The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has called on the US Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), to look at a next generation checkpoint.
This, it said, should give screeners access to effective intelligence to deliver proportional screening measures based on risk assessments.
The IATA was commenting on the new security measures introduced by the United States following an attempted downing of the Northwest Flight 253 on December 25 last year.
In a statement released in Geneva on Monday, the IATA stated that a lesson learned from the recent incident is the importance of combining screening procedures with intelligence.
“It is critical that the DHS partner with industry to identify the most effective and efficient ways to address this challenge going forward.
“Clearly, the air transport system cannot support 100 percent pat-down searches over the long term,” said IATA’s director general and chief executive officer, Giovanni Bisignani.
However, he said a smaller percentage of intensive pat downs accompanied by trace detection technology, may reduce delays and achieve near-term security requirements as the government focused on longer-term technology solutions to address the ongoing threat.
“Therefore, it is important for the US and other governments to coordinate security requirements and to work closely with industry for their effective implementation,” he added.
He also said the recent announcement by the TSA to replace the original emergency requirement for 100 percent pat-down screening of all US-bound passengers with threat-based and random screening, is a welcome step in the right direction.
According to Bisignani, long-term, sustainable aviation security must be globally harmonized, risk-based and have efficient processes for passengers.