Emirates launches electronic cargo waybill

By Fredrick Obura

Emirates SkyCargo has added further momentum towards electronic freight as it announces a record 100 per cent use of electronic air waybill in cargo shipment from its Dubai hub.

Electronic air waybill is an initiative by International Air Transport Association (IATA) that aims at removing the requirement for paper air waybills-contract used for transportation of air cargo.

By the end of 2014, IATA said the new system would have helped airfreight industry save up to $4.9 million in elimination of the need to print, and in handling or archiving paper air waybills.

Emirates Cargo Manager for East Africa Khalid Al Hinai said Emirates SkyCargo, the freight division of Emirates airline, was already on track to meet the deadline, with 51 of the locations it serves e-freight compliant and this latest milestone was further testament to the progress being made.

"The transition to e-freight is a massive challenge for both the industry and Emirates SkyCargo. Change of this scale requires time and many steps have been made, but this really is a giant stride forward," said Al Hinai.

"Eliminating paper from our hub demonstrates our commitment to meeting IATA’s deadline and bringing enhanced operational efficiency to the supply chain. The benefits for the entire industry are clear—simplifying business and reducing costs, and as more and more parties come on board, the benefits become greater," added Al Hinai.

E-freight project in Kenya kicked off in April 2010, with Kenya Airways and Kenya Revenue Authority as the key sponsors alongside other stakeholders’ including the local Freight Forwarders Association, ground handlers and other Government regulatory bodies involved in aviation.

Kenya Airways General Manager Cargo Sauda Rajab said Kenya Airways Cargo has completed the installation of an electronic cargo monitoring system making it second nd airline in Africa to achieve this.

"In air cargo handling, customers increasingly wanted shorter transit times, lower prices and increased reliability, while customs authorities were pushing for electronic information in advance," she said.

She added that the recent slow economic growth globally has put pressure on cargo revenue and therefore called on airlines to cut their service costs.

Electronic freight can be used in all cases where the country of origin and the country of destination have ratified the same treaty: the Montreal Convention or Montreal Protocol.

Preliminary results

Meanwhile, the outgoing Minister of Transport and Communication, Frank Ramsden, has given assurances that Air Botswana will not be removed from IATA due to three recent aircraft crashes that happened in the past week.

IATA is responsible for setting all the airline rules and regulations. The Minister, who was accompanied by the Chief Investigator of Accidents, Captain Selwyn Lloyd, said investigations into the causes of the accident were ongoing and preliminary results were expected in about three weeks, while the final results may take more than six months to be published.

An aircraft carrying 12 tourists crashed in Xakanaka, killing eight people. The bodies of those who perished were said to be burnt beyond recognition, thus the Botswana Police is doing DNA tests to identify the deceased.

In another accident an aircraft crashed in the Delta; five passengers survived with injuries.