Air Cargo Security: Threats, Screening Methods Explained

Introduction

The air cargo industry has experienced tremendous growth since inception due to various factors in the aviation industry, particularly in the freight sector. The growth and development of this industry is evident in its current significance to the freight sector. Moreover, the industry currently accounts for substantial profitability in the freight sector because of increased shipping of various packages across the globe. This increased shipping is fueled by the growing interconnectedness of people and countries driven by rapid technological advancement.

However, the industry has faced tremendous challenges in relation to security because of the rise of new security threats throughout the world. Some of the major security challenges facing the air cargo industry include terrorism, hijacking, vulnerability to security breaches, and the probable introduction of explosive devices. These security threats are largely a product of the development of sophisticated tools and methods for criminal activities, particularly by terrorists. The emergence of these threats has in turn driven the development of various measures and technologies to enhance security.

One of the primary ways that has been developed to address security issues in the air cargo industry is cargo screening. Comprehensive screening of shipment packages has attracted considerable attention from industry players because it is widely regarded as the most reliable means of ensuring sufficient security in this sector. This recognition has resulted in the development and approval of different screening methods. Some of the major methods include Explosive Trace Detection, Explosive Detection Systems, physical search, X-ray, and TSA-certified canine teams.

Overview of the Air Cargo Industry

The air cargo industry is one of the most important elements of the transportation industry, responsible for transporting more than 35% of the value of total international trade, which accounts for more than $5.1 trillion. Commonly known as the air freight industry, it helps capitalize on economic prosperity for nearly every country. Its significance is evident in its role in stimulating business travel for airlines and its function as a leading economic indicator for business and financial analysts. The air cargo industry has become increasingly important across the globe because of the demand for connection in a fast-evolving global economy.

Air cargo can be described as anything other than passengers or personal baggage that travels by air. It is regarded as the latest addition to the freight industry, unlike older modes of freight transportation such as rail, ship, and surface vehicles. The industry was established shortly after World War I and has since developed into a necessary segment of the global economy. Its growth is attributed to the fact that the air cargo industry holds a significant niche in the lightweight transportation segment and in the movement of high-value commodities (Popescu, Keskinocak & al Mutawaly, 2010, p. 210). Through the infrastructure largely established by public agencies for air passenger travel, air cargo services link to nearly every part of the world.

The significance and rapid growth of the industry is partly fueled by the need for professional, efficient, and reliable air cargo services (Sales, 2013, p. xix). This need emerges from the increased interconnectedness of people and countries around the world. The emergence of developing countries over the past decade—attracting foreign direct investment and intensifying global competition—has created increased global demand that in turn contributes to the growth of the air cargo industry.

Status of the Air Cargo Industry

Since its inception, the air cargo industry has experienced tremendous growth that has contributed to its significance in the freight sector. However, growth in this sector has relatively declined since the global economic recession of 2008. The decline has occurred across airports and airline companies alike. Given signs of slow economic recovery, especially in the Asia-Pacific region, the air cargo industry is expected to experience renewed growth in the near future, with this growth anticipated to be led by Asian countries, particularly China and Japan.

In the United States, the air cargo industry is highly concentrated, with UPS and Federal Express accounting for nearly 80% of all cargo capacity in the country. Beyond dominating domestic cargo capacity, Federal Express and UPS also account for a significant portion of the United States' presence in various international markets.

Despite the effects of global economic activity on the air cargo industry over the past several years, airports are increasingly recognizing the significance of cargo and adopting necessary measures to generate greater shares of this business. This has contributed to increased competition as various airports and airlines seek to establish a significant presence in the industry and gain competitive advantages over rivals. The increased competition is also driven by belly capacity provided by combination carriers and the freight capacity of overseas flag carriers ("Bilateral and Regulatory Issues," n.d.). The rapid development and expansion of newly emerging economies in Latin America and Asia further influences current industry growth. Overall, the outlook for the air cargo industry appears strong, with anticipated steady growth in the near future.

While industry indicators point to positive future growth, several concerns could hinder that trajectory. These include rising oil prices, political uncertainty in several countries across the globe, and unrest in financial markets. These factors have simultaneously slowed the overall development and growth of the air cargo market in recent years. Additionally, the industry's overall development has been impeded by growing concerns about the environmental impact of air travel, particularly in North America and Europe. These factors underscore the need for improved and effective management of air cargo operations.

Security Challenges in the Air Cargo Industry

In light of increased global security threats, the air cargo industry has also faced several significant security challenges in the recent past. These challenges have a considerable impact on the industry's growth plans. Physical security concerns have become major issues, though safety and security have been concerns for transport planners and managers for many years. The security challenges facing the air cargo industry have evolved because of the advancement of criminal activities, partly driven by rapid technological developments. These technological advancements have enabled criminals to develop increasingly sophisticated means and tools to conduct illegal activities.

The emergence of security issues in the air cargo industry is also attributed to the complex distribution network that characterizes the sector. The air cargo sector is made up of a multifaceted distribution network that links manufacturers and shippers to various stakeholders, including off-airport freight consolidators, freight forwarders, and airport sorting and cargo handling sites for loading and unloading shipments from aircraft.

Terrorism

Terrorism has emerged as one of the major security issues and concerns across the globe in the recent past. The emergence of this security threat has been fueled by various factors including technological advancements and the rise of extremist groups, particularly in parts of the Middle East. The threat of terrorism has become a major security concern in several sectors, including the air cargo industry. Terrorism is especially problematic for this industry because it exploits the safety weaknesses of transportation infrastructure and pursues symbolic activities intended to disrupt in order to achieve ideological, political, or religious objectives. Similar to other modes of transport, the air cargo industry is a key target since criminal enterprises like terrorism often also seek financial gain through illegitimate transactions such as drug and weapons trafficking.

While the events of the September 11 terror attacks highlighted a new set of security threats, the scope of these threats on the air cargo industry is even greater (Slack & Rodrigue, n.d.). The heightened magnitude of the terrorism threat on the air cargo industry is attributed to the sector's lighter regulation and more global dimensions. These factors have combined to enhance the vulnerability of the air cargo industry to security breaches. Professionals in the industry face significant challenges in detecting security weaknesses and vulnerabilities because of the large number of ports, the diversity of products carried in vessels, the enormous fleet of international shipping, and the inherent difficulties of detection. For ports in this industry, terrorism can exploit security vulnerabilities from both the land side and the maritime segment. The widespread use of containers for transportation has generated significant challenges in detecting illegal or dangerous cargo, despite the container's crucial role in globalization.

Hijacking

The second major security threat in the air cargo industry is hijacking, which is closely linked to terrorism. Hijacking is a key concern because of the likelihood that criminals, including terrorists, could use a hijacked all-cargo aircraft as a weapon of mass destruction (Elias, 2010). This security threat was dramatically demonstrated in 1994 when an off-duty flight engineer at Federal Express attempted to hijack an all-cargo aircraft and crash it into the company's headquarters in Memphis, Tennessee. The individual boarded the plane under the pretense of seeking free transportation—a practice commonly known as deadheading in the industry. His guitar case concealed several weapons, including a knife, hammers, a spear gun, and mallets. His ability to carry these weapons aboard was due to the absence of a federal requirement or organizational procedure for screening passengers and personal baggage on cargo aircraft. The hijacker's attempt to seize control of the plane was thwarted by three flight crew members, resulting in a successful emergency landing in Memphis, though with serious injuries. While the mission was stopped, this incident powerfully illustrated the hijacking threat facing the air cargo industry.

Introduction of Explosive Devices

According to the Transportation Security Administration, the introduction of explosive devices onto passenger and cargo flights is one of the two fundamental security threats in this industry (Elias, 2010). While no such attack has occurred in the history of the sector, the likelihood of using air cargo to place an explosive device aboard a passenger aircraft is a major security concern. For terrorists, the air cargo system does not necessarily present a straightforward opportunity to target a specific plane, given that shippers generally lack foresight or control over the exact routing of a shipment. Nevertheless, the various security weaknesses within air cargo operations make the threat of explosive devices a serious and ongoing concern.

The strategies developed and implemented by the Transportation Security Administration have largely focused on the hijacking threat, which has in turn left vulnerabilities related to the introduction of explosive devices. Recent events indicate that terrorists have begun targeting American-bound air cargo shipments by exploiting weaknesses in foreign country air cargo security. For instance, law enforcement and intelligence agencies in Dubai, the United Kingdom, and the United Arab Emirates identified explosive devices hidden in packages shipped as air cargo destined for the United States in 2010. Although these explosives were not detected through initial screening, they were identified following a tip from a member of a terrorist organization who had surrendered to Saudi Arabian officials prior to the incident.

This incident not only highlighted the vulnerability of the air cargo industry to the introduction of explosive devices but also underscored the need for security officials and relevant agencies to ensure that cargo planes are not utilized as flying bombs for terror attacks (Mendenhall, 2013). The ability of terrorists to infiltrate air cargo systems makes it difficult to effectively detect what is inside shipment packages. In essence, there is a clear need for regulatory and technological improvements to detection systems that would enable more reliable inspection of cargo.

Security Breaches

Another significant security issue facing the air cargo industry is security breaches, given the increased vulnerability of this sector to security lapses. Security breaches are major concerns because of the ability of criminals to infiltrate the cargo system and thereby evade detection of potential threats to cargo planes. The vulnerability of cargo planes to security breaches is evident in the fact that these aircraft often lack reinforced cockpit doors and do not have strict identification checks for cargo personnel across airports. In an attempt to address susceptibility to security breaches, cargo pilots have advocated for governmental authorization to carry firearms. However, their efforts have not produced the desired results, even though passenger pilots are permitted to carry weapons under certain conditions.

Security breaches in the air cargo industry are also a concern because of the lack of strict and effective security policies governing the sector. For a long period, professionals in this industry have expressed concern about existing regulatory policies relating to cargo security. These regulatory measures do not necessarily facilitate the development of a highly effective cargo security system capable of responding to emerging security issues and industry trends, which has left the industry more vulnerable to breaches and contributed to a relatively weak overall security posture.

Security breaches are further compounded by increased security demands in the industry, which generate extra operational costs for global carriers. These demands include investments in security personnel, screening devices, and video surveillance systems. While these investments can improve safety and security in the freight industry, many carriers face strained resources that limit their effectiveness.

Security breaches are also influenced by growth in passenger traffic and the creation of hub-and-spoke networks. These developments have generated significant strains on security procedures in the sector, producing discrepancies in the effectiveness of screening operations.

Conclusion

The air cargo industry has experienced tremendous growth and development since inception, despite being periodically affected by global economic conditions. However, the industry has faced several serious security issues, including terrorism, security breaches, hijacking, and the introduction of explosive devices. Each of these threats exploits distinct vulnerabilities within the industry's complex distribution network and regulatory environment.

Various screening methods have been developed in response to these challenges, including Explosive Trace Detection, physical search, X-ray, TSA-certified canine teams, and Explosive Detection Systems. Each method carries its own strengths and limitations in terms of cost, accuracy, speed, and the types of threats it can identify. Ongoing improvements in both regulatory frameworks and detection technology remain essential to ensuring that the air cargo industry can adequately protect shipments and personnel against evolving security threats.

References

"Bilateral and Regulatory Issues Facing the Air Cargo Industry." (n.d.). Chapter 6. Retrieved April 17, 2015, from

Elias, B. (2010, December 2). Screening and Securing Air Cargo: Background and Issues for Congress. Retrieved April 17, 2015, from http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/homesec/R41515.pdf

"Evaluation of Screening of Air Cargo Transported on Passenger Aircraft." (2010, September). Office of Inspector General. Retrieved from Department of Homeland Security website: http://www.oig.dhs.gov/assets/Mgmt/OIG_10-119_Sep10.pdf

Gregoryteach. (2011, August 26). Cargo Screening: Technological Options. Aviation Security International Magazine. Retrieved April 17, 2015, from

Mendenhall, P. (2013, November 9). Alert Highlights Air Cargo Risks. NBC News. Retrieved April 17, 2015, from http://www.nbcnews.com/id/3403777/ns/us_news-security/t/alert-highlights-air-cargo-risks/

Popescu, A., Keskinocak, P. & al Mutawaly, I. (2010). The Air Cargo Industry. In Intermodal Transportation: Moving Freight in a Global Economy (chap. 7, pp. 209–237). Retrieved from

Sales, M. (2013). The Air Logistics Handbook: Air Freight and the Global Supply Chain. New York, NY: Routledge.

Slack, B. & Rodrigue, J. (n.d.). Transport Safety and Security. Retrieved from https://people.hofstra.edu/geotrans/eng/ch9en/conc9en/ch9c4en.html