Air cargo group urges global cooperation

Security regulators around the world must work together to ensure that the movement of air freight is safe and secure, especially after last week's discovery of package bombs on cargo flights headed to Chicago from Yemen, an air cargo group says.
"We are much more secure than in 2001 [when the September 11 terrorist attacks took place], but there is room for improvement," Giovanni Bisignani, director general of the International Air Transport Association, said in a written statement. The group's members comprise about 230 passenger and cargo airlines.
As IATA is responsible for carrying about 35 percent of the total value of goods traded internationally, "transporting these goods safely, securely and efficiently is critical," Bisignani said.
Yet "belts, shoes and shampoos are not the problem," Bisignani said. "We must shift the screening focus from looking for bad objects to finding terrorists. To do this effectively, we need intelligence and technology at the checkpoint. The enormous amount of data that we collect on passengers can help governments to identify risks."
In an apparent reference to calls by U.S. lawmakers for mandatory screening of all cargo flown by air freight haulers, Bisignani said that "airport screening cannot be our first line of defense." It can complement intelligence and technology that can assess risks and identify threats, he said, adding that the development of screening technology needs to be done faster.
02/11/10 Sara Sorcher/National Journal/Government Executive

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Categories: Cargo Nov 2010, Foreign Nov 2010