After US$10 million spent, AA is ready for 100pc cargo screening

AMERICAN AIRLINES says it is ready to begin screening all cargo on passenger flights from August 1, after investing US$10 million to make the necessary changes, including the installation of seven x-ray machines.

American handles about 750,000 pounds of cargo a day at its cargo facility at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport.

"I don't expect much to be different come August 1," said AA cargo chief David Brooks reports the Dallas Morning News. "The only difference will be that if we have cargo that has not been screened for whatever reason, it won't fly until it is screened."

The report said that American presently requires freight to arrive at its cargo facilities four hours before a flight. As of August 1, that will go up to six hours, with higher fees to pay for the additional screening.

The exception is for shippers in the TSA's certified cargo screening programme. They have to follow the same rules that airlines must use to inspect and protect cargo.

That includes putting employees through background checks and TSA training, using the x-ray and explosives detection technology now available, making containers tamperproof after they've been screened and adopting other processes to make sure the cargo is safe.

In a June 28 report, the US Government Accountability Office raised concerns about whether airlines would be able to meet the 100 per cent screening requirement.

The GAO said TSA, "Faces technology challenges that could affect its ability to meet the screening mandate. Among these, there is no technology approved by TSA to screen large pallets or containers of cargo, which suggests the need for alternative approaches to screening such cargo."

It also said "TSA also does not verify the self-reported data submitted by screening participants."

The GAO also warned that "several of these challenges suggest the need for a contingency plan, in case the agency's current initiatives are not successful in meeting the mandate without impeding the flow of commerce." But TSA has not developed one.
(Source:www.schednet.com)