REPORT OF THE - Archives - Syracuse University

Since the extraordinary measures were tightened following Pan Am 103, U.S. carriers
must match every bag to a passenger who has boarded the aircraft. At highest threat
airports, all baggage must also be X-rayed or searched by hand. The purpose of matching,
or "reconciling", baggage is to assure that a terrorist does not check a suitcase containing
a bomb and then simply walk away from the airport, leaving the bomb to take innocent
lives.
Once screened and in the hands of the airline, the bag must be accessible only to
authorized personnel, and under surveillance at all times. If it is placed in a container, the
container must be closed securely.
In addition to greater scrutiny of passengers and baggage, the extraordinary security
procedures prescribed by FAA call for controlled access to the aircraft by servicing
personnel, searches of the aircraft cabin and holds between flights, and modest controls
over cargo. In reality, the FAA oversees security controls only for checked or carry-on
items screened by the carrier. Third parties, whose security programs lie outside of the
FAA jurisdiction, control security procedures for other items. Cargo and mail pose
particular problems, which are addressed in a subsequent section.
Foreign Air Carriers
The Federal Aviation Act gives FAA jurisdiction over foreign carriers on the last leg of
their flight to the United States. In May 1989, the FAA embarked on a new program
requiring foreign air carriers to adopt certain measures for each point of operation within
the United States and for the last point of departure to the United States. As of December
1989, 135 foreign air carriers were subject to this requirement.
FAA has accepted 52 programs, most of which were the model programs offered to the
carriers by the FAA. However, 39 carriers from 20 countries also exercised the option to
refer FAA to the foreign government responsible for security at the last point of departure
into the United States. This has both complicated and increased the FAA's workload. In
these cases, FAA must work through the State Department to deal with each of the
foreign governments rather than the carriers.
The passenger and baggage screening requirements imposed by FAA on foreign air
carriers at overseas locations are not as stringent as those required of U.S. carriers there.
FAA does not have the authority under existing international agreements to impose
requirements on foreign carriers in foreign countries that exceed the standards and
recommended practices of ICAO. For example, while both U.S. and foreign carriers
perform a positive match of passengers and checked baggage, the U.S. carriers must X-
ray or physically search all baggage as well, whereas the foreign carriers have to X-ray or
physically search only that baggage for which no passenger has boarded the airplane. As
will be discussed later, this less stringent requirement for foreign carriers raises concerns
for the security of U.S. passengers who fly foreign airlines.
Foreign Approaches to Security
To gain an understanding of aviation security abroad, the Commission visited three
European Countries: the Federal Republic of Germany, France, and the United Kingdom.
The U.K. and West Germany were selected because of their connection with Pan Am
Flight 103 and France because of the more recent UTA Flight 772 bombing. Among
those killed on the UTA flight were seven Americans, including the wife of the U.S.
Ambassador to Chad.