That day, was 1 February, from which point the US’ controversial cargo screening programme for cargo carried on passenger aircraft kicked in. In actual fact it began earlier in October from which point the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) required that 100 per cent of cargo carried on narrow-body aircraft be screened. But this has been described as “low hanging fruit” because the volumes were relatively small.
Freight forwarders and carriers have been living in fear of a potential log-jam resulting TSA’s requirement that 50 per cent of all cargo carried on wide-body passenger aircraft in the US – both domestic and international – be screened starting from 1 February and 100 per cent by August 2010.
The concerns centre around lack of space and infrastructure at many US airports and the lack of feasibility for most carriers to undertake the screening. The TSA’s solution was to push the screening back along the supply chain, away from the airport, leaving it in the hands of shippers, freight forwarders, etc.
Hence, the Certified Cargo Shipping Program. Freight forwarders, shippers, and facilities, such as warehouses and airports, can voluntarily enroll to become certified shipping facilities. Ultimately these will be places where screening equipment can be positioned that has been certified by TSA.
Carriers and cargo shippers say one of the biggest problems in meeting the August 2010 mandate is screening palletised cargo, or cargo that is not shipped in small or individual packages.
It’s been described as a burden on the industry and could result in higher consumer prices, flight delays or lost business opportunities. And there is also the question of how foreign governments and foreign air carriers will react to the mandate.
And then there is the issue of cost. Industry estimates suggest that as much as US$4 billion will be needed over 10 years to cover the costs of the 100 per cent mandate.
Although at the time of printing, it is too early to assess the impact of the 50 per cent rule, there may ultimately be a silver lining to the many grey clouds floating around. The harsh economic climate which has sent global air cargo volumes into a free fall, will ultimately give some breathing space for the industry to adapt and makeadjustments in order to comply with the new regulations.
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We would like to remind our readers that Payload Asia has a newly revamped website – www.payloadasia.com – which sports a whole new look and regular news updates. From January this year we have begun to feature regular updates in the news section in order to keep you up-to-date on the industry developments. These briefs will be short and concise to keep you on top of things, without hopefully burying you in too much information. The monthly print addition will give fuller briefs and the regular features you’ve come to expect each month. We hope you enjoy this added value product and look forward to any feedback you might have. In the meantime please bear with us as we fine-tune andintegrate this product with our print edition.
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