While TSA strategies for all-cargo operations have focused most intensely on the hijacking threat, recent events suggest that terrorists may again be seeking to target U.S.-bound air cargo shipments by exploiting weaknesses in air cargo security overseas. One of the devices had traveled on two passenger flights, from Yemen to Qatar and then from Qatar to Dubai, before being prepared for loading on a U.S-bound all-cargo aircraft. Current Legislative Issues

Following the October 2010 discovery of explosives in cargo originating in Yemen, there has been renewed interest in requiring that all air cargo, not just that placed on passenger aircraft, be subject to physical screening. Risk-Based Evaluations of Shipments

Under the current air cargo security system, a number of risk-based strategies are being employed to evaluate the security risk of air cargo shipments. Vulnerability Assessments and Risk-Based Targeting

Reflecting concerns over the logistics and costs associated with mandatory cargo screening, air cargo industry stakeholders have voiced considerable opposition to requiring 100% screening of passenger air cargo, urging Congress instead to "focus on realistic solutions based on a framework that identifies and prioritizes risks, works methodically to apply effective and practical security programs, and makes optimal use of federal and industry resources." While all domestic air cargo placed on passenger airplanes now undergoes physical screening, TSA employs random and risk-based assessments of inbound international shipments or domestic shipments carried on all-cargo aircraft. Following the October 2010 incidents, TSA applied additional screening measures to inbound international air cargo assessed to be high risk. Cargo Screening Procedures

Whereas the air cargo industry has favored risk-based approaches for both cargo planes and cargo aboard passenger aircraft, some policymakers have argued that more comprehensive screening of cargo is needed to make cargo security comparable to that of passengers and baggage. The Implementing the 9/11 Commission Recommendations Act of 2007 ( P.L. 110-53 ), enacted in August 2007, required 100% physical screening and inspection of all cargo placed on passenger aircraft by August 2010, with an interim requirement to screen 50% of such cargo by February 2009. However, TSA recently indicated that 100% screening of all inbound international air cargo transported on passenger aircraft may not be achieved until August 2013. TSA is now assessing the performance of the various screening technologies and methods employed. In-Flight Security Measures

In-flight air cargo security options address the primary perceived vulnerabilities of a potential hijacking of an all-cargo flight or the bombing of a passenger aircraft using an explosive device carried in a cargo shipment. Blast-resistant cargo containers are being considered as an option to protect passenger airliners from explosives.
The October 2010 discovery of two explosive devices being prepared for loading on U.S.-bound all-cargo aircraft overseas has heightened concerns over the potential use of air cargo shipments to bomb passenger and all-cargo aircraft. The incidents have renewed policy debate over air cargo security measures and have prompted some policymakers to call for comprehensive screening of all air cargo, including shipments that travel on all-cargo aircraft.
U.S. policies and strategies for protecting air cargo have focused on two main perceived threats: the bombing of a passenger airliner carrying cargo and the hijacking of a large all-cargo aircraft for use as a weapon to attack a ground target such as a major population center, critical infrastructure, or a critical national security asset.
With respect to protecting passenger airliners from explosives placed in cargo, policy debate has focused on whether risk-based targeting strategies and methods should be used to identify those shipments requiring additional scrutiny or whether all or most shipments should be subject to more intensive physical screening. While the air cargo industry and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) have argued for the implementation of risk-based approaches, Congress mandated 100% screening of all cargo placed on passenger aircraft using approved methods by August 2010 (see P.L. 110-53).
While 100% of domestic air cargo now undergoes physical screening in compliance with this mandate, not all inbound international cargo shipments carried on passenger airplanes are scrutinized in this manner. TSA is working with international air cargo operators to increase the share of cargo placed on passenger flights that is screened, but 100% screening may not be achieved until August 2013. In the interim, TSA, along with Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and international partners, is relying on risk-based targeting to increase screening of air cargo, particularly shipments deemed to be high risk.
Amid renewed congressional interest on air cargo security, a number of policy issues may arise regarding
the desirability of risk-based strategies as alternatives to 100% cargo screening and inspection; the adequacy of off-airport screening under the Certified Cargo Screening Program (CCSP) in conjunction with various supply chain and air cargo facility security measures; the costs and benefits of requiring blast resistant cargo containers to protect aircraft from in-flight explosions in cargo holds; the desirability of having air cargo screened by employees of private firms rather than TSA and CBP employees; and cooperative efforts with international partners and stakeholders to improve the security of international air cargo operations.