Request for cargo screening data to go

The International Air Cargo Association has asked the TSA to certify that its 100% cargo screening level on passenger aircraft has been achieved – and further requested that the body remove the ongoing requirement to report cargo screening data. This requirement is currently included in the standard security programs that cover the air cargo supply chain.

TIACA’s Chairman, Oliver Evans, whilst complimenting the TSA on attaining its 100% screening target, added that although this had, in fact, been achieved more than nine months ago, the requirement to report monthly air cargo screening statistics was still in place.

This, he felt, was of some concern, for the requirement places a significant labor and data collection burden on the air cargo industry, since to comply companies have to invest in IT and personnel.

Oliver Evan also asked the TSA to lift the reporting requirements, arguing that this revision would permit shippers, forwarders and carriers to adopt a more streamlined modus operandi.

 

 

Tentative agreement is reached at Horizon

Horizon Air and the Teamsters Union have reached a tentative agreement on a five-year extension of their existing labor agreement.

The new agreement, drawn up at Sea-Tac, if approved by union members, would cover 280 aircraft technicians, fleet service agents and other ancillary workers.

If the agreement meets with members’ approval, the contract will take effect from November and run until 2019. The extension agreement has come more than a year before the existing contract was scheduled to become amendable. This is not unusual, for under federal law, contracts in the airline industry do not exactly expire but rather become amendable on a specified date.

“Mechanic representatives, assisted by the Teamsters, met with the company to chisel out a contract extension well before the amendable date,” confirmed Curtis Bernier, an Horizon Air Technician and Teamster shop steward. “There are some very good provisions for consideration and it is now up to the membership to make the final decision.”

“This tentative agreement recognizes the value of our skilled and dedicated technicians, fleet service agents and other equipment technicians, whose dedication to safety and excellence are a key element to our operational excellence,” commented Glenn Johnson, Horizon Air’s President and EVP of the Alaska Air Group. “I applaud the hard work of the negotiations team, who are to be commended for reaching a tentative agreement before the amendable date of the contract.”

 

 

TSA appraisal: could do better

Overall, some 85% of frequent flyers feel that the US Transportation Security Administration is doing either a poor, or at best, a fair job in the security screening function at the nation’s airports. These are the findings of a new survey of frequent flyers recently conducted by the Frequent Business Traveler magazine.

The survey disclosed that the typical US frequent flyer continues to feel that the TSA is not doing a satisfactory job in this area, with 65.6% of respondents indicating that the TSA’s screening procedures are not effective or not too effective at preventing potential acts of terrorism on an aircraft. In contrast, some 26.6% of respondents indicated that in their view, procedures were somewhat effective, with 6.8% believing that they were very effective.

In all, the survey polled 2,415 flyers and it was conducted from August to September in partnership with FlyerTalk. Looking at the findings, Jonathan Spira of Frequent Business Traveler noted that there was still much work to be done at America’s airport security checkpoints.

Other points were that almost 45% stated that they were not satisfied with their last security experience, whilst 29.6% said that they were either satisfied, very satisfied, or extremely satisfied with their processing.

Just under half reckoned that the TSA was doing a poor job in airport security screening; 38.2% thought it fair and 14.7% said that they rated it good. Just 1% thought that the work of the TSA was excellent.

Frequent Business Traveler conducted a similar survey last year, where the TSA’s negative ratings were, in fact, higher. This year, the administration received improved marks in every category – the amount of frequent flyers who found the TSA to be doing a poor or fair job in airport security screenings dropped by a total of five percentage points. Moreover, the percentage of survey respondents who found the TSA’s efforts ineffective at preventing acts of terrorism dropped by ten percentage points.