Unmatched Bags Are Security Disconnect

The U.S. Department of Transportation's decision to exempt airlines from matching checked baggage to passengers on connecting flights is a security gap that needs to be closed, said DOT Inspector General Ken Mead late yesterday in testimony before the Senate Commerce Committee.

Mead told lawmakers--who are taking their first hard look at DOT's implementation of last year's Aviation and Transportation Security Act--that, "We are pleased with the progress so far" with DOT's efforts. However, he noted that positive bag match has its limitations since it won't prevent a suicidal terrorist from blowing up an aircraft by putting a bomb in his baggage. Further, Mead noted, the decision to eliminate connecting flights from the positive bag match requirement means that positive bag match is not in effect.

Mead cited DOT figures estimating that more than 75 million travelers are connecting passengers and said that, under the current procedures, they would not have positive passenger bag match applied to them for the second segment of their trip. "In addition," he said, "The majority of these passengers would be connecting through hub airports. These connecting passengers would not have their checked baggage subject to any screening (not even positive passenger bag match) when departing the hub airport. This creates a higher risk for flights departing hub airports, which are the largest airports in the country." Airlines argue that their hub airports would be plagued by delays, should connecting baggage also be screened.

With a December deadline for 100 percent screening of checked baggage with explosive detection systems, there still remains a shortfall of manufacturing capacity by the only two certified EDS manufacturers. Moreover, Mead also said that he has "serious reservations" about whether EDS equipment can continue to be installed in airport terminal lobbies and still keep passenger processing operating with a reasonable degree of efficiency. He said the equipment needs to be integrated within the overall airport baggage system, which usually is in the terminal basement. According to Mead, no other country in the world is using EDS machines installed in the lobby of a large airport to screen 100 percent of checked baggage. He said plans at Washington Dulles International show that if the 50 EDS machines required to screen all checked baggage are placed in the lobby. "There will be limited room for passengers to wait in line for processing," he said.