Summary

In the aftermath of the 1988 terrorist bombing of Pan Am Flight 103, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has taken many steps to strengthen security at U.S. airports; however, many questions about domestic and international aviation security remain unanswered. This report examines in detail FAA's efforts to (1) assess, in conjunction with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the security of domestic airports; (2) determine whether a similar level of protection exists for U.S. citizens traveling on foreign airlines; and (3) improve security for mail and cargo.

GAO found that: (1) FAA has established federal security managers (FSM) at category-X domestic airports, defined as high-traffic-volume airports with complex security programs, and security liaison officers (SLO) at high-threat foreign airports to meet domestic and international aviation security requirements; (2) serious doubts exist concerning the effectiveness of FAA efforts because joint FAA and FBI assessments of 18 of the 19 domestic category-X airports do not match terrorist capabilities with the airports' vulnerabilities and FAA has not evaluated the differences between U.S. and foreign security requirements; (3) FAA success in strengthening cargo security will depend on the development of an inspection strategy that ensures freight forwarders' compliance with the new requirements; (4) although FAA has issued requirements to improve cargo safety, it is concerned that the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) will not effectively implement a security cooperative agreement unless monitored by a third party; (5) FAA could further enhance its aviation security efforts by pilot-testing new security procedures before implementing them, paying greater attention to human factor issues, better utilizing information at its disposal, and providing security coordinators at category-X airports with security clearances; and (6) FAA needs to find cost-effective ways to implement new security measures and technologies and respond to current and future terrorist threats.