Cargo Overview

e-AWB

Our 2012 Board target of 15% global penetration has been greatly hampered by the very challenging trading environment. Members diverted resources to other priorities and some deferred necessary technology investment till 2013.

Additionally, customs regimes in key states e.g. China, US, Gulf States (except Dubai) continue to demand paper AWBs. The GACAG (Global Air cargo Advisory Group) fully endorses e-AWB and are supporting IATA in lobbying customs authorities to establish the necessary e-customs policies.

Of the global forwarder partners, only DHL Forwarding, Kuehne & Nagel, Schenker and Expeditors consistently engaged airlines and IATA and remain leading e-AWB performers. Swissport, WFS and DNATA are the leading GHA’s.

IATA Board and Cargo Committee members reaffirmed their commitment to driving adoption in Q4/2012 and through 2013 and a very recent CBP decision enabling all US stations to accept e-AWB will stimulate further growth.

Following the September performance, our forecast for end 2012 is presently 8.7%.

e-freight

The GACAG fully supports our vision of a paperless air cargo supply chain and helped developed a 3-pillar strategy jointly sharing accountabilities towards this goal: (1) advocacy to enable the global network; (2) 100% removal of transport documents; (3) digitalization of all commercial documents.

This considerably increases chances for success and our target therefore for 100% e-freight of all transport documents remains end 2015. A significant step towards this milestone will depend on our ability to e-enable the BRIC Countries and we will make this a priority for 2013. 

Cargo Security

Remained a major area of activity for IATA with several projects progressed in 2012. Secure Freight moved forward with successful pilots in Kenya and Mexico while a new pilot will be launched in Chile in November  

Only a few non-US airlines have engaged with the CBP and TSA’s ACAS (Air Cargo Advanced Screening) pilot initiative in the US. IATA and its partners have been busy encouraging those carriers serving the US to register their participation pending the introduction of a new regulation.

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