Empowering the Airport Cargo Community through technology

Air cargo is a booming segment within the airline industry with a significant share of revenues. The challenges facing the industry are manifold especially lagging IT infrastructure upgrades. In the next two decades, air cargo traffic is expected to go beyond thrice its current size, out-pacing passenger traffic and thereby providing airlines with greater revenue-generation opportunities.

The air cargo business is swiftly shifting focus from general cargo to highly specialised cargo verticals. In this evolving business scenario, traditional stakeholders of the air cargo industry will need to deploy data analytics and data mining technologies for creating bespoke products for air cargo, which are distinct from those for the passenger business. Airport Cargo Community Systems bridge the gap with regards to standardisation of processes and technological needs of the air cargo value chain.

Most of the major airports across the globe have Airport Cargo Community Systems (ACS) for information exchange between its various stakeholders. These structures constitute a Single Window System for Trade. The Trade Facilitation agreement by the World Trade Organisation aims to help make trade across borders (both imports and exports) faster, cheaper and more predictable, while ensuring its safety and security.

An Airport Cargo Community System (also referred to as Cargo Community System (CCS)) is a neutral and open electronic platform aiding intelligent and secure information exchange between its stakeholders. It is a crucial tool in optimising operational efficiencies and enabling digitalisation of the end-to-end air cargo value chain

The role of the Airport Cargo Community system

A Single Window System such as an ACS can enable electronic communications in airports between private transport operators (airlines, agents, freight forwarders, stevedores, freight depots), the private vicinity (pre- and on-carriage, usually by road), importers and exporters, the airport authorities, Customs and other authorities.

With technology at its core, Kale Logistics Solutions’ Airport Cargo Community system is an electronic collaboration that can help all stakeholders to electronically communicate within themselves and with other stakeholders like Airlines, Customs House Agents, Customs, Banks and GHAs. It can facilitate the movement of goods and information at the airport and aids in digital interactions, in conformance to initiatives around e-freight, e-AWB and e-CSD.

Unique Functional Capabilities of Airport Cargo Community System

e-Booking: Forwarder can view the airline schedules and request for bookings. Standard EDI messages can be exchanged to request booking and receive confirmation from airlines.

e-AWB: Provision to capture and amend AWB’s. FWB/FHL messages can be triggered to the airlines and handlers to give them pre-alerts. Also, it has a provision for AWB stock management.

Slot & Dock Management: Provision to configure slots and docks so that trucker/ forwarders can book them to bring their cargo to the airport.

e-DO: Generate airline Deliver Order (DO) and make payments through pre-deposit accounts or payment gateways. CONSOL DO can also be released by the agents to sub-agents/consignee.

e-Manifest Filing: Convert FFM messages received from airlines to Customs format and file it with Customs. Acknowledgment received from customs can be sent back to the airlines. Helps in CONSOL Manifest (CGM) filing to customs.

e-Payment: Forwarder can make payments through the portal using pre-defined accounts or payment gateway interfaces.

ACS streamlines the entire export and import process for all airport cargo stakeholders

Export

• Standard EDI messages can be exchanged to request booking and receive confirmation from airlines
• Generate airline Deliver Order (DO) and make payments through pre-deposit accounts or payment gateways
• CONSOL Manifest (CGM) filing to customs
• Provision for AWB stock management
• Forwarder can view the airline schedules and request for bookings
• Real-time updates of various milestones through Mobile App

Import

• Streamlines entire import process with stakeholders like Consignees, Carriers & Forwarders and Customs
• Forwarder can create import goods declaration and submit to Customs from the ACS data
• Auto-generation of pertinent documents such as imports goods declaration, import manifest, e-DO and Release Order (OC)
• Financial transactions like CAN/DO charges, TSP, Customs Duty etc.
• Facility to seek approvals at various milestones from relevant entities
• Seamless connectivity with Customs for documentation and approvals

Business Benefits

To know more about our other solutions for Air Cargo, please click here.