JOSE GALVEZ / ARIZONA DAILY STAR 1972 The first recorded airplane hijacking took place in May 1930, but it wasn't until the late 1960s that the number of hijackings really started to increase. It was time to implement security measures at airports. In those early days, however, each airline apparently determined its own level of security. American Airlines had issued a company directive that all carry-on luggage be checked by security personnel. On Aug. 31, 1972, Hershell Smith, an American Airlines passenger service supervisor at Tucson International Airport, inspected an attaché case as passengers prepared to board a flight to Dallas. Trans World Airlines was soon going to require all passengers and carry-ons be screened. Some of the airlines only screened randomly. Magnetometers were used to detect weapons on passengers or in their luggage. There is no indication that any of the policies required passengers to take off their shoes.
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