The air cargo industry may be able to mitigate the costs of compliance with a screening requirement that takes effect June 30 under a new program from the Transportation Security Administration.
As of June 30 International Civil Aviation Organization member states must ensure that 100 percent of international outbound air cargo transported on all-cargo aircraft is either (1) screened to a level intended to identify and/or detect the presence of concealed explosive devices or (2) transported under appropriate security controls throughout the cargo supply chain to prevent the introduction of concealed explosive devices.
To meet the latter criterion, the TSA has developed the secured packing facility program to permit all-cargo aircraft operators to accept cargo from SPFs that demonstrate a system of government-approved security controls sufficient to prevent the introduction of concealed explosives into the air cargo supply chain. Because all cargo transferred by an SPF will have been subject to physical security measures, the cargo can be accepted for transport without requiring additional screening.
Manufacturers, shippers, suppliers, warehouses, vendors, e-commerce fulfillment centers, and third-party logistics providers in the air cargo supply chain can now apply to the TSA to become SPFs. Click here for eligibility and application information.
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