Free Talk Live

American Airlines and United Continental must face trial over a lawsuit in which the lease holders of the World Trade Center allege that lax security allowed hijackers to destroy the Twin Towers on September 11, 2001.

Federal Judge Alvin Hellerstein in New York on Tuesday rejected a motion by American and United to have World Trade Center Properties' suit seeking compensation thrown out.

The "defendants' motion is denied," the judge ruled, court papers show. "The overlap between WTCP's insurance recovery and its potential tort recovery presents issues of fact requiring trial."