NCPA


Policy Issues

NCPA Publications

Both Sides

Editorial Opinions

Audio/Visual


NATIONAL CENTER FOR POLICY ANALYSIS
HOME / DONATE / ONE LEVEL UP / ABOUT NCPA / CONTACT US
Gaping Security Holes in Air Freight Shipments
Daily Policy Digest

Terrorism Issues

Friday, May 24, 2002
In October, a confidential Federal Aviation Administration report warned that terrorists could easily slip a bomb-laden package into an air cargo shipment and take down an aircraft -- passengers and all. Under current security procedures, such a strategy by terrorists would be relatively risk-free, experts assert.

  • In 2001, U.S. aircrafts carried 20.11 billion ton-miles of cargo -- 60 percent of it in passenger planes.
  • Only 2 to 4 percent of that is being screened by humans, machines or bomb-sniffing dogs.
  • So-called "known shippers" -- companies which have been shipping goods regularly since 1999 -- are responsible for guaranteeing that their cargo contains no bombs.
  • But it would be relatively simple for a terrorist go get a job with a "known shipper" and place a bomb in an air freight container.
The government does not require shippers to do specific fingerprint or background checks on employees.

Security specialists point out that containers that can withstand a bomb blast are available and they could be placed on the entire U.S. passenger fleet for less than $300 million. But critics charge the cargo industry has been lackadaisical in its attitude toward such suggestions.

Source: Editorial, "Unchecked Jet Freight Leaves Holes in Air Safety," USA Today, May 24, 2002.

For text
http://www.usatoday.com/news/comment/2002/05/24/nceditf.htm

For more on Terrorism
http://www.ncpa.org/iss/ter/
12770 Coit Rd., Suite 800 - Dallas, TX 75251-1339 - 972/386-6272 - Fax 972/386-0924
601 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Suite 900 South Building - Washington, DC 20004 - 202/220-3082 - Fax 202/220-3096
Copyright © 2002 National Center for Policy Analysis - All rights reserved.