Cargo carriers seek clarity on TSA screening directive

A new air cargo screening directive issued Aug. 21 by the TSA has some carriers looking for clarification from the U.S. government, and at least one carrier has issued an embargo on U.S. routes via Europe. [caption id="attachment_57134006" align="alignright" width="300"] (Courtesy/TSA)[/caption] Cargo Security Directive No. 1544-24-02, which is not public, was released only to operators for security reasons, TSA told Air Cargo Next . The directive, which includes new screening regulations for U.S.-bound cargo from Europe, or passing through Europe, according to an alert from United Cargo today, caused Korean Air Cargo to issue a temporary embargo on routes to the U.S. via Europe on Aug. 23. That embargo will remain in effect until the carrier understands the mandate more clearly, according to a statement on the carrier’s website. Korean Air is No. 5 on Air Cargo Next ’s list of Freight 50 cargo carriers with a throughput of 9.51 billion cargo tonne kilometers in 2022. " TSA continually adjusts security measures as part of our multi-layered approach to security and works closely with industry partners to implement them, consistent with the 2021 TSA Air Cargo Security Roadmap," the administration told Air Cargo Next . The TSA Air Cargo Security Roadmap aims to improve cargo operations by "modernizing, streamlining and further securing the air cargo system throughout the next five years," according to TSA. "It is designed to help TSA address and respond to new and emerging threats to aviation while still ensuring the efficient flow of commerce." Brandon Fried , executive director at the Airforwarders Association , told Air Cargo Next that the directive expands “the number of data elements that are included in the aviation air cargo advanced screening, or ACAS.” However, there is confusion as to how and with what method the “additional data requirements will be transmitted … to the airline from the freight forwarder and to the U.S. government,” he said. United Airlines in its alert stated that it is “working closely with the regulators and IATA on clarifying the mandate and how it will affect our screening processes for shipments originating in or transferring through European countries into or through the United States.” Both American Airlines and U.S. Customs and Border Protection referred Air Cargo Next to the TSA about regarding the regulation changes , and Delta Air Lines did not respond to inquiries by publication time. ACAS regulations Screening regulations for air cargo , or ACAS , were developed and implemented in 2018 with directives to enhance the safety of U.S. imports. But supply chain leaders knew there would be changes to the rules, alongside a shifting landscape of air cargo, including digitalization, Fried said. Data sharing is an issue for airlines as they are not the sole operators tasked with handling shipping data, he said. Forwarders are also responsible for sharing data with airlines, Fried said. “[TSA] imposed this on the airlines, because the airlines are, in fact, operating the aircraft, and they're the guardians of the gate,” Fried said. “But a lot of the information, really, oftentimes, is not in the hands of an airline.”

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