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Aviation Security: Federal Action Needed to Strengthen Domestic Air Cargo Security

GAO-06-76 Published: Oct 17, 2005. Publicly Released: Nov 16, 2005.
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Highlights

In 2004, an estimated 23 billion pounds of air cargo was transported within the United States, about a quarter of which was transported on passenger aircraft. Within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is responsible for ensuring the security of commercial aviation, including the transportation of cargo by air. To evaluate the status of TSA's efforts to secure domestic air cargo, GAO examined (1) the extent to which TSA used a risk management approach to guide decisions on securing air cargo, (2) the actions TSA has taken to ensure the security of air cargo and the factors that may limit their effectiveness, and (3) TSA's plans for enhancing air cargo security and the challenges TSA and industry stakeholders face in implementing these plans.

Recommendations

Recommendations for Executive Action

Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Transportation Security Administration To help ensure that the Transportation Security Administration has a comprehensive risk-based approach for securing the domestic air cargo transportation system, the Secretary of Homeland Security should direct the Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security for the Transportation Security Administration to develop a methodology and schedule for completing assessments of air cargo vulnerabilities and critical assets, as well as defining, gathering, and analyzing information on air cargo security breaches, and use the information resulting from these assessments as a basis for prioritizing the steps necessary to enhance the security of the nation's air cargo transportation system.
Closed – Implemented
In the 9/11 Commission Act, enacted August 3, 2007, Congress required TSA to assess the need for inspection exemptions for cargo transported on passenger aircraft.
Transportation Security Administration To help ensure that the Transportation Security Administration has a comprehensive risk-based approach for securing the domestic air cargo transportation system, the Secretary of Homeland Security should direct the Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security for the Transportation Security Administration to reexamine the rationale for existing air cargo inspection exemptions, determine whether such exemptions leave the air cargo system unacceptably vulnerable to terrorist attack, and make any needed adjustments to the exemptions.
Closed – Implemented
In October 2006 and July 2007, TSA issued security directives to passenger air carriers operating within the United States that revised inspection exemptions for domestic air cargo.
Transportation Security Administration To help ensure that the Transportation Security Administration has a comprehensive risk-based approach for securing the domestic air cargo transportation system, the Secretary of Homeland Security should direct the Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security for the Transportation Security Administration to develop measures to gauge air carrier and indirect air carrier compliance with air cargo security requirements to assess and address potential security weaknesses and vulnerabilities.
Closed – Implemented
In the 9/11 Commission Act, enacted August 3, 2007, Congress clarified the definition of cargo screening to mean physical or non-intrusive methods of air cargo inspection. This will assist TSA in ensuring that air carriers are taking the required actions to inspect a portion of air cargo.
Transportation Security Administration To help ensure that the Transportation Security Administration has a comprehensive risk-based approach for securing the domestic air cargo transportation system, the Secretary of Homeland Security should direct the Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security for the Transportation Security Administration to develop a plan for systematically analyzing the results of air cargo compliance inspections and use the results to target future inspections and identify systemwide corrective actions.
Closed – Implemented
TSA is implementing the provisions of the 9/11 Commission Act, enacted on August 3, 2007, that clearly define air cargo screening. Implementing these provisions will help ensure the effectiveness of TSA's actions to strengthen air cargo security.
Transportation Security Administration To help ensure that the Transportation Security Administration has a comprehensive risk-based approach for securing the domestic air cargo transportation system, the Secretary of Homeland Security should direct the Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security for the Transportation Security Administration to assess the effectiveness of enforcement actions, including the use of civil penalties, in ensuring air carrier and indirect air carrier compliance with air cargo security requirements.
Closed – Implemented
Congress crafted a provision in the 9/11 Commission Act that clarified the definitions of cargo screening and inspection that will help ensure that air carriers are using the appropriate procedures to inspect air cargo. This will enable TSA to better ensure the effectiveness of the domestic air cargo security system.
Transportation Security Administration To help ensure that the Transportation Security Administration has a comprehensive risk-based approach for securing the domestic air cargo transportation system, the Secretary of Homeland Security should direct the Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security for the Transportation Security Administration to ensure that the data to be used in the Freight Assessment System to identify elevated risk cargo are complete, accurate, and current.
Closed – Not Implemented
According to the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), the Freight Assessment System is not currently deployed. Thus, we cannot follow-up on the recommendation to ensure that data is complete, accurate and current. TSA did state that it will evaluate the appropriate application for the Freight Assessment System in the post 100% screening environment, and that data integrity will be part of this assessment. However, it did not provide any additional information regarding how and when this will occur.

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Topics

Air transportationCargo securityHomeland securityInspectionRisk assessmentSecurity assessmentsSecurity threatsStrategic planningAviation securityAir cargo