Airforwarders Association Presses for Nomination of New TSA Administrator

Political leadership of agency is essential to air transportation safety

(WASHINGTON) - Citing the critical importance of the Transportation Security Administration to the safe, secure and efficient movement of air cargo, the Airforwarders Association (AfA) today called on President Trump to nominate a new Administrator for the agency.

The TSA has been without a confirmed Administrator since the end of the last Presidential administration when Peter Neffinger retired from the agency.

While praising the work of the agency's interim leadership and staff, the AfA, which represents more than 300 companies that move air cargo through the supply chain, noted that the TSA's operations and policies have a broad impact on its members.

"Knowing the way things work in Washington, it is important that TSA is under the direction of someone who has been officially endorsed by both the President and the Congress, so the administration needs to move quickly to name a new Administrator and for the Senate to expedite his or her confirmation process," said Brandon Fried, the AfA's Executive Director. "It is important to our industry, to the traveling public and the nation at large to get this underway."

Fried cited a number of policy initiatives that he felt requires a confirmed Administrator to move forward, including finalizing pending changes to TSA's Indirect Air Carrier Standard Security Program (IACSSP) aimed at making it more efficient, flexible and cost-effective for both industry and government. Confirmed leadership at TSA, said Fried, will also help champion the success of important initiatives such as making modifications to the Known Shipper (KS) program that accomodate the changing needs of business in an e-Commerce environment and the expanded use of privatized canines in government certified screening facilities run by air forwarders.

About the Airforwarders Association
The Airforwarders Association (AfA) represents more than 360 member companies dedicated to moving cargo throughout the supply chain. The association's members range from small businesses with fewer than 20 employees to large companies employing more than 1,000 people and business models varying from domestic to worldwide freight forwarding operations. In short, they are the travel agents for freight shipments, moving cargo in the timeliest and most cost efficient manner whether it is carried on aircraft, truck, rail or ship. For more information, visit the association's website at www.airforwarders.org.