New York (CNN) -- A judge ruled Thursday that the World Trade Center's developers cannot collect billions in damages from companies whose planes were commandeered in the September 11 terrorist attacks. World Trade Center Properties, or WTCP, first sued United Airlines, American Airlines and other aviation companies in 2004, claiming their negligence resulted in the 9/11 terrorist attacks that destroyed the World Trade Center towers. U.S. District Judge Alvin Hellerstein agreed with the airlines, who argued the developers were in essence trying to "double dip" by getting money from the airlines after collecting from their insurance policies. Last month, Hellerstein -- who frequently hears cases related to 9/11-- denied a motion by the airlines to have the case dismissed based on the $4.9 billion in insurance payouts to WTCP since 2001.
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The judge says the World Trade Center developers were trying to "double dip"
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The developers had sought damages from the airlines involved in 9/11
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The airlines argued insurance payments had already covered the losses
In the complaint, @placeholder claimed that the aircraft lacked proper cockpit doors that would have prevented unauthorized people from entering, as well as an alarm system that would have notified the government of such events.
In court, the aviation defendants argued that insurance payments were made to compensate @placeholder for economic loss after the destruction of the towers and that the same economic loss is what the WTCP was seeking damages for, thereby making their claims invalid.