Posted on: Wednesday, August 25, 2004

TSA to test screening of air cargo

Associated Press

WASHINGTON — The federal government wants to see whether machines designed to detect explosives in airline passengers' luggage also can be used to scan other cargo — from mail to commercial goods — transported in the holds of commercial planes.

A two-month test started this week at three of the nation's busiest airports: Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport and Miami International Airport, the Transportation Security Administration said yesterday.

The agency will inspect a certain percentage of cargo, but won't say exactly how much.

All air passengers and their bags are screened for bombs and weapons before they're allowed to board.

Although some cargo is randomly checked by bomb-sniffing dogs at airports around the country, the vast majority is not inspected.