Reauthorised FAA legislation has “significant importance” for forwarders

The US Airforwarders Association (AfA) has welcomed the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Reauthorization Act, which contains legislation of “significant importance to the forwarding industry”.
The Act, passed by Congress, incorporates “specific air cargo provisions that turn prior initiatives and ideas into required mandates” said the AfA.
Known as H.R.302, the legislation includes provisions that will impact many aspects of the aviation industry, and will greatly improve both clarity and security for the cargo and shipping industries, AfA said.
The act mandates evaluation of the Certified Cargo Screening Program (CCSP) by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) of its effectiveness at fully addressing threats to cargo security.
The FAA Reauthorization Act also requires the TSA’s Aviation Security Advisory Committee to conduct a comprehensive review and security assessment of the Known Shipper Program and to provide a recommendation as to whether the program is necessary now that 100% of physical screening of air cargo is required.
Following a recent pilot project, FAA legislation now mandates a canine screening initiative, and TSA promises to have privately supplied, certified canines screening cargo by December of this year.
One of the most important aspects of this legislation, however, said AfA, is that TSA will now be required to relaunch an air cargo security division, designed to inform and support stakeholders in all aspects of implementing agency policy.
The office will be staffed by no fewer than four full-time TSA employees, “demonstrating the agency’s commitment to providing the cargo industry with resources that are knowledgeable of the industry and capable of providing practical assistance”, the US airfreight forwarders’ representative body noted.
“The passage of H.R.302 was a long time coming, and will provide necessary clarity in many aspects of aviation, but it will have particular significance for the forwarding industry,” remarked Brandon Fried, AfA’s executive director.
“AfA has worked closely with TSA on measures to improve both security and efficiency for air cargo, and has advocated strongly for the relaunch of an air cargo security division, and we are encouraged by the bipartisan support for this legislation,” he concluded. 
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