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SPECIAL REPORT <strong>Aviation</strong> Security U.S. cargo screening proposal on passenger planes will cost industry $3.6 billion over 10 years Costly, and for what? Cargo security measures, including those affecting Asia-Pacific airlines flying into the U.S., are under fire for complicating carriers’ operations and, in some instances, tackling only one part of the process. “Regulations are creating increasingly complex and costly security environments that jeopardise cargo flows and too often feature measures that do little to improve security,” said Georgina Graham, global head of security at the International Air Transport Association (IATA). Of particular concern to IATA is a recent U.S. proposal for 100% screening of cargo on passenger flights within three years. It is a measure, says the association, which would cost the industry US$3.6 billion over 10 years and which concentrates on the wrong end of the supply chain. That proposition, put forward by Democrats in the U.S. House of Congress, encapsulates the complexities of cargo security policies. It targets belly cargo, which is seen as more of a threat than goods carried on full freighters, on the assumption that blowing up a passenger carrier has greater publicity value than an aircraft with a handful of crew. It deals with the process during its end stage where freight is in the hands of the carrier. And, although it has not found favour with the U.S. Transport Security Administration (TSA), which argues against its effectiveness, it would nevertheless apply to home and foreign carriers alike. The TSA has said the high cost of implementing the measure would require other security measures to be curtailed. What is more its actions since the events of 9-11 have been sufficient to stem the threat to cargo, say officials. That will come as a relief to carriers from outside the U.S. because, in general, what the TSA says has a knock-on affect throughout ‘The technology in use today was never designed for cargo, it is used for baggage. The really good stuff is in development and ... is five to eight years away’ Jack Boisen Chairman The International Air Cargo Association >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> the world. “Almost all regions are reacting to what the TSA is dictating to countries – if they want to export to the U.S., they must follow the requirements,” said Jack Boisen, chairman of The International Air Cargo Association (TIACA) and vice-president, cargo, with Continental <strong>Airlines</strong>. Boisen has detected a shift in attitude that may help outside carriers employing different practices and technologies. “The TSA has lost sight of some of the practices occurring overseas with a number of carriers. “Now, they are finally trying to rediscover what is going on elsewhere. There’s a real effort for the first time in five years to harmonise, or at least recognise, those practices,” he said. The TIACA chairman has sympathy for the region’s giant cargo carriers who do much of their business flying across the Pacific. “It’s difficult enough to persuade the shippers and the indirect carriers to get things started correctly for shipments and the integration process with the TSA, Customs and maybe Fish and Game [departments],” he said. “Then throw in new aspects of security and sometimes changing regulations, and the communications of those regulations, and it’s pretty dismal.” Boisen, whose airline carries belly freight to Newark from Bangkok, Hong Kong and Tokyo, said the Asia-Pacific has a good record when it comes to cargo security, although there are a couple of locations within the region from which Continental would not accept freight. “The processes [in the region] have quietly been very efficient for a number of years, partly because in some areas cargo is tendered early to carriers, often 24 hours in advance,” he said. “That allows good opportunities to process cargo by various means, whereas in other regions, and in the U.S., it is often at the last minute. “Part of the difference is also an earlier investment in technology in the Asia- Pacific and the realisation that the freight forwarder can process acceptable cargo screening. That’s just starting in the U.S.,” said Boisen. Technology has an obvious part to play, although as yet no one has come up with a way to X-ray all cargo in a freighter container without removing it first, a practice called ‘break bulk’ which carriers say would be prohibitively complex and expensive. Sniffer dogs can be more effective. “In lots of cases they are better than man-made technical systems,” said Boisen. “They are very efficient and surprisingly accurate. But you need a lot of dogs. “The technology in use today was never designed for cargo, it was used for baggage. The really good stuff is in development and the ‘labs’ say it is five to eight years away.” Boisen, like many others in the industry, 32 ORIENT AVIATION JULY/AUGUST 2007
By Charles Anderson wants the entire supply chain to be monitored, starting with “certified shipper” or “regulated agent” systems that ensure freight is clean from the start. “If no one does anything about what goes into the shipment until it comes to an airline dock and then, whoops, we suddenly need security, we can’t do this efficiently,” he said. “But if you start earlier and run security throughout the entire process, including forwarders and certified shipper programmes, you can develop a strong freight assessment programme.” Boisen is keen the i ndust r y does not become over reliant on technology. “Throughout it all, you throw in a little randomness, some random inspections,” he said. “We are developing processes that hopefully will deter some intelligent terrorism, but you have to keep changing them. “Even if you X-ray 100% of your freight, and you say that’s your security method, you are going to fail. Someone will find how to beat you.” British-based security consultant, Norman Shanks, who worked on systems put in place at Hong Kong International Airport during its development stage, doesn’t believe current technology is up to the job. “The big cargo X-ray systems can’t find the small amounts of explosives we are looking for. “They are great for contraband, but pretty hopeless when it comes to the terrorist threat,” he said. “The big difficulty remains that there is still no effective way of screening bulk cargo and, until that is resolved, the only option is break-bulk screening, which means everything is broken down into individual items which can go through existing X-ray systems. “There’s a number of trials going on using variations of automated technology that have explosive detection capabilities. These are not basic X-rays, but a smarter system.” For now, the industry will have to cope with what it has got. “What we have is too expensive and slow,” said Shanks. “The industry wants to be able to screen cargo while it is in the container and only deal with items suggested as a possible threat, rather than break everything down to suitcase size, and then X-ray it.” That means carriers must rely on security checks throughout the process. “Basically, you verify the shipper and audit the movement of the goods,” said Shanks. But he is worried a cosy relationship built up between the shipper and the airline or regulated agent might muddy the waters and recommends the employment of independent cargo validators, as is the practice in the UK but not, believes Shanks, in the Asia-Pacific. In any case, “known shippers” are not widespread in the region, although they make it easier for customers to get their goods airborne. Hong Kong has had a programme in place for some years. Singapore’s did not get off the Korean Air: screens all cargo loaded on to passenger aircraft bound for the U.S., except for exempted items ground and Korean Air, the Asia-Pacific and world’s largest cargo carrier, said it has only one “known shipper”, admittedly a big one, in Samsung Logitec, which was certified by the local civil aviation safety authority last December. Korean Air screens all cargo going on to passenger aircraft bound for the U.S., either using X-rays or open screening, except for items exempted by authorities there. It advises customers to use all-cargo flights for bulky freight that can’t, as yet, be X-rayed. Jack Boisen, meanwhile, believes the time is coming when belly and full freighter cargo will be treated much the same. “Today, professionals in the security field look at the threat as different for cargo going on a passenger carrier, compared to cargo on a cargo carrier,” he said. “That stems from the fact that those who carry out terrorist acts are looking more at the impact of a terrorist attack involving passengers than on a cargo plane. “There are two levels of security, but I think there will be a blending of that. As time goes on, they will narrow the differences as we add more processes.” TIACA is urging international carriers to get involved in TSA working groups where they can get their message across, while IATA has teamed up with the International Federation of Freight Forwarders to form a task force which will work out how to protect the supply chain while keeping the cargo flowing. IATA director general, Giovanni Bisignani, spelt out why the association believes harmonization has not yet been achieved at an IATA cargo symposium in Mexico City. “Firstly, regulators often don’t understand our industry and approach cargo security in the same way as checked baggage,” he said. “Secondly, most don’t understand how the supply chain works. They focus on security at the end of the chain, not throughout the process. “Thirdly, governments are not talking to each other so they don’t have mutual recognition of standards, controls and programmes. And definitions, requirements and enforcement are inconsistent. “Finally, governments are not using technology effectively, particularly screening technology. “They are quick to mandate expensive bulk X-ray equipment, but are not making full use of the potential for canine techniques. The result is a costly mess.” JULY/AUGUST 2007 ORIENT AVIATION 33
Page 3 and 4: COMMENT Time to crank up the PR mac
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Malaysia Airlines - Orient Aviation

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