TSA "could do better" in foreign airport, carrier inspections.

In the aftermath of the alleged August 2006 liquid explosives terrorist plot, efforts by the US Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to evaluate the security of foreign airports and air carriers that service the US have come under renewed scrutiny.

According to a recent GAO report, of the 128 foreign airports that TSA assessed during fiscal year 2005, TSA found that about 36% complied with all applicable security standards, while about 64% did not comply with at least one standard. The security deficiencies identified by TSA at two foreign airports were such that the Secretary of Homeland Security notified the public that the overall security at these airports was ineffective.

The GAO report notes that, of the 529 overseas air carrier inspections conducted during fiscal year 2005, for about 71%, TSA did not identify any security violations, and for about 29%, TSA identified at least one security violation. TSA took enforcement action--warning letters, correction letters, or monetary fines--for about 18% of the air carrier security violations. TSA addressed most of the remaining 82% of security violations through on-site consultation.

According to the GAO, TSAs oversight of the foreign airport assessment and air carrier inspection programmes "could be strengthened". For example, TSA did not have adequate controls in place to track whether scheduled assessments and inspections were actually conducted, deferred, or canceled. TSA also did not always document foreign officials' progress in addressing security deficiencies identified by TSA. Further, TSA did not always track what enforcement actions were taken against air carriers with identified security deficiencies. TSA also did not have outcome-based performance measures to assess the impact of its assessment and inspection programmes on the security of US-bound flights. Without such controls, GAO concludes, TSA "may not have reasonable assurance that the foreign airport assessment and air carrier inspection programmes are operating as intended".

TSA is taking action to address challenges that have limited its ability to conduct foreign airport assessments and air carrier inspections, including a lack of available inspectors, concerns regarding the resource burden placed on host governments as a result of frequent airport visits by TSA and others, and host government concerns regarding sovereignty. In October 2006, TSA began implementing a risk-based approach to scheduling foreign airport assessments, which should allow TSA to focus its limited inspector resources on higher-risk airports.