United Airlines scrapped a “9/11 memorial tribute” that would have seen a Boeing 777 fly low over Denver accompanied by a squadron of F-16s after it was ripped for being possibly “the worst memorial idea anyone has ever planned.”
The air display was meant to evoke the harrowing scenes on Sept. 11, 2001, when fighter jets were scrambled to intercept hijacked aircraft in US airspace, and was scheduled for 9:03 a.m., the precise minute terrorists crashed United Airlines Flight 175 into the South Tower of the World Trade Center.
Two of the hijacked jets were United ones, including Flight 93, which crashed in a field in Shanksville, Penn. after passengers coordinated to rush the terrorists, forcing them to bring down the plane before it could be flown into another building.
The Denver Office of Emergency Management announced the flyover plans on Tuesday, describing it as “intended to honor and remember the lives lost on September 11, 2001” in a post on X.
“As part of a 9/11 memorial tribute, United Airlines will conduct a planned flyover over Denver featuring a Boeing 777 accompanied by F-16 aircraft from Buckley Space Force Base,” the announcement read.
The office assured residents “there is no emergency” — but warned the flyover could be “highly visible from parts of Denver, noticeable by sound, more noticeable than a typical aircraft overhead, and brief, but surprising if you aren’t aware it’s planned.”
The reactions on social media were swift and condemning, with many wondering how the idea came to pass in the first place.
“Who thought this was a good idea?” one incredulous X user wondered.
“This has to be one of the most tone-deaf stunts ever,” said another.
Others called it “horribly poor taste” and “totally unnecessary and wasteful,” saying the plan “might be the worst memorial idea anyone has ever planned.”
A day after it was announced, the Denver OEM announced the flyover had been canceled.
“United has canceled its planned 9/11 memorial aircraft flyover in Denver following concerns raised by members of the community,” the office wrote on X.
“There will be no aircraft flyover associated with the memorial events on Friday, Sept. 11. We appreciate everyone who shared questions and concerns with us as we worked with United and our public safety partners to keep the community informed.”
United Airlines did not respond to a request for comment.
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