UPS has stopped screening air cargo at some United Kingdom facilities after the British Department for Transport found security shortfalls in the Sandy Springs logistics company's operations.
The stoppage is not in response to any threat, both UPS and the agency said, but comes after a scheduled security review turned up areas of concern for the company. Neither UPS nor the Department for Transport would elaborate on what those problems were.
In October, authorities found explosive devices in printer cartridges that were shipped on cargo planes from Yemen. The UPS facilities at the U.K.'s East Midlands Airport, where those bombs were found, were not among those shut down, UPS spokesman Dan McMackin said Friday.
McMackin said the decision to stop screenings at some facilities was made in conjunction with British authorities. No facility has been completely shut down and McMackin said six facilities are still screening packages, though he would not say how many of UPS' 62 U.K. facilities normally do so.
Since the printer cartridge bombs were detected, planned improvements in air cargo security have been accelerated, said Doug Caldwell, vice president of Seattle-based EquaShip. Caldwell said taking some facilities offline likely stemmed from the push for enhanced security, which includes screening more packages and the people who send them.
"There's a lot going on behind the scenes," he said.
Caldwell said the move is good for UPS in the long term, as it will lead to improved safety measures. He did not think it would negatively affect the company.
"It shows nobody's sitting on their hands," he said.
UPS said some packages have been delayed as the company has put contingency plans in place. UPS expects service levels to return to normal early next week; the company said the security review took place earlier in June.
The delays will cause UPS a short-term economic loss, said Richard Bloom, director of terrorism, espionage and security studies at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Arizona. He said companies like UPS and FedEx, which said its operations continue as normal in the U.K., have a natural tension between their security needs and their desire for profit, but that it is better to find and manage vulnerabilities.
Warren Jones, president of the Atlanta Air Cargo Association, said after the printer cartridge bombs, cargo security has been taken increasingly seriously. He called UPS' decision to temporarily stop screenings at some of its locations proactive.
"You have to applaud the decision," he said. "They found an area of concern and they're addressing it."
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