Bomb find may lead to air freight surcharges
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roger.browniartu.co.uk THE BOSS OF Roy Bowles Transport says air freight hauliers may be forced to pass on costs to customers if security charges rise as a result of heightened fears over terrorism.
Steve Bowles, director at the Colnbrook, Berks-based haulage firm, says the move may have to happen due to the "limitations of profit margins" in the haulage industry.
His comments follow last week's incident when a bomb originating in Yemen was found on a USbound cargo plane at East Midlands airport.
The device discovered at the airport was disguised as a printer ink cartridge and contained about 300g of powerful explosive PETN.
This week, Home Secretary Theresa May announced a ban on direct unaccompanied airfreight from Yemen and Somalia and said printer cartridge exporters would have to join an approved government list.
Bowles adds: "It is vital that we have proper air freight security and that the country is safe from threats.
"However, we are all concerned about rising security costs, which may have to be passed on to customers due to the limitations of profit margins in this industry."
TNT says it only handles very small volumes of parcels and packages to and from Yemen, but says all packages that pass through its depots are subject to x-ray screening.
A spokesman says: "TNT Express Services presently exceeds the Department for Transport PIT] requirements for aviation
security in the UK and is in frequent liaison with the ENT on such matters. We will comply with any new regulations should they be introduced by DfT in light of recent terrorism alerts."
DHL says it has suspended all unaccompanied air freight to the UK from Yemen and Somalia, and no longer accepts toner cartridges into, via and from the UK.
A spokeswoman says: ''We have very robust security policies and procedures in place that meet all international aviation security requirements and regulations and have had so for many years," UPS has suspended service out of Yemen "until further notice':
A statement from the firm says: -We have processes, systems and procedures in place designed to protect our people, aircraft and customers' shipments and they
exceed current regulatory requirements.
"UPS will continue to partner with authorities, industry and customers to address security issues." !,
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