GAO-06-76 Aviation Security: Federal Action Needed to Strengthen Domestic Air Cargo Security

In 2004, an estimated 23 billion pounds of air cargo (AC) was transported within the U.S., about a quarter of which was transported on passenger aircraft. Within the Dept. of Homeland Security, the Transportation Security Admin. (TSA) is responsible for ensuring the security of commercial aviation, incl. AC. To evaluate the status of TSA's efforts to secure domestic AC, this report examined: (1) the extent to which TSA used a risk management approach to guide decisions on securing AC; (2) the actions TSA has taken to ensure the security of AC & the factors that may limit their effectiveness; & (3) TSA's plans for enhancing AC security & the challenges that TSA & industry stakeholders face in implementing these plans. Illustrations.