Air Transport 2

The air transport process further explained - one step deeper into the process

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The export / outgoing shipments are received from the customer / forwarder at landside and prepared and consolidated for flight:

Menzies cargo handling

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Then the consolidated cargo is moved in ULD’s or bulk to airside and loaded in the aircraft for transport to the airport of destination:

See a Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and UK aviation industry aircraft loading instruction video on safety in the balance here on CargoHub.nl.

 Menzies ground handling

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The incoming / import cargo is broken down again at landside and first the documents and then the shipments are handed over to the customer / forwarder:

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and who are new in the business to question me 

in order to improve the information on this site! 

• 

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move on to the next process step: Forwarding in     >>>

Forwarding in

The incoming or import forwarding process further explained

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The receiving forwarder picks up the shipment documents at the handling agent.

This pick-up can be done by the forwarder himself, or can be outsourced to a local courier.

The forwarder prepares import documents (if necessary), performs customs clearance for import (electronically or manually) and awaits approval from customs.

• If the forwarder is also a certified customs agent, he will perform the clearance himself (forwarding agent) ; if not he can outsource these activities to a certified customs agent.
• A certified customs agent will always have a financial / credit arrangement with customs to cover eventual import duties and/or VAT due, often by means of a deposit at customs.
• A  customs agent knows how to exactly classify the goods for import according to regulations ; this is done based on the packing list and (pro-forma) invoice, so the packages remain unopened.
• Also a customs agent is trained and experienced in acquiring and applying special customs arrangements, licences and exemptions in order to lower or avoid import duties or to speed up the customs process where possible.
•  Customs clearance is never the end-responsibility of the customs agent though, this responsibility remains at the principal and depends on the agreed delivery terms.

K+N office ; photo source: Kuehne + Nagel

At this stage customs can decide to release or hold the shipment for inspection, whereby the packages are opened, and can demand payment of import duties or even fines depending on the customs regulations and judging the type of information given by the customs agent against these regulations and the actual commodity of the goods to be imported

Drug detector dog ; photo source New Zealand Customs

After approval by customs (which must be proven to the handling agent, because the goods are stored under supervision of customs), the pick-up of the goods at the handling agent is ordered, and the goods are delivered at the forwarder’s warehouse

• Again, depending on the internal organisation of the forwarder’s processes, this road transport can be executed either with in-house operated trucks, vans or personnel or by a third party

Panalpina warehouse barcode scanning ; photo source: Panalpina

The forwarder splits the shipments, makes them ready for transport again, and orders

e-Freight

e-Freight

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e-Freight aims to take the paper out of the air cargo supply chain and -processes and replace it with cheaper, more accurate and more reliable electronic messaging. Facilitated by IATA, the project is an industry-wide initiative involving carriers, freight forwarders, ground handlers, shippers and customs authorities.

According to IATA, each air cargo shipment carries with it as many as 30 paper documents – enough to fill 80 Boeing 747 freighters every year!  These air cargo shipment documents consist of the following categories:

• Trade documents
• Invoice
• Packing-list
• Certificate of Origin
• Transport Documents
• Flight Manifest
• Air Waybill
• House Manifest
• House Waybill
• Customs Documents
• Import & Export Cargo Declaration & Release
• Import & Export Goodss Declaration & Release

e-Awb keyboard (source: Air Cargo News)

A good presentation on how the paperless e-freight process works, step by step with all the related EDI (Electronic Data Interchange) / FSU (Freight Status Update) message flows, can be found here on IATA's website, here in a powerpoint presentation of CCS Hungary or here on the site of CCS Hungary ( > downloads > AWB presentation). 

Find out more about e-freight and how to get started here on IATA's e-freight site,  IATA created a self-assessment tool and provides a capability matrix of air cargo IT providers, an e-freight savings calculator and  several matchmaker tools.

Further information here on Air Cargo News or here on Air Cargo Netherlands site. 

 The official IATA e-freight logo

Watch a video about e-freight here on SDV's website or here on YouTube (eLink Movie Amsterdam Airport Schiphol HD).

Photo source: SDV

I invite all of you in the industry to contact me for corrections or additions, 

and who are new in the business to question me 

in order to improve the information on this site! 

[last updated apr 27th, 2016]