A known shipper (called a known consignor in the EU and UK) is a business whose identity and security procedures have been vetted so its cargo can enter the secure air cargo supply chain. Every shipment must still be screened or come from an approved secure supply chain before loading, and in the US TSA requires 100% of cargo on passenger aircraft to be screened.
Key takeaways
- TSA requires 100% of cargo carried on passenger aircraft to be screened, under section 1602 of the 9/11 Act.
- Since June 30, 2021, TSA has required all air cargo leaving the US for foreign destinations to be screened or secured before it is loaded.
- In the EU, cargo must be physically screened or come from a secure supply chain, and only a regulated agent may carry out physical screening.
- Shippers in the US must consent to a search or inspection of their cargo, or it will be refused.
- A Certified Cargo Screening Facility can screen at your own site and keep the cargo secured until it reaches the airline.
What is a known shipper in air cargo?
A known shipper is a business whose identity and security procedures have been checked so it can hand cargo into the secure air cargo supply chain; Europe and the UK call it a known consignor.
In the US, the Transportation Security Administration's cargo programs page says aircraft operators, foreign air carriers and indirect air carriers must run known shipper programs under their TSA-approved security programs, set out in 49 CFR parts 1544, 1546 and 1548. TSA identifies and approves known shipper status through its Known Shipper Management System. In practice your airline or forwarder vets you before it accepts your freight, not the other way round.
The UK Civil Aviation Authority defines a known consignor as a consignor that originates cargo for its own account and whose procedures meet security rules and standards sufficient to allow carriage on any civil aircraft. The CAA's Known Consignor Scheme page says the scheme is voluntary and that every known consignor gets a site validation visit every 12 months.
Does all air cargo have to be screened?
All air cargo must either be screened or arrive from an approved secure supply chain before it is loaded, and on US passenger aircraft screening is mandatory for every piece.
TSA states that it requires 100% of cargo transported on passenger aircraft to be screened, under section 1602 of the 9/11 Act. For exports, TSA's August 2023 announcement notes that since June 30, 2021 all air cargo leaving the US for non-US destinations has had to be screened or secured before it is loaded onto an aircraft. TSA also says shippers must consent to a search or inspection, or their cargo will be refused.
The European Union uses the same two routes. The European Commission's air cargo and mail page says all cargo and mail must be physically screened or come from a secure supply chain before being loaded, that every actor in that chain must be approved by a member state's aviation security authority, and that physical screening may only be carried out by a regulated agent.
Who does what in the secure supply chain?
Each party either secures the cargo, keeps it secure or screens it, and the terms differ between the US and Europe.
| Role | US (TSA) term | EU and UK term | What it does |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vetted shipper | Known shipper | Known consignor | Originates cargo and has approved security procedures |
| Forwarder | Indirect air carrier (IAC) | Regulated agent | Accepts, consolidates and tenders cargo; a regulated agent may also screen it |
| Off-airport screener | Certified Cargo Screening Facility | Regulated agent or known consignor site | Screens or secures cargo before it reaches the airline |
| Airline | Aircraft operator or foreign air carrier | Air carrier; ACC3 when flying into the EU from a non-EU airport | Final check before loading |
TSA says an indirect air carrier is an entity without an FAA air carrier certificate that arranges air transport of property, and that each one needs a TSA-approved security program renewed every year. The European Commission adds a fourth EU category, the account consignor designated by a regulated agent. Internationally, ICAO says that account consignors not approved by an aviation security authority were to be phased out by June 30, 2021, and that a business that originates its own cargo can seek approval as a known consignor instead.
Airlines flying into Europe have their own layer. The Commission's page on cargo from non-EU countries says carriers must be designated as an ACC3 for each non-EU airport they serve, and must ensure all cargo is physically screened to EU standards or comes from an EU aviation security validated secure supply chain.
What does a known consignor have to do?
A known consignor needs a written security program, trained and checked staff, controlled access and protection of cargo from tampering until it is handed over.
The UK CAA's Known Consignor guide (CAP 1810, version 5, July 2026) lists the core duties:
- A security program, drawn up, applied and maintained, and signed by a legal representative or the person responsible for security.
- Recruitment checks completed before anyone is trained or put to work on secure cargo.
- Air cargo security training for the staff who apply the controls.
- Access control over the areas where air cargo is processed or stored.
- Protection from tampering during production, packing, storage, dispatch and transport.
The same guide says cargo that a known consignor could not secure must be identified to the regulated agent and kept separate, and that all such consignments must be screened before loading. Secured cargo can be given the status SPX, which the guide describes as secure for passenger, all-cargo and all-mail aircraft.
How can screening be done before the airport?
In the US, a manufacturer, warehouse or forwarder can become a Certified Cargo Screening Facility and screen cargo on its own premises.
TSA's Certified Cargo Screening Program, under 49 CFR part 1549, certifies facilities such as manufacturers, warehouses, distribution centers and airport cargo handlers to screen cargo before it goes to the airline. Certified facilities must follow a TSA-approved program and strict chain-of-custody rules, and TSA says cargo must be secured from the time it is screened until it is placed on the passenger aircraft. In 2023 TSA said it had changed the program so more shippers could enter the secure supply chain, and that certified facilities can pack and secure cargo without additional screening later. TSA also runs a Third-Party Canine-Cargo program that lets certified explosives detection dog teams screen cargo.
The trade-off is effort against speed. Screening at your own site means extra procedures, staff and audits, while tendering unscreened freight hands the work to the forwarder or airline. Ask your forwarder what each option means for cut-off times on your lane.
How do security rules affect your transit time and paperwork?
Cargo cannot fly until its security status is recorded and any advance data is accepted, so missing information is a common reason freight misses a flight.
IATA's standard Consignment Security Declaration gives regulators an audit trail of how, when and by whom a shipment was secured. It can be carried on the electronic air waybill or as a separate declaration, and IATA Resolution 651 on the e-CSD entered into force in November 2015. Customs security data now runs alongside it. US Customs and Border Protection's Air Cargo Advance Screening program, in force since June 12, 2018, has carriers send a subset of shipment data before cargo is loaded for the US. The EU's Import Control System 2 also requires a minimum set of data before loading.
Practical steps that keep shipments moving:
- Ask your forwarder whether you are on file as a known shipper, and what it needs from you to keep that status.
- Describe goods precisely. Vague descriptions such as "parts" can trigger holds on advance customs data. See how house and master documents carry this data in our HAWB vs MAWB guide.
- Pack for inspection. Any consignment may be searched, so agree in advance how sealed or high-value cargo will be handled.
- Declare dangerous goods properly. Security screening is separate from dangerous goods acceptance; start with our guide to the nine dangerous goods classes.
- Allow time. Our guide to how long air freight takes shows where screening sits in the door-to-door timeline.
Security handling can also appear as a surcharge on your invoice, so check the weight and volume you are paying on with the air freight cost calculator. Jumbo Air Cargo arranges general air freight worldwide through partners under its JumboGeneral service; once a shipment is booked, you can follow it on the AWB tracking page.
Frequently asked questions
What is a known shipper in air cargo?
A known shipper is a business that an airline or indirect air carrier has vetted under its TSA-approved security program, with status approved through TSA's Known Shipper Management System. In the EU and UK the equivalent is a known consignor, approved by the national aviation security authority.
Does known shipper cargo still get screened?
On US passenger aircraft, yes: TSA requires 100% of that cargo to be screened. Known shipper status decides who can tender cargo, while screening can be done by the airline, a forwarder or a Certified Cargo Screening Facility.
What happens to cargo from an unknown shipper?
In the EU and UK it is treated as unsecured and must be screened by a regulated agent before it can fly. Allow extra time for that step before the airline's cut-off.
What is a Consignment Security Declaration?
It is the IATA standard record of how, when and by whom a shipment was secured, carried on the electronic air waybill or as a separate declaration so regulators can audit the chain.
Can I refuse to have my air cargo inspected?
No. TSA says shippers must consent to a search or inspection, or their cargo will be refused.
