Memorial to Pam, Shannon and Katie Lychner, 3 of 230 who perished |
I worked for a cargo airline at the time, and we went into freak-out mode after Flight 800 with cargo inspection procedures to prevent against the introduction of explosives. We were promised that technology was just around the corner to insure that everything going on the plane was safe, and that we wouldn't have to expend all the extra effort for long, opening up everything to check it ourselves. But it never happened, at least not adequately, and to this day it hasn't. For me, it meant operational burnout, and I quit.
You fly at your own risk.
Crappy News Network reports, here, that the problems still remain:
As the TSA continues to study its current cargo screening protocols, it is unclear if or when it might implement any changes.
But an airport security official told CNN that new safety protocols and additional resources may not close all the gaps that exist in airline cargo security.
"Cargo is a vast area with lots of access points -- you can never get it completely right," said Mark Hatfield, chief security officer at Miami International Airport.
"It's something that keeps us up at night," he added.