WELCOME TO ISSUE 3 of IATA E-FREIGHT NEWS
17 July 2009

IATA e-freight is growing rapidly around the world! This monthly briefing allows you to keep up with the latest developments in taking the paper out of air cargo. Find out about achievements and progress, what's new with e-freight processes and standards, additions to the e-freight route network, growth in e-freight operators, and volumes of e-freight consignments.

IATA e-freight local representatives: please feel free to forward this information to your local air cargo supply chains!


IATA e-freight local representatives: please feel free to forward this information to your local air cargo supply chains!

The EF "Who and Where" detailed report provides the list of airlines and freight forwarders operating e-freight per country/airport (at origin and at destination) and the Monthly EF volumes report provides the monthly EF volumes and the league tables (top 10 EF countries at origin and at destination; top 10 EF airlines and freight forwarders). Both reports are posted on the IATA public website at http://www.iata.org/stb/efreight/scorecards.htm

Understanding motivators, limiters and blockers

  • In March and April, the IATA team conducted interviews with existing e-freight participants. The goal was to understand the key limiters and blockers of current e-freight penetration. The results were reviewed at the e-freight Central Action Group meeting on June 25 and specific actions identified for each key blockers and limiters. The final report will be published on the IATA website by the end of the month.

Driving volumes up

  • Three Local Adoption Meetings (LAMs) co-organised by IATA together with the leading local stakeholders are scheduled in July 2009: Hong Kong, Australia and New Zealand. The objective is to encourage local stakeholders, especially local freight forwarders, to adopt e-freight in those markets. More details and registration forms are available at http://www.iata.org/stb/efreight/lams.htm

Geographic CAPABILITY - Building the e-freight route network:

IATA 2009 board target: 5 new countries/territories; 14 new airports within existing e-freight countries/territories.
The EF detailed locations' status report posted on the IATA public website at http://www.iata.org/stb/efreight/scorecards.htm gives all the e-freight related information on countries, airports and trade lanes (list of live countries and airports, list of countries having passed the HLA, list of valid transit airports, list of airports likely to be live this year, and more)

Assessing countries' readiness

  • Finland and Belgium have been endorsed as ready to start implementation. Stakeholders interested in joining the team that will implement e-freight in FI and or BE should contact the Local Implementation Manager: Chris Wolstenholme (WolstenhoC@iata.org)
  • China has a Local Action Plan defined to close gaps (essentially gaps in the Customs area) before starting the implementation phase. The original plan was for China to be ready by end of June 2009. Due to new timelines for the China Customs Manifest Management System, the expected end date has been moved to January 2010.
  • Chile has completed its Detailed Level Assessment. A Local Action Plan has been defined to close the identified gaps by June 2010.
  • India is likely to start the Detailed Level Assessment this summer. Stakeholders willing to participate in this exercise should contact the IATA India Country Manager: Sunil Chopra at ChopraS@iata.org
  • Colombia has passed the High Level Assessment and is starting the Detailed Level Assessment exercise driven by IATA.

Implementing ready countries

  • NRT airport in Japan is now e-freight capable. Well done to the Japanese team! Two airlines (NH and UA) and two freight forwarders (K Line Logistics and Nippon Express) went live on July 8 on two trade lanes: NRT-SIN and NRT-ORD.
  • Egypt is planning to go live with its first e-freight shipments in July.
  • Iceland is planning to go live with its first e-freight shipments in August.
  • Chinese Taipei will kick-off the implementation phase with local stakeholders in August. Stakeholders willing to do e-freight in Chinese Taipei should contact the IATA e-freight local implementation manager, Shu Yin Tan at tansy@iata.org

Expanding the e-freight network within the live countries

  • The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) has agreed to the expansion of e-freight in Toronto and Vancouver (starting July 27) to include four more carriers in addition to the ones involved in the initial go-live, and to start e-freight in Montreal (as early as August 4) with a initial group of three carriers. Airlines interested in participating in e-freight in any of these airports should contact the IATA e-freight local implementation manager, Alan Turpin, as soon as possible at turpina@iata.org.
  • USA: LAX and DFW airports are in the final stage of going live on e-freight for import. Go live is expected early August. Stakeholders interested in participating in e-freight in LAX or DFW should contact he IATA e-freight local implementation manager, Alan Turpin, as soon as possible at turpina@iata.org.
  • USA: There is no limitation to expansion of participation on both import and export from ORD and JFK. Those two stations are now open to all new airlines or forwarders who wish to participate. Stakeholders willing to start e-freight in the US from/to ORD or JFK should contact the IATA e-freight local implementation manager, Alan Turpin at turpina@iata.org.
  • Australia: the objective this year is to have MEL adopting e-freight. The MEL implementation is led by Emirates and the kick-off meeting was held on June 30. Stakeholders interested should contact the IATA e-freight local implementation manager, Shu Yin Tan at tansy@iata.org .

IATA e-freight PRODUCT - Building one industry standard for the supply chain operating process and e-documents:

IATA goal in 2009: 16 supply chain documents covered by IATA e-freight and the e-AWB Model Agreement in place

Development of new business processes

  • To enable the use of e-Transfer Manifest in multilateral cargo Interlining under IATA e-freight, the functional specifications and necessary amendments to CSC Resolution 660 and Recommended Practice 1605 have been proposed by the task force and endorsed by the e-freight Central Action Group. IATA will conduct a Proof of Concept in the coming months with airlines. Stakeholders interesting in participating in this Proof of Concept should contact us via IATAe-freight@iata.org
  • Specifications for Intra-Customs Regime (ICR) for the European Union have been endorsed by the task force and are now under review by the e-freight Central Action Group. We expect final sign-off by end of this month.
  • The e-freight Central Action Group confirmed their interest in having the e-freight business process analysed and defined for Domestic in the US as soon as possible. Following this request, IATA and CNS are now setting-up a task force to work on this issue.

Development of new standard messages

  • Shipper's Declaration for Dangerous Goods: the Proof of Concept for the newly developed electronic (XML) standard for the Shipper’s Declaration for Dangerous Goods (SDDG) has started. This will demonstrate the possibility to remove the paper declaration between shippers, freight forwarders and airlines, and replace it with the electronic standard on live trade lanes. Stakeholders interested in participating in this Proof of Concept should contact Guillaume Drucy, Head of IATA e-freight Implementation, at drucyg@iata.org
  • The Cargo XML Task Force (CXMLTF) provided recommendations of the first draft message functional specifications for the House Waybill, which will enable to start working on the technical specifications. The CXMLTF will also start the development activity for the Air Waybill mid of July.

Adoption of new standard messages

  • The Spanish based shipper Inditex is conducting a Proof of Concept with their Customs Agents in Canada and Dubai to use the XML standards developed last year (Invoice and Packing List) to undertake customs clearance at destination. The first part of the Proof of Concept (i.e. using the XML standard documents for customs clearance) is close to completion. The second phase will involve the Inditex freight forwarder at origin using electronic FWB and FHL messaging to replace the paper transportation documents. This will allow the Inditex shipments to be transported as full e-freight shipments. Once completed, IATA will document the outcomes of the Proof of Concept and encourage the industry to adopt the XML Invoice and Packing List standards.
  • The IATA e-freight project team is still working closely with AFI/FIATA and IATA member airlines to finalise the IATA model agreement for EDI (e-AWB). Recommended Practice 1670 will be communicated to Cargo Services Conference for mail vote as soon as the model agreement for EDI is endorsed by FIATA and IATA.

NEWS, EVENTS & MEETINGS - The IATA e-freight team all around the world:

  • At the last eCAG (e-freight Central Action Group) meeting held in June the findings of the recent penetration campaign were presented and the direction and strategy of the project validated.
  • The WCO issued a communiqué ("WCO and IATA work together to take the paper out of air cargo") to its member countries endorsing IATA e-freight on June 22.
  • Steve Smith, IATA e-freight Project Director, presented the benefits of the Single Window Concept to the air transport industry and its alignment to e-freight at the WCO meeting on June 29 in Brussels.
  • Andrea Graf, Manager IATA Cargo Standards attended e-Business & e-Invoicing meetings at SITPRO in London, where she presented an update on IATA e-freight. Participants recognized the alignment of IATA e-freight goals with those of the SITPRO e-Business and e-Invoicing initiatives and were particularly interested in the IATA e-freight benefits. They also were impressed with the increase of live countries since the last presentation (7 to 21) and interested in the future electronic messages that will be developed under IATA e-freight to replace further paper documents.

UPCOMING CARGO EVENTS: click on heading and register!

Best regards,
The IATA e-freight team
IATAe-freight@iata.org