Air cargo screening bites in August, short cargo cut off times vital

AIR shippers must prepare for earlier cargo cut-off times if goods are to be inspected before loading in bellyholds of passenger aircraft when stringent air cargo screening rules bite on August 1, say industry experts.

American Airlines (AA) Cargo Division will demand customers tender their freight six hours - and not the four allowed today - before an aircraft's departure if they expect the carrier to screen the goods and meet the delivery commitments, said AA cargo president Dave Brooks.

Also, AA will double its fees after August 1 for screening cargo before it is loaded, reports Massachusetts-based DC Velocity logistics online news site.

Arthur Arway, who heads security for the Americas DHL Global Forwarding said American Airlines' post-August 1 policy will become standard throughout the industry.

From August 1, all domestic cargo shipped in the below-deck compartments of passenger aircraft must be certified as having been screened or inspected at some point in the supply chain before it can be loaded.

In an effort to push the screening responsibility upstream, the US Congress created the Certified Cargo Screening Programme (CCSP), a voluntary initiative that authorises shippers and freight forwarders to screen and inspect cargo before it reaches the airline.

About 500 forwarders are enrolled in the CCSP, making them the largest group. Shipper involvement is slight and forwarders fear the onus on them to ensure there are no delays and missed flights.

The air cargo supply chain is 75 per cent screening compliance, said DC Velocity. But the biggest challenge will be with the remaining 25 per cent, most of which will involve multiple pieces shrink-wrapped in pallets or loaded into containers destined for the busiest airports.

If a consolidated shipment arrives at the airline unscreened, it will have to be disassembled and each piece individually screened or physically inspected before the load is rebuilt and loaded on the aircraft.

Potential delays involved with such scenarios should be enough to motivate shippers - who are paying a premium for the speed of air deliveries - to screen cargo before it leaves their hands, say officials, according to DC Velocity.
(Source:www.schednet.com)