Airline Handbook Chapter 7: Security

Commercial aviation helps drive more than 10M American jobs and 5 cents of every dollar of U.S. GDP
Commercial aviation drives more than $1 trillion per year in economic activity
In 2012, U.S. airlines moved more than 48,000 tons of cargo per day
In 2012, the value of a kilogram of U.S. merchandise exported by air averaged 121 times the value exported by sea
For every 100 airline jobs, some 360 are supported outside of the airline industry
Federal taxes constitute $61 – or 20% – of the price of a typical $300 domestic round-trip ticket
In 2011, U.S. airlines carried 16 percent more passengers and cargo using 10 percent less fuel than in 2000
Domestically, airlines drive 5% of economic activity but account for 2% of man-made GHG emissions
From 2000-2011, airlines reduced GHG emissions by 11% while transporting 16% more passengers and cargo
From 1975-2011, U.S. airlines and their partners reduced significant noise exposure by 99%
Commercial air travel is the safest form of intercity transportation in the United States
In the most recent decade, scheduled air service on U.S. airlines was seven times safer than in the 1970s
From 2000-2012, U.S. airlines improved the on-time arrival rate from 72.6% to 81.9%
From 2000-2012, U.S. airlines reduced the flight cancellation rate sharply from 3.30% to 1.29%
Airfares are a bargain: From 2000-2012, U.S. CPI rose 33% while average domestic fare rose just 14%
Adjusted for inflation, the average round-trip domestic airfare fell 15% from 2000
2007 domestic flight delays cost the United States approximately $31 billion
In 2012, the value of U.S. merchandise exported by air reached an all-time high of $427B
In 2012, U.S. exports of air-travel services reached an all-time high of $39.5B, driving a $5.1B trade surplus
In 2012, U.S. passenger and cargo airlines spent more than $50B on fuel, averaging 36% of operating expenses
In 2012, U.S. airlines posted the lowest annual rate of mishandled baggage ever recorded
FAA projects U.S. air travel demand to top 1 billion passengers in 2027
In 2012, US airlines flew 83.4 million passengers in scheduled international service - a record high
In 2012, the total value of merchandise exported from or imported to the United States by air exceeded $927 billion
In 2012, 7.15 teragrams of merchandise was exported from or imported to the United States by air

	Airline Handbook Chapter 7: Security
	PubZone1 The U.S. airline industry began security screening of passengers and their baggage in 1973, following a rash of aircraft hijackings. Passengers were required to be screened via metal detector prior to entering the concourse leading to their gate area, to prevent weapons from being carried aboard aircraft. Subsequently, airlines began to screen carry-on baggage by X-ray machine. This screening system has been in place for several decades and has been extremely successful in preventing hijackings. During the 1980s, a new and much more serious threat emerged – the threat of sabotage and terrorist acts of aggression – particularly against U.S. flag carriers' flights originating from overseas locations. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the airlines, working closely together in 1985, took steps to significantly enhance and add new aviation security measures. In the 1990s, measures were once again enhanced to include the following steps for certain international flights: Guarding aircraft at all times while they are on the ground and parking them in secure areas overnight Searching aircraft cabins, cockpits and cargo holds prior to their first flight of the day Inspecting the property of all people who service aircraft, such as cleaning personnel, mechanics, caterers, and cargo and baggage handlers Accepting baggage only from ticketed passengers and only at ticket counters inside an airport Hand searching or X-raying all checked luggage Matching checked baggage against the names of people who have boarded a flight and pulling bags from the baggage compartment for further inspection if they do not match a passenger aboard the flight Questioning passengers before each flight to make sure they have not accepted gifts or packages from people they do not know In 1993, terrorism struck the United States directly with the World Trade Center bombing, followed by the bombing of the federal building in Oklahoma City, Okla. Once again, security was increased at U.S. airports. As a result of the recommendations of the White House Commission on Aviation Safety and Security, published in February 1997, the FAA has purchased and deployed sophisticated explosive-detection screening equipment at certain U.S. airports for use by the airlines. U.S. airlines utilize a government-required and approved Computer-Assisted Passenger Pre-Screening System (CAPPS), which automatically determines – using government-mandated, objective criteria – which passengers require additional scrutiny. Enhancements to passenger-screening procedures and training have been implemented and mandatory background checks were required for airline-screening personnel. Various improvements in cargo-screening procedures were also implemented. The aviation security landscape changed forever after Sept. 11, 2001. Congress enacted the Aviation and Transportation Security Act (ATSA), which transferred the responsibility for screening passengers, baggage and cargo to the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), also created by the Act and subsequently placed in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). In accordance with federal regulations, airlines immediately limited access to the security checkpoint to passengers with a valid boarding pass. Airlines also hired and trained additional screeners to conduct secondary screening of passengers at the gate. Airlines went to work with aircraft manufacturers and the FAA to design and install hardened cockpit doors. These reinforced doors were installed on the entire U.S. fleet in advance of the April 2003 deadline. As mandated by Congress, TSA was required to assess, hire and train federal screeners to screen passengers and checked baggage. TSA initially hired 45,000 full-time screeners to staff positions at over 420 commercial airports. The agency worked vigorously to purchase and deploy upgraded walk-through metal-detection devices, X-ray units and explosive trace detectors (ETD) for passenger-screening checkpoints. In November 2002, TSA officially assumed responsibility for screening passengers and carry-on baggage. At the same time, the organization was faced with the challenging December 2002 deadline for conducting 100 percent checked-baggage screening. While many of the thousands of ETDs and explosive-detection systems (EDS) had been deployed, it was clear that more time was needed to meet the deadline. In order to provide a more reasonable implementation time, Congress extended the deadline by one year. In December 2003, TSA met the deadline for checked-baggage screening. The airlines are required by the federal government to verify passengers against watch lists, issued by TSA. These watch lists include the names of individuals who are known or suspected terrorists. The selectee list includes the names of individuals that must be subjected to additional screening. The No-Fly List includes the names of individuals who are not allowed to fly. Simply because a passenger is subjected to additional screening does not necessarily mean that the individual is on the TSA watch list. The CAPPS designates passengers for additional screening. TSA implemented in 2010 the Secure Flight program. It fulfills a 9/11 Commission recommendation by using basic biographical information provided by each passenger to vet that passenger against the government's terrorist watch lists. The TSA requirement that 100 percent of cargo transported on domestic passenger aircraft be screened was implemented in 2010. This fulfills a 9/11 Commission recommendation. The same requirement for international flights is being implemented. To enable cargo screening to occur farther up the supply chain, and thereby minimize screening queuing at the airports, TSA has issued a rule creating the Certified Cargo Screening Program (CCSP). Under CCSP, an air cargo entity can apply to TSA to become a Certified Cargo Screening Facility (CCSF). CCSFs carry out a TSA-approved cargo screening program. TSA has implemented a risk-based process to evaluate and prioritize threats. This practice helps to preserve limited resources, by allocating funds in accordance with sound risk-management principles. The aviation security system has been substantially improved over the years to maximize efficiency while maintaining the highest possible levels of passenger, cargo and employee security. The system will continue to evolve as new and promising technology is identified. Go to Chapter 8 PubZone2