USA – DHL and American Airlines Cargo have joined efforts to help their customers avoid disruption when the U.S. Transportation Security Administration's (TSA) Certified Cargo Screening Program (CCSP) comes into effect on the 1st of August this year, which will mean that cargo carried on passenger aircraft will be individually screened.
This could pose major obstacles regarding cut-off times and costs, as many shipments consist of several pieces that are wrapped or containerized/palletized, that need to be disassembled for screening and re-assembled afterwards. The CCSP was set up to maintain the integrity of a shipment throughout the supply chain and enable shippers to incorporate physical screening into the packing process.
To help their pharmaceutical customers both companies are offering joint training sessions to educate them in how to avoid problems by best complying with the new regulations and ensuring smooth integration with the CCSP.
DHL and American Airlines Cargo's first training session has already taken place in Dallas, Texas, and strongly focused on the operational flow of cargo through the airline's network, piece level screening and the impact to handling processes when the 100 percent screening mandates take effect.
"DHL's partnership with American Airlines and the TSA is designed to provide important information to customers regarding the most efficient way to screen freight to meet the new mandates, while also meeting critical delivery deadlines," said Gary Schultheis, Senior Vice President Airfreight DHL Global Forwarding, Americas. "As an outcome of this meeting, we strongly recommend that customers become certified to provide pre-screened shipments."
"We are very pleased that DHL Global Forwarding is working with American Airlines and the TSA to educate customers toward a 'best practice' approach to preparing for the 100 percent screening mandates," said Dave Brooks, president of American Airlines Cargo.
"By putting the proper processes in place through the TSA's CCSP program, shippers can ensure that their shipments are handled most efficiently at the airport-thus avoiding delays or unpleasant surprises next August."
