formal dedication of the piece at the memorial site is planned for Sept. 11.