Air Cargo Security: Screening Challenges and TSA Policy

Introduction: Air Cargo Security After 9/11

Since the events of September 11, 2001, airport security has been a critical national issue. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is responsible for ensuring the security of all modes of transportation, including cargo placed aboard aircraft, with a particular focus on passenger-carrying planes (TSA, n.d.). The TSA operates as part of the Department of Homeland Security. According to the latest information available, the TSA employs 620 Cargo Transportation Security Inspectors who are exclusively dedicated to the oversight of air cargo, 120 of whom are canine teams. The number of security inspectors and canine teams has increased significantly since 2006 (TSA, n.d.).

No one wants to see another tragedy. Terrorism continues to be a threat, and security measures must try to keep pace with the ever-changing strategies that terrorists employ. There has been much public debate about passenger screening, X-ray technology, and privacy rights. Passengers, however, do not represent the only possible avenue through which terrorists can accomplish their deadly missions. For this reason, air cargo security is also a priority for those working to keep people safe both in the sky and on the ground.

The Scale of Air Cargo and Screening Requirements

Millions of packages travel the world by airfreight every day ("How airline cargo is checked," 2010, p. 48). ABC News reported in late 2010 that nearly 32 billion pounds of cargo are flown into the United States annually (Harris, 2010). A package can take several routes before it is loaded onto a plane. Approximately one-third of U.S.-bound cargo travels on passenger flights, moving directly to the aircraft. While some companies pass screening responsibilities to air carriers, about 1,200 U.S. companies were certified, as of October 30, 2010, to conduct their own screenings under TSA oversight.

Whether cargo is transported within, into, or out of the United States, the majority of it — 84%, according to Time magazine — travels on all-cargo planes. For security reasons, the specific screening requirements are not publicly disclosed. Making this information available would provide potential terrorists with valuable knowledge they could use to circumvent security systems. Much of the world's airfreight is handled by third parties. The TSA has no authority over overseas carriers, some of whom do not consistently screen cargo. For those third-party handlers who do business in the United States, the TSA is pushing for the establishment of certified scanning facilities.

The Certified Cargo Screening Program (CCSP)

Beginning May 1, 2010, 75% of all air cargo on passenger planes in the United States was required to be screened under the TSA's then-new Certified Cargo Screening Program (CCSP). CCSP-certified facilities are required to maintain a multi-layered security program that abides by the standards set forth in the 9/11 Act (signed into law in 2007), ensuring chain of custody, strict access controls, designated security coordinators, verification of the credentials of key personnel, and regular TSA inspections.

The CCSP was a tremendous undertaking, and one that was not fully implemented on schedule. Time magazine reported in November 2010 that 80% of cargo placed on passenger planes was being screened ("How airline cargo is checked," 2010, p. 49). That represents significant progress toward ensuring cargo security, but 20% remained unscreened. The TSA had called for 100% screening by August 2010, a target that was not met. This shortfall represents a risk the nation continues to accept, because security is expensive in terms of the work-hours required for screenings and the time delays those screenings cause. The situation can ultimately be remedied only through the development of more effective and efficient screening techniques.

Charles Slepian, CEO of the Foreseeable Risk Analysis Center, has argued that it is essential for the nation to invest in the proper technology to do the job (Harris, 2010). Gamma-ray machines, which can see through steel and detect explosives, are expensive but necessary. According to ABC News correspondent Jeremy Hubbard, who cited an anonymous source, all the TSA agents and trained canines cannot "even scratch the surface" when it comes to checking air cargo for explosives (Harris, 2010). The question of who will bear the cost of protecting human life remains an unresolved practical challenge.

Conclusion: Intelligence, Technology, and the Road Ahead

The bomb shipped from Yemen to Britain in October 2010 was found based on a tip from an informant. That underscores the importance of intelligence, which is certainly not a replacement for technology but augments it. Banning the shipment of printer toner cartridges because a bomb was once concealed inside one does not address the root problem; once that tactic is discovered and countered, terrorists will find something else (Kravitz & Halsey, 2010). The challenge going forward will be to continue leveraging both intelligence and technological advances to stay several steps ahead of those who would do harm.

References

Beesley, A. (2010). Call for tighter security on air cargo worldwide. Irish Times, November 6, 2010.

Dutton, G. (2010). Industry braces for 100% air cargo screening. World Trade, 23(5), pp. 18–22.

Harris, D. (2010). Air cargo security. Good Morning America (ABC), October 31, 2010.

How airline cargo is checked. (2010). Time, 176(2), pp. 48–49.

Kravitz, D., & Halsey, A. (2010). U.S. tightening air cargo security. Washington Post, November 9, 2010. Retrieved from http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/11/08/AR2010110806574.html

Maynard, M. (n.d.). Passengers paying for pillows, snacks, even water. New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/16/business/worldbusiness/16iht-fees.4.15350801.html

Transportation Security Administration. (n.d.). Air cargo. Retrieved from http://www.tsa.gov/what_we_do/layers/aircargo/index.shtm