The foiling of the terrorist attempt in Yemen in October made it clear that there was a need for a more robust system to prevent terrorists from loading potentially harmful packages on planes. Five days after the international anti-terrorism authorities foiled the plot, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and the US Customs & Border Protection (CBP) started organizing meetings with industry stakeholders and partners. The meetings were intended to gather information to better understand industry practices that would make it possible to develop efficient mechanisms to collect cargo data from the supply chain.

ACAS pilot was launched in December 2010 and was run on a voluntary basis for more than seven years. During this time, CBP continues to cooperate with the international community and air industry partners to develop effective and workable regulatory requirements.

ACAS has now been made mandatory for all airline carriers transiting through or ending their journeys in the United States. The program enhances the security of the passengers and the aircraft by involving the robust layer risk-based security strategies of the Department of Homeland Security.