Airforwarders Association opposes TSA Privatisation plans
AfA warns that reducing federal oversight of passenger screening could weaken aviation security, urging policymakers to maintain strong TSA authority and standards.
Brandon Fried, Executive Director, Airforwarders Association and Alicia Lines, President, Cargo Network Services
The Airforwarders Association (AfA) has warned against proposals to privatise elements of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), saying reduced federal oversight could weaken aviation security systems built after the September 11, 2001 attacks.
The warning was issued by Airforwarders Association Executive Director Brandon Fried in a keynote address at the CNS Partnership Conference in San Francisco.
He said any move to weaken federal control over passenger screening could reintroduce security gaps that the current system was designed to eliminate. “The lessons of September 11 are clear, and the stakes are too high for failure,” Fried said. “Any move to weaken federal oversight of passenger screening risks reintroducing vulnerabilities the system was designed to eliminate.”
The federalisation of passenger screening under the Aviation and Transportation Security Act was introduced following September 11, after earlier outsourced security arrangements were found to prioritise cost over effectiveness.
Fried noted that the air cargo sector has developed effective public-private security frameworks through systems such as the Known Shipper programme, the Certified Cargo Screening Programme, and Air Cargo Advance Screening (ACAS). These systems allow certified operators to screen cargo before it reaches airports and submit advance data, while TSA, Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and industry stakeholders maintain national standards and oversight.
However, the AfA said this model should not be applied to passenger screening in a way that reduces federal authority. It warned that fragmented procurement and cost-driven contracts were among the weaknesses that led to the decision to federalise passenger screening.
“The air cargo industry has shown that public-private partnerships can work, but only when there is strong federal oversight setting the standards and enforcing compliance,” Fried added. “Applying this model to passenger screening without strict TSA oversight would significantly increase risk.”
The association has called on policymakers to reject proposals to privatise passenger screening functions and to instead maintain and strengthen TSA authority to ensure consistent, nationwide aviation security standards.