The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has implemented new measures on air cargo which means airlines now have to submit information on their freight before loading it onto an aircraft.
This is part of the Air Cargo Advance Screening (ACAS) program that went into effect on Tuesday (12 June) and information includes the shipper’s name and address, a cargo description and the weight.
Sharing data well in advance of a flight arriving to the US will allow Customs to warn crews before they load potentially suspicious cargo onto an aircraft.
Last autumn, the U.S Transportation Security Administration (TSA) reviewed its cargo security measures after finding a partially assembled bomb on a flight from Turkey to Australia.
Before 12 June, airlines were still required to provide cargo information, but only a few hours before landing in the US. Many carriers were already participating in the ACAS program and sending cargo data before loading it onto the aircraft, CBP says.
With airlines already sharing data with U.S. Customs, implementation of the ACAS program commentators says it unlikely that it will cause any major changes to airlines’ operations and should improve safety.
