... and there are those, including the Government Accountability Office, who have doubts the milestone will be reached. The 9/11 Commission Act of 2007 mandated that Department of Homeland Security establish a system to screen 100 percent of cargo flown on passenger aircraft in the U.S. by August 2010. GAO (www.gao.gov) recently conducted a study to review the Transportation Security Administration’s progress in meeting the screening mandate, and it concludes that TSA and the industry likely will fall short.
Among GAO’s recommendations is a call for TSA to develop a contingency plan in the event the deadline isn’t met, something the latter deems as not feasible. GAO also sees significant challenges regarding inbound cargo – that is, cargo bound for the U.S.
During a recent interview with Peter Kant, vice president of government affairs for Rapiscan Systems, one of the providers of TSA-approved cargo screening equipment, he too expressed serious doubts about where airports, airlines, and TSA are in meeting the August deadline.
Comments Kant, “I think from an industry perspective it’s probably still very far behind for the August deadline. We’ve been filling many orders for a number of the TSA-approved inspection systems, but looking at where the market is and having talked to customers, I still think there’s a fair amount of cargo that is at risk of not being inspected by August 1.
“I think there’s going to be a lot of questions, a lot of surprise shipments, a lot of things going by ground – and hopefully a little more clarity on what enforcement will look like. It’s not clear right now what will happen if things aren’t scanned.”
People are scrambling, says Kant; yet, he emphasizes that the deadline is real – it isn’t going away. “There’s been a lot of talk about whether or not TSA is going to pay for these machines,” he says. “There is no indication that’s going to happen in the current government budget environment. There’s no way it’s going to happen. So, for those airports or airlines who continue to wait to see if that’s going to happen, the ship has already sailed.”
One of the primary obstacles through this screening journey, relates Kant, has been TSA’s inability to effectively communicate with stakeholders on what would be allowable. Call it déjà vu – one of the major frustrations for airports after TSA was created was a lack of clear direction on what would or would not be approved regarding passenger screening systems. Kant says TSA has since improved its communication skills; however, he says the lack of direction caused an 18- to 24-month delay in the procurement cycle for some airlines and airports – which has put a crunch on suppliers such as Rapiscan.
Will TSA ground flights come August? Will it come up with a contingency plan? Will airlines lose cargo revenue because freight will be forced to move via ground? Those are a few of the questions out there. The answers are pending.
Thanks for reading. jfi
(Look for an expanded interview with Rapiscan’s Peter Kant in the July issue of AIRPORT BUSINESS.)