Changes to Australia's air cargo security arrangements to the US

The Australian Government recently informed all Australian cargo stakeholders that the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) will shortly implement changes to Australia's air cargo security arrangements to the United States (US).

As this has the potential to significantly impact Qantas Freight operations and our customer requirements, I wanted to provide some detail in preparation for these changes.

To meet the new US security requirements, the TSA has advised:

• Australia will need to screen 100% of our export cargo at piece level which is carried on passenger aircraft to the US.
• Each individual box, carton or other item in a shipment must be examined by technology or physically inspected.

Impact of these requirements on Qantas Freight operations:

• Qantas Freight will be required to invest in additional screening equipment and resourcing. To accommodate piece level screening, presentation requirements for freight may differ.
• Increased cut-off times may be required for freight acceptance at terminals. Changes will be notified in advance of the requirement.
• At peak times, the amount of freight we can accept and uplift could be impacted.
• There may be a potential increase in the Export Security Fee to cover the additional handling of US bound freight.

The earliest these changes could take effect is 1 August 2015, and Qantas is working towards having contingency arrangements in place for this date. Our biggest priority is minimising the impact to our customers and we expect to have a plan to communicate to you within 3 - 4 weeks.

We will update you as soon as more information is available. You can find out more about the changes, and future strategy for Known Consigners at the Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development website – http://www.infrastructure.gov.au/transport/security/cargo/strengthening/index.aspx

Nick McGlynn
Chief Operating Officer, Qantas Freight