Managing Risk and Complexity

In Global Air Cargo Shipments

Worldwide air cargo volume is expected to almost double in the first ten years of this century and is projected to double again by the year 2020. Air freight therefore is creating new risks for aviation security inspectors and placing new burdens on customs inspectors to prevent bottlenecks in the flow of goods across borders.

Passport technologies that will screen air cargo or palletized checked luggage can be integrated into current airport security systems. An electron accelerator, beam delivery system, cargo conveyor lines and system shielding (figure) can provide fast, automated screening with minimum human involvement. The technology can be optimized for LD3-size containers or palletized cargo. Multiple conveyor scan lines driven off the central high-power electron accelerator can be added to achieve fast-throughput requirements.