TSA Testimony on Air Cargo
Speeches & Testimony
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
TRANSPORTATION SECURITY ADMINISTRATION
ORAL STATEMENT OF
EDWARD KELLY
GENERAL MANAGER, AIR CARGO
TRANSPORTATION SECTOR NETWORK MANAGEMENT
BEFORE THE
SUBCOMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION SECURITY
AND INFRASTRUCTURE PROTECTION
COMMITTEE ON HOMELAND SECURITY
UNITES STATES HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
MARCH 18, 2009
- Click here to read TSA's written testimony on Air Cargo.
Good afternoon Chairwoman Jackson Lee, Ranking Member Dent, and distinguished Members of the Subcommittee. I am pleased to be here today to discuss progress by the Transportation Security Administration on the air cargo requirements of the Implementing Recommendations of the 9/11 Commission Act of 2007.
The 9/11 Act gives TSA the responsibility to ensure that the airline industry screens 100 percent of the cargo on passenger aircraft by August 2010—with an interim milestone of 50 percent by February 2009.
First, I want to assure the Subcommittee that all indications are the cargo industry has met the February deadline. This week, TSA began receiving from the airlines February’s cargo screening data and we will validate that the 50 percent screening milestone was, in fact, achieved. We will share the results with you by mid-April. Thank you for your patience.
To achieve this milestone, TSA and our industry partners put in a great deal of effort to creatively re-think the logistics of air cargo security. Together we have dramatically changed air cargo operations.
The key element to TSA’s approach is the Certified Cargo Screening Program. This program screens cargo at the most efficient and effective point in the supply chain. It provides optimal security with minimal economic disruption. TSA recognizes that air cargo is a vital part of our economy and this approach to security supports the financial health of the airline industry.
Another step in achieving 100 percent screening is the requirement for all airlines operating narrow body passenger aircraft from U.S. airports to screen 100 percent of cargo transported on these aircraft.
I am pleased to report that TSA achieved this milestone in October 2008 — a full 22 months before the deadline.
One hundred percent of the cargo on 96 percent of the flights originating in the United States is now screened. This point is worth emphasizing: 85 percent of the passengers flying each day from U.S. airports are on planes where all of the cargo has been fully screened. We have improved security significantly.
A number of challenges remain as we move toward the goal of 100 percent screening.
The characteristics of cargo are vastly different from those of checked baggage. For example, 75 percent of air cargo is tendered on skids that cannot be screened with existing TSA-approved equipment. TSA is working with the DHS Science and Technology Directorate to develop technology adapted to the cargo screening environment. We are testing technologies not previously used to screen cargo for explosives—such as metal detectors, vapor trace detectors, radio wave devices, and hand-held detection equipment.
Another challenge is to develop screening requirements for air cargo inbound from foreign countries. To date, the industry has accomplished 50 percent system-wide screening for international inbound cargo. TSA cannot implement a security regimen in a foreign country without extensive, cooperative planning with—and acceptance by—our international partners.
Given these challenges, TSA does not expect that 100 percent screening will be attainable for inbound cargo on passenger aircraft by August 2010. Nonetheless, significant efforts toward reaching the 100 percent mark are ongoing.
Through bilateral and multilateral arrangements, a proposed amendment to the International Civil Aviation Organization standards, and partnering with U.S. Customs and Border Protection to use its Automated Targeting System, we are improving security on inbound cargo.
With the cooperation of the entire air cargo community, we are well on our way to achieving the 100 percent air cargo screening mandate of the 9/11 Act for domestic cargo.
We appreciate the important oversight of Congress and notably the support of this Subcommittee. We will continue to work closely with the Government Accountability Office, represented here today. We will continue to be transparent and to keep you informed of our progress.
Finally, I would like to recognize the efforts of the industry and the TSA employees who have worked tirelessly on developing innovative solutions to a daunting task.
I will be happy to answer any questions you may have.
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