Air Cargo Security

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses the current regulations for transporting cargo on passenger airlines and notes that transportation of cargo is a multi-billion-dollar business that is critical to the American economy and the health of the airline industry. Specifically, the paper presents an overview of current regulations regarding the industry and considers the possible effects of a mandate to have 100 percent of cargo screened by 2009. A review of existing screening technologies shows that, without efficiency, cost and technology improvements, meeting the mandate could prove impossible without crippling the air cargo industry.

Outline:
Abstract
Introduction
Regulations
Inspection Methods
Effects on Passenger Airlines
Technology, Funding must Provide Solutions

From the Paper:

"But what exactly does it mean to "screen" cargo? Screening does not entail thoroughly inspecting every piece of cargo placed on aircraft, which could undermine the logistics of air cargo transport by creating cost and time pressures. In fact, ATSA did not establish a specific requirement or percentage of air cargo that needed to by physically inspected. Importantly, ATSA seemed to recognize that present screening methods would make it impractical for all air cargo to be thoroughly checked, and the legislation called for the acceleration of research development, testing, and evaluation of threat screening technology for cargo loaded onto aircraft. In short, ATSA, as it is currently written, allows for a great deal of unchecked cargo to be loaded onto passenger planes."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Air Transportation Association (2007). Mandating Blast Resistant Air Cargo Containers Will Not Improve Air Cargo Security. ATA Issue Brief. February. Retrieved September 27, 2007, from http://www.airlines.org/government/issuebriefs/Blast+Proof+Container+Brief.htm
• Aviation and Transportation Security Act (2001). Public Law 107-71. Retrieved September 28, 2007 from http://www.tsa.gov/assets/pdf/Aviation_and_Transportation_Security_Act_ATSA_Public_Law_107_1771.pdf
• Bureau of Transportation Statistics (2004). Air Freight is Fastest Growing Segment of U.S. Cargo Economy; New Study Tracks Trends in $29 Billion Dollar-A-Day Cargo Industry. Retrieved September 28, 2007 from http://www.bts.gov/press_releases/2004/bts017_04/html/bts017_04.html.
• Cargo and Vehicle Inspection (2006). Retrieved October 02, 2007, from Rapiscan systems Web site: http://www.rapiscansystems.com/pfnaacis.html.
• Code of Federal Regulations, Title 49 (2007). Retrieved October 1, 2007 from http://ecfr.gpoaccess.gov/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=ecfr&sid=128ac719a351ddff0215a253f1b3b73f&rgn=div5&view=text&node=49:9.1.3.5.10&idno=49

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MLA Citation: