TIACA forum calls for closer government ties to boost aviation security

A KEY message from panellists attending the TIACA Air Cargo Forum & Exposition 2012 in Atlanta, Georgia, was to improve relations and collaboration between governments and the air cargo industry, to maintain the highest levels of aviation security and safety.

The panel of senior government, regulatory and industry representatives called for more participants in the Air Cargo Advance Screening pilot programme. It is an initiative that encourages companies to exchange advance security filing data by using existing systems and infrastructure to start collecting shipment data at the earliest point in the transportation process.

Kevin McAleenan, acting assistant commissioner for US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) said: "We are receiving a lot of information on the air manifest but only four hours before arrival. It's not enough time. We wanted to move it as early as possible and start collecting data early in the system."

Under the pilot programme so far, only 0.1 per cent of shipments have needed to be examined before loading, a statement from TIACA said.

Raymond Benjamin, secretary general of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), called for greater industry participation in e-freight. "I strongly believe that e-freight is a solution, and not just from an economic point of view. We are better off today than we were two years ago and there is a high level of commitment on the part of the vast majority of countries - but not all."

In terms of meeting the TSA's December 2012 deadline for 100 per cent screening of all inbound air cargo into the US, John Sammon, assistant administrator for the Office of Security Policy and Engagement at the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) was confident 'we are going to make it.' He said that current screening levels are already in the 'high 90 per cent' and that 56 per cent of air cargo now arrives pre-screened at US airports owing to the CCSP programme.