US eyes tighter air cargo safety

US officials have expressed concerns over air cargo safety

US security officials have ordered random searches of cargo in passenger and cargo planes in US airspace.

Foreign cargo carriers will also be required to submit security plans to the Department of Homeland Security's Transportation Security Administration.

The new measures will "significantly enhance air cargo security", US Homeland Security chief Tom Ridge said.

The TSA statement on Monday did not say when the new security measures would come into effect.

Existing security measures to check air freight coming into the US have been criticised as insufficient.

Earlier this month US officials warned terrorists could hijack cargo planes and crash them into American targets.

'Important steps'

Under the plans for foreign cargo carriers, the identities of persons with access to planes must also be verified and parked aircraft must have their security checked.

The measures form part of the TSA's larger Air Cargo Strategic Plan.

The plans will eventually include the development of an air cargo screening programme which uses terrorist watch lists and federal and commercial databases to identify suspicious or higher risk shipments.

The plans expand on the TSA's existing Known Shipper Program - which forbids air carriers from accepting cargo that does not originate from shippers who meet TSA requirements - by proposing wider, more comprehensive databases for checking cargo.

The TSA also plans to spend $55m in 2004 on studying the possibility of using explosive detection systems - already used to screen passenger baggage - it said in a statement.

Earlier in November the Department of Homeland Security warned that cargo planes could be hijacked and warned local and state authorities - and those responsible for safety at nuclear plants, bridges and dams - of the potential threat.

Fears of holes in US air security were also heightened in September when, on the eve of the second anniversary of the 11 September attacks, a man managed to send himself via air freight from New York City to his parents' home in Texas.