Here’s ‘paperless’ way to ship on Europe-Asia corridor by air

A “paperless’ lane for air freight between Germany and Hong Kong has successfully been established by Lufthansa following the first few weeks of trials which resulted to 100 percent of general cargo shipments processed digitally. 100 percent means not only the electronic air waybill, but also accompanying documents and paper pouches.

This is the first of its kind in the air corridor between Europe and Asia, according to Lufthansa Cargo and Kuehne+Nagel, who are moving jointly forward in view of digitalisation and sustainability in air freight.

Both are encouraging industry players to join them in their efforts to eliminate unnecessary paper documents which can help optimise the entire air freight process.

Interested logistic companies are required to participate in the electronic air waybill (eAWB) single process and the selection of the eFreight Special Handling Code (EAW) for all general cargo when preparing the shipment and paperless delivery to the airline. Kuehne+Nagel plans to further expand the number of similar lanes to eventually build a whole ‘paperless corridor’ between Europe and Asia for general cargo.

India’s forwarders tap Kale to adopt e-FBL solution

Forwarders in India have deployed a new platform that could help transform the ease of doing business and reduce the logistics costs for the country’s local players. The Federation of Freight Forwarders’ Associations in India (FFFAI) launched India’s first interactive electronic FIATA bill of lading (e-FBL) initiative hosted on the CODEX platform, developed by Kale Logistics Solutions.

The platform, launched on 9 June, will allow forwarders to issue a secured e-FBL through a one-click process. It is enriched with a smart QR code that allows users to establish the document’s integrity, security and accountability. Each FBL document is registered on an immutable ledger and can be verified at any time by all stakeholders interacting with the document.

FFFAI members can generate the bill in three ways, including API integration, excel upload or using a machine learning interface that can pull data from scanned documents into the FIATA format with more than 95 percent accuracy. Vineet Malhotra, cofounder and director of Kale Logistics Solutions, explained that this will reduce nearly US$50 for each shipment with respect to documentation, courier and postage charges.

A.P. Moller-Maersk’ air cargo unit is strengthening its growing freighter network with increased regular flights in customer-backed air corridors and the introduction of additional aircraft. The move comes as the logistics operator is looking to plug a ‘connectivity gap’ between the world’s three largest markets for ocean shipping, North America, Europe, and Asia Pacific, with new solutions for time-sensitive and high-value cargo.

Maersk is doubling its weekly rotations from 3 to 6 on the Chicago Rockford International Airport and Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport route, whilst weekly rotations between Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport in South Carolina, Incheon