Who leads transportation security and what core method protects air travel?

• A. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
• B. Coast Guard.
• C. Transportation Security Administration (TSA); primary methods include passenger and baggage screening and risk-based screening.
• D. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).

Answer: (C)

Transportation security is led by the Transportation Security Administration, the agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with safeguarding air travel. The strongest way this protection is carried out is through a two-pronged approach: screening people and their belongings at security checkpoints, and using risk-based screening to focus resources where risk is higher. Screening passengers and baggage helps intercept weapons, contraband, and other threats before they can reach aircraft, while risk-based screening uses data and assessments to speed up lower-risk travelers (like program-based expedited lanes) and allocate more attention to higher-risk situations. For context, FEMA handles emergencies and disasters, the Coast Guard’s focus is maritime and certain air-safety tasks, and CBP handles border protection, including at some airports, but TSA is the primary lead for protecting day-to-day air travel.