The specific impact of the new requirement for 75 per cent on the market is uncertain, however it will significantly increase the volume of cargo required to be screened by air carriers and/or Certified Cargo Screening Facilities (CCSFs) before it can be loaded on a passenger aircraft.
Meanwhile, the Air Cargo Security Alliance (ACSA), a coalition of 300 USbased indirect air carriers, direct shippers and customs brokers, has formally petitioned Janet Napolitano, head of the US Department of Homeland Security, to implement a federal cargo screening programme paid for by a US$0.05 cent per pound fee on all shipments.
According to Michael Whately of ACSA, the TSA’s Certified Cargo Screening Program will “force most small to mid-size forwarders and indirect air carriers (IAC) to face insurmountable costs and logistical hurdles before they could even enter the market-place. This will result in reduced competition and just-in-time shipping options for businesses will be severely limited. For many, the 100 per cent screening mandate without a federal screening programme operating at all American airports makes economic viability impossible.â€Â
With the deadline for 100 per cent screening fast approaching the ACSA claims “only a fraction of the more than 4,000 registered IAC and shippers have joined the CCSP to dateâ€Â.