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Suggested Citation:"Chapter 6 - Conclusions." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2012. Elimination or Reduction of Baggage Recheck for Arriving International Passengers. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13650.
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Page 68
Suggested Citation:"Chapter 6 - Conclusions." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2012. Elimination or Reduction of Baggage Recheck for Arriving International Passengers. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13650.
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Page 68
Page 69
Suggested Citation:"Chapter 6 - Conclusions." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2012. Elimination or Reduction of Baggage Recheck for Arriving International Passengers. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13650.
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Page 69
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Suggested Citation:"Chapter 6 - Conclusions." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2012. Elimination or Reduction of Baggage Recheck for Arriving International Passengers. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13650.
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Page 70

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67 Conclusions Eliminating baggage recheck is a difficult objective; a further reduction in the need for baggage recheck is a feasible objective. The potential risk that CBP associates with a traveler connecting to a destination outside the United States versus inside the United States is the key differential. At present four airports provide a facilitated process for select international-to- international connecting passengers. This existing precedent and CBP’s willingness to support other passenger facilitation initiatives, which are not detrimental to its ability to complete its mission to protect the U.S. border, should provide airports, airlines, and travelers with general optimism. The elimination or reduction of baggage recheck for international arrivals could benefit more than 60,000 passengers and 21,000 bags per day and create savings of more than $400 million per year. These figures are based on 2010 traffic volumes. Some experts have projected a growth in international air traffic to 60 million by 2025; if that happens, U.S. airports and airlines will have a difficult time coping with the rapid growth in baggage handling services, staffing, and infrastructure. The range of potential solutions identified, analyzed, and tested include: • Activities before a flight takes off from a foreign airport, • Processes immediately upon arrival to a U.S. airport, and • Other measures undertaken prior to the next flight. The conclusions of this study reflect the aim to: • Introduce new ideas to allow CBP to meet its risk assessment of checked bags, • Reduce minimum connection time or increase reliability of connections, • Enhance passenger satisfaction, • Establish appropriate processes to ensure that the large majority of bags that have no risk issue are facilitated by airports and through airport arrivals processes, and • Introduce solutions that are amenable to facilities of various layouts and sizes. The conclusions of the study team are driven by two key directions: • Expand the number of airports (near term) that offer international-to-international facilita- tion services and airline participation at existing airports. Work on process and technological improvements to augment CBP risk management capabilities. • Introduce new risk management techniques (long term) such as X-ray image sharing and CBP algorithms to eliminate baggage recheck for international-to-international passengers and reduce baggage recheck for international-to-domestic passengers. C h a p t e r 6

68 elimination or reduction of Baggage recheck for arriving International passengers Applying Research to Practice Opportunities To implement the findings of this report, there are four key opportunities to pursue. Next-Generation Security Screening Equipment As the definition of layouts and data processes for the next generation of explosive detection systems develops, there are opportunities to accommodate baggage recheck elimination: • Augmenting API to include advance baggage information (ABI) • Incorporating the ability to route international arrival bags for screening • Testing other algorithms to enable one scan to meet detection capabilities relevant to explo- sives, agricultural, and customs purposes Outside the United States, there are also opportunities to review next-generation technology as other countries move to full computed tomography systems for explosive detection systems. Shar- ing X-ray images across different countries will require standard protocols for transmitting ABI. Facility Retrofit for International Arrivals The number of new port-of-entry FIS facilities at U.S. airports is quite limited (e.g., Las Vegas, Houston Intercontinental). Retrofits to existing facilities (e.g., Washington Dulles) are more common, as airports focus on upgrading the international arrivals experience, in concert with CBP’s initiatives to improve the quality of passenger processes. While each airport will invariably have a different facility layout and time requirements for analyzing the feasibility of baggage recheck elimination, airport planners and designers would be well served to allow space for routing of bags and passengers through flows described in this document. While any solution is subject to local approvals, anticipating future outcomes of baggage recheck elimination could avert future structural changes to FIS facility design. Working with CBP to update its Airport Technical Design Standards would be a positive step to achieving guidelines to this end. International-to-International Connections Four airports have already implemented procedures to reduce international-to-international baggage recheck. Although similar in nature, the alternative procedures deployed at each airport follow local operating procedures that were agreed to by all stakeholders. The commonalities are as follows: • Option for CBP to request delivery of selected bags for Secondary Processing • Delivery of bag(s) within a set period of time as CBP warrants • Commitment by the airport and participating airline to audit and monitor processes • Contingencies for exceptions to account for irregular operations A national set of guidelines could assist other airports and airlines that wish to institute an alternative procedure for international-to-international baggage. International-to-domestic baggage presents a different threat profile but could follow a simi- lar process should this be implemented broadly across U.S. airports. Alignment with Airport Marketing and Air Service Development Objectives The greatest success was realized in the alignment of carrier and airport service development objectives. Some airports found it beneficial to facilitate as few as 20 bags per hour in order to increase potential market share and the reliability of systems. The business case may be indi-

Conclusions 69 vidual to each airport, but the fundamental principle is to enable shorter minimum connection times and capture increased carrier connecting possibilities. Challenges Resilience to Changing Conditions Border facilitation programs such as reducing international baggage recheck require a longer- term view (more than 5 years) to demonstrate the potential for relevance to changing conditions. Airports tend to have a much longer-term view (more than 25 years) for the life cycle of facilities. With changing threats and conditions, any solution must anticipate future needs, whether integration of pandemic planning or responses to other emerging threats to border security. To ensure sustainability, any proposed process must incorporate features to • Scale to different risk levels and • Expand to different volumes of bags/passengers. The resiliency of alternative processes will ultimately depend on the maturation of risk manage- ment techniques. As CBP has demonstrated through the success of its Customs Trade Partnership Against Terrorism program, oftentimes good security depends on the full engagement of private sector, traveler, and other stakeholders in the process—in addition to CBP officers themselves. International Standards The study team found numerous cases of baggage recheck elimination worldwide. While the practice is prevalent in Europe and new technologies are being tested between Australia and New Zealand (i.e., X-ray image sharing for the purpose of agricultural inspection), an emerg- ing issue is the ability to foster international standards associated with baggage information. The study team noted that 15 percent of the time, SITA found there was no incoming BSM received, to allow airlines to sort baggage effectively. Without fidelity and standards adherence, there are sizable challenges to the ability of international data transmission to assist CBP to risk-manage bags. A Path for Improvement The first step toward an airport improving its connections effectiveness as a hub is to identify opportunities that save time, improve passenger convenience, and/or reduce costs; in this case eliminating the need for baggage recheck. The second step is to find a solution that will provide a net benefit for all stakeholders. For example, while the need for baggage recheck at SFO was recognized as a burden on the connection process, an airline determined that the cost of an alter- native process for international-to-international baggage outweighed the benefits. However, at SEA, it was determined that a similar new process was a worthwhile pilot program to pursue. It is this type of analysis and decision making that is required at each airport. Ultimately, each airport and respective airline(s) must evaluate the incremental costs and benefits associated with an alternative procedure. Based on the airports/airlines that have successfully reduced baggage recheck for international- to-international connections, as well as research with other industry members, the following elements need to be reviewed: • Costs: Airports and airline(s) need to collaboratively document the costs associated with bag- gage recheck to establish the need for change from a commercial perspective. They also need

70 elimination or reduction of Baggage recheck for arriving International passengers to determine the costs associated with the introduction of a new process/system (e.g., staff training, resources, conveyors, induction points). • Benefits: CBP could evaluate the historical—and future—benefit of having connecting pas- senger baggage present in the FIS area for both onward domestic and international flights. Airports and airlines need to review the incremental costs in relation to the benefit that would be gained through a reduced baggage recheck. • Cooperation: A collaborative effort between all stakeholders involved is important to deter- mine local operating procedures for a successful reduction in baggage recheck, or to outline the necessary steps for a future reduction. • Implementation: An effective, efficient, and consistent set of actions is required to ensure that all parties uphold their responsibilities as outlined in the established procedures. Where pos- sible, airports and/or airlines should introduce pilot projects that provide CBP with the oppor- tunity to evaluate alternative procedures in a controlled environment. A long-term solution will be viable only if CBP can continue to effectively manage the international arrivals process and the airports/airlines realize a net benefit. The key element that has been evident throughout the course of the study is that all stakehold- ers (i.e., CBP, airports, airlines, and TSA) are willing to work together to design a better system for themselves as well as the traveling public. To advance the discussions further, a pilot initiative could be considered: 1. Design a concept. Airports and/or airlines need to identify alternative solutions that would satisfy their operational needs within a cost structure that provides a net benefit. 2. Incorporate CBP early in the process. Too often, the government is presented with a final- ized concept that does not provide any opportunity for discussion or input (or is at least perceived as such). At such a point, the government may be forced to provide a yes/no answer without the airport/airlines having the opportunity to make minor modifications that could secure government support. 3. Define a path forward. Once a concept of operations has been agreed to by all parties, a schedule for implementation should be agreed to that ensures the pilot initiative is intro- duced in a timely manner. 4. Evaluate the pilot initiative. Upon implementation, it will be important to monitor key performance and operational statistics to properly evaluate the successful, and unsuccessful, elements. This will enable all stakeholders to properly assess the merit of a longer-term solu- tion or to adapt the existing initiative to realize greater benefits. Potential Additional Actions To fully implement the ideas contained within this report, the study team further concludes the need for several key activities: • Pilot projects: Joint pilot projects between TSA, CBP, airlines, and airports are needed to provide a proof-of-concept for the findings on international-to-domestic baggage recheck elimination. • Standard operating procedures: Development of national guidelines around baggage recheck elimination will assist in consistency of processes from site to site. • Facility guideline changes: Design documents for CBP and TSA may need to be introduced to assist airport designers and planners in implementing baggage recheck elimination.

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TRB’s Airport Cooperative Research Program (ACRP) Report 61: Elimination or Reduction of Baggage Recheck for Arriving International Passengers identifies potential alternative procedures that might be implemented to help reduce or eliminate the need for the recheck of baggage for arriving international passengers at U.S. airports.

The report describes the potential benefits and costs to airports, airlines, and federal agencies related to adopting the procedures and also compares the alternative procedures with current practices.

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