I. Overview of Air Cargo Security Management
1. General Air Cargo Security Situation
Today, aviation is one of the world’s most important business. The growth of the industry over the past decades has made it one of the biggest contributor to the expansion of global economy. Therefore, an emphasis on airline security is undoubtedly important.
Logistics security is not only contingent on safe passage and avoidance of hazards, but also assurance that goods have not been tampered with and kept secure.
There are several security threats such as Terrorism, Organised Crime and Cargo Theft, Hijacking and Piracy, Drug/human smuggling, Illegal weapons, Counterfeit goods, Illegal exports of licensed materials/technology
For instance, transnational criminal organizations use the aviation system to transport contraband and, increasingly, people across the globe. Cocaine smugglers have used the FedEx air delivery system to transport their products across the United States, and narcotics smugglers from Guyana have used U.S Mail pouches to smuggle millions of dollars worth of cocaine into the United States through JFK.
Hijackings were the most popular tactic for many individuals. Between 1967 and 2004 there were nearly 1000 airline hijackings. It is estimated that approximately 85 percent were carried out for political purposes. The rest were conducted by terrorists. The international civil aviation regime began to respond to the menace, deploying the so-called X-ray machines, for example.
2. Solutions to security threats
- Advanced technology: Because resource limitation and inadequate technical capacity present an easy opportunity for terrorists to enter the system, many countries have attempted to address this concern by working with fencing, X-ray machines, etc. High technologies reduce the need to recruit, train and retain large number of staff; however, the