§ 1544.205 - Acceptance and screening of cargo.

§ 1544.205 Acceptance and screening of cargo.

(a) Preventing or deterring the carriage of any explosive or incendiary. Each aircraft operator operating under a full program, a full all-cargo program, or a twelve-five program in an all-cargo operation, must use the procedures, facilities, and equipment described in its security program to prevent or deter the carriage of any unauthorized persons, and any unauthorized explosives, incendiaries, and other destructive substances or items in cargo onboard an aircraft.

(b) Screening and inspection of cargo. Each aircraft operator operating under a full program or a full all-cargo program, or a twelve-five program in an all-cargo operation, must ensure that cargo is screened and inspected for any unauthorized person, and any unauthorized explosive, incendiary, and other destructive substance or item as provided in the aircraft operator's security program and § 1544.207, and as provided in § 1544.239 for operations under a full program, before loading it on its aircraft.

(c) Control. Each aircraft operator operating under a full program or a full all-cargo program must use the procedures in its security program to control cargo that it accepts for transport on an aircraft in a manner that:

(1) Prevents the carriage of any unauthorized person, and any unauthorized explosive, incendiary, and other destructive substance or item in cargo onboard an aircraft.

(2) Prevents unescorted access by persons other than an authorized aircraft operator employee or agent, or persons authorized by the airport operator or host government.

(d) Refusal to transport. Except as otherwise provided in its program, each aircraft operator operating under a full program, a full all-cargo program, or a twelve-five program in an all-cargo operation, must refuse to transport any cargo if the shipper does not consent to a search or inspection of that cargo in accordance with the system prescribed by this part.

(e) Acceptance of cargo only from specified persons. Each aircraft operator operating under a full program or a full all-cargo program may accept cargo to be loaded in the United States for air transportation only from the shipper, an aircraft operator, foreign air carrier, or indirect air carrier operating under a security program under this chapter with a comparable cargo security program, or, in the case of an operator under a full program, from a certified cargo screening facility, as provided in its security program.

(f) Acceptance and screening of cargo outside the United States. For cargo to be loaded on its aircraft outside the United States, each aircraft operator must carry out the requirements of its security program.

(g) Screening of cargo loaded inside the United States by a full program operator. For cargo to be loaded in the United States, each operator under a full program in § 1544.101(a) must ensure that all cargo is screened in the United States as follows:

(1) Amount screened.

(i) Not later than February 3, 2009, each operator under a full program must ensure that at least 50 percent of its cargo is screened prior to transport on a passenger aircraft.

(ii) Not later than August 3, 2010, each operator under a full program must ensure that 100 percent of its cargo is screened prior to transport on a passenger aircraft.

(2) Methods of screening. For the purposes of this paragraph (g), the aircraft operator must ensure that cargo is screened using a physical examination or non-intrusive method of assessing whether cargo poses a threat to transportation security, as provided in its security program. Such methods may include TSA-approved x-ray systems, explosives detection systems, explosives trace detection, explosives detection canine teams certified by TSA, or a physical search together with manifest verification, or other method approved by TSA.

(3) Limitation on who may conduct screening. Screening must be conducted by the aircraft operator, by another aircraft operator or foreign air carrier operating under a security program under this chapter with a comparable cargo security program, by a certified cargo screening facility in accordance with 49 CFR part 1549, or by TSA.

(4) Verification. The aircraft operator must verify that the chain of custody measures for the screened cargo are intact prior to loading such cargo on aircraft, or must ensure that the cargo is re-screened in accordance with this chapter.

[71 FR 30510, May 26, 2006, as amended at 74 FR 47703, Sept. 16, 2009; 76 FR 51867, Aug. 18, 2011; 76 FR 53080, Aug. 25, 2011]