@Risk

Back in 2009, the Air Transport Association of America (ATA) sent a letter to air cargo shippers reminding them about the congressionally-mandated August 2010 deadline for 100 percent screening of all cargo on passenger planes.

Now, a new government report says the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is going to have trouble meeting that mandate.

Researchers at the Government Accountability Office (GAO) found that even though TSA has made progress, it still faces considerable challenges in developing and implementing a system to screen 100 percent of domestic cargo by August.

In its review, the GAO does recognize several areas where TSA has made great strides. For instance, the agency has: (more…)

The Canadian federal government has launched a new air cargo security screening program for shippers and forwarders.

The $95.7-million program, which will be phased in over five years, involves new technology, more inspectors and additional training, and under the new initiative, the Canadian government will increase the scope of mandatory screening at various points in the supply chain –for example, by making the higher-risk classes and the sources of air cargo a priority.

Like the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Certified Cargo Screening Program (CCSP) here in the U.S., this new program will create additional screening capacity upstream in the supply chain, so that security can be improved, but screening bottlenecks at airports can be avoided.

During his announcement of the new measures, Canada’s Transport Minister John Baird pointed out that 75 percent of commercial cargo travels in planes that also transport passengers.

“We must remember that terrorism is not just something that happens somewhere else to someone else,” he said.

According to a press release, the program aims to achieve four important goals: (more…)

Lithium-ion technology —it’s used to power all of our gadgets (laptops, cameras, medical devices, etc.) these days, and that means manufacturers now routinely ship millions of products containing lithium cells and batteries every month.

This winter, however, after years of study, the U.S.  Department of Transportation has proposed stricter rules for the shipment of lithium cells and batteries, including lithium cells and batteries packed with or contained in equipment. Why? Because since 1991, more than 40 incidents involving lithium batteries or lithium battery-powered devices on aircraft have been reported –an obvious red flag to regulators at DOT concerned that the batteries can self-combust in transit. (more…)

Earlier this month, the Air Transport Association of America (ATA) sent a letter to air cargo shippers reminding them that the congressionally-mandated August 2010 deadline for 100% screening of all cargo on passenger planes is now less than a year away.

The ATA also urged shippers to learn more about the benefits of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Certified Cargo Screening Program (CCSP). The letter states:
(more…)