United Airlines has canceled a planned Sept. 11 memorial flyover over Denver that would have featured a Boeing 777 escorted by four Colorado Air National Guard F-16s. The airline said it suspended the plan because of “concerns in the community,” according to the Denver Gazette.
The formation was expected to fly over United’s Flight Training Center as part of a private employee remembrance marking the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks. The flyover was planned for around 9:03 a.m., corresponding with the time United Flight 175 struck the South Tower of the World Trade Center.
Denver’s Office of Emergency Management had issued advance notice because the formation would be highly visible and audible, and officials were preparing emergency dispatchers for calls from residents who might mistake it for an emergency.
Other United memorial events will continue. The airline plans to unveil a 9-foot-11-inch monument at its Denver training center made from World Trade Center steel and dedicated to the crews of United Flights 175 and 93. United and American Airlines employees also plan moments of silence at Denver International Airport.
