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Higher air cargo screening demands at odds with rising parcel flow: TIACA

ADVANCE data programmes, such as America's ACAS, the EU's PRECISE and Canada's PACT, are expected to be high on the agenda at The International Air Cargo Association (TIACA) annual general meeting on April 24 and 25.

TIACA secretary general Douglas Brittin said new advance data regulations will require individual shipment information to be submitted to destination regulatory agencies in advance of transportation.

Mail parcel volumes, growing because of e-commerce, are creating further problems for pending advance data filing regulations, reported Atlanta area Air Cargo World.

Individual shipment information must be submitted to destination regulatory agencies in advance of transport rather than the present customs' requirement for information before arrival, Mr Brittin recently told a meeting of the Universal Postal Union in Berne.

Mr Brittin said the air cargo industry and postal operators need to work with customs and security regulators to ensure new data submission regulations and screening protocols are standardised.

"With mail parcels, we are potentially dealing with a different type of shipper, and we are looking at significant and growing volumes," he said, adding that this may lead to a high percentage of shipments needing extra screening.

Identifying where parcels are if regulators do not process information quickly will be one problem he anticipates.

"A shipment may be only one piece in a unit load device, but may be required to be found, off-loaded and screened. We need to ensure standardisation of screening protocols, which now vary significantly," he said.