Fly the Friendly Skies

September 10, 2026

I saw the first reports of this late yesterday afternoon and followed up this morning.

To commemorate the attacks of September 11, 2001, United Airlines was planning events for its employees in Colorado, where it has a hub and a training center. That’s fine. However, United, in its infinite wisdom, decided that these events should include a flyover using a Boeing 777 passenger jet with four—count ’em, four—fighter jets.

According to a report by Kyle Clark of 9NEWS (KUSA) in Denver, United informed Denver’s Office of Emergency Management (OEM) of its plans last week. The OEM then notified emergency agencies including Denver Police, Fire, and EMS, concerned that they would be inundated with calls to 911 about a possible hijacked airplane. Even Denver Parks and Rec staff were “briefed in case the public began to gather in open spaces,” according to Clark’s report. The OEM also contacted the City of Aurora and the State of Colorado to give them a heads up. And of course, the OEM tried to warn the public via social media and other means.

As the devil is in the details, here, from Clark’s report, is what the details entail:

On Tuesday, Denver OEM sent news outlets a document that appeared to be a United Airlines press release about the flyover.

It said the United Boeing 777 would be “followed by four F-16s in formation from the 120th Fighter Squadron.”

The release said the 777 would depart Denver International Airport at 8:15 a.m. and would, along with the fighter jets, fly over United’s Flight Training Center at Quebec Street and 35th Avenue, roughly 13 miles away, at 9:03 a.m.

The release said all aircraft would return to their respective bases by 9:30 a.m. It did not specify where else in the metro area they would fly during the 75‑minute flyover.

[United spokesperson Russell Carlton] declined to provide details on the flyover’s expected path, noting that it could change due to “weather or lots of things.”

“Weather or lots of things”? As if that line wasn’t enough, check this out:

When asked by 9NEWS if United had considered the public’s reaction to seeing a passenger plane escorted by fighter jets on 9/11, Carlton said the flyover was planned as part of a private remembrance ceremony for United employees that is not open to the public.

It doesn’t matter whether the ceremony is “open to the public” or not. The sky is open to the public. Did United think that no one would notice the flyover, that no one would see or hear those fighter jets? Or did they think they could just close off part of the sky for their “private remembrance ceremony”? And 75 minutes? That’s one heck of a long “flyover.”

And that’s not all. United would not disclose how low the planes would be flying over downtown Denver. Mike Johnston, Mayor of Denver, said, “We were informed by United they were doing this,
not asked.”

And about those fighter jets: if this was a private event, how is it that government property (fighter jets) and employees (pilots) were involved? From Clark’s report: In response to a question from 9NEWS after the story was published Wednesday, Colorado Air National Guard spokesperson Chance Johnson said the military jet approval was still being “reviewed at the state level.” Hmmm.

Not long after Clark’s report broke, United canceled the flyover “due to concerns in the community.” Seriously? It didn’t occur to them as they were planning it that this flyover might raise “concerns” or maybe even a stronger reaction in the community?

And these people are running a major commercial airline that serves the public. Fly the friendly skies.


9NEWS report and video: https://www.9news.com/article/news/local/denver-warns-public-911-flyover-passenger-plane-escorted-by-fighter-jets/73-2fadacc3-82ee-4e95-a826-0845c23a07b3