TSA unlikely to meet August air cargo screening deadline

THE US Government Accountability Office (GAO) has raised doubts that the Transportation Security Administration will be able to achieve its goal of scanning all air cargo carried on board domestic aircraft by August 3.

Speaking before the House Homeland Security Committee, Steve Lord, GAO Director of homeland security and justice issues, said that TSA lacked a contingency plan to initiate if it does not reach the deadline set by Congress three years ago, reports The Journal of Commerce.

On the other hand, the GAO said TSA has made significant progress, including creation of the Certified Cargo Screening programme, and growth in the volume of air cargo that is screened. But in a May 10 report TSA had only reached the 75 per cent mark in screening, leading to GAO's doubts that it would meet the deadline, the report said.

The GAO also found that TSA is testing screening technologies, and increased its force of sniffing dogs. However, TSA still has to find the technology to screen containerised cargo that moves on wide-body aircraft.

TSA will not meet the August 3 deadline for screening all air cargo arriving from overseas, according to GAO. The government watchdog estimated that 55 per cent of inbound cargo will be screened by August, but GAO admitted that the 100 per cent mark will require more years of international negotiations.

The report added that John Sammon, who directs TSA's air cargo, said he resisted GAO's recommendation for a contingency plan. He was cited as saying that having a fallback plan will signal to the industry that TSA is not serious about the August 3 deadline.
(Source:www.schednet.com)