Transportation of Cargo on Passenger Aircraft
Transportation of Cargo on Passenger Aircraft
Embry Riddle Aeronautical University
Abstract
This paper provides information into the lack of aviation security with regard to cargo transported on passenger aircraft. Passengers and their luggage traveling on aircraft are subject to screening, security searches and body scanning prior to boarding. However, the cargo loaded may not have been inspected, allowing for potential security vulnerabilities to be exploited. Currently international flights do not receive the same caliber of cargo inspection as domestic flights. There are too many holes in the global supply chain but one area that we need to focus on is cargo security. The TSA has implemented layered security for all flights arriving in the U.S. but foreign countries do not impose such aggressive tactics. Passenger aircraft are used to transport cargo for freight entities like UPS or FedEx as a means to assist with delivery efficiency. Measures must be implemented on an international level that prevents improvised devices from being placed on U.S. bound passenger aircraft.
Keywords: Transportation Security Administration (TSA), Certified Cargo Screening Program (CCSP), Certified Cargo Screening Facilities (CCSF), vulnerabilities
Transportation of Cargo on Passenger Aircraft
Introduction
Many of us travel by air and undergo long waits in airport ticketing, security, and boarding lines. Instructions are given to passengers on what is permitted to bring and how to pack. Our luggage is x-rayed and sometimes further inspected for suspicious items. However, while our luggage is subject to inspection, the cargo contents onboard may not have been verified. Further concern is the aircraft’s current cargo could have originated from a foreign country that did not inspect the cargo content. Maybe the cargo was processed through a known shipper but that does not guarantee the cargo is safe. In August 2010, a printer bomb plot was discovered aboard a
Embry Riddle Aeronautical University
Abstract
This paper provides information into the lack of aviation security with regard to cargo transported on passenger aircraft. Passengers and their luggage traveling on aircraft are subject to screening, security searches and body scanning prior to boarding. However, the cargo loaded may not have been inspected, allowing for potential security vulnerabilities to be exploited. Currently international flights do not receive the same caliber of cargo inspection as domestic flights. There are too many holes in the global supply chain but one area that we need to focus on is cargo security. The TSA has implemented layered security for all flights arriving in the U.S. but foreign countries do not impose such aggressive tactics. Passenger aircraft are used to transport cargo for freight entities like UPS or FedEx as a means to assist with delivery efficiency. Measures must be implemented on an international level that prevents improvised devices from being placed on U.S. bound passenger aircraft.
Keywords: Transportation Security Administration (TSA), Certified Cargo Screening Program (CCSP), Certified Cargo Screening Facilities (CCSF), vulnerabilities
Transportation of Cargo on Passenger Aircraft
Introduction
Many of us travel by air and undergo long waits in airport ticketing, security, and boarding lines. Instructions are given to passengers on what is permitted to bring and how to pack. Our luggage is x-rayed and sometimes further inspected for suspicious items. However, while our luggage is subject to inspection, the cargo contents onboard may not have been verified. Further concern is the aircraft’s current cargo could have originated from a foreign country that did not inspect the cargo content. Maybe the cargo was processed through a known shipper but that does not guarantee the cargo is safe. In August 2010, a printer bomb plot was discovered aboard a
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