The IATA e-freight project aims to take the paper out of air cargo. Facilitated by IATA, the project is an industry-wide initiative involving carriers, freight forwarders, ground handlers, shippers and customs authorities.
Each air cargo shipment carries with it as many as 30 paper documents – enough to fill 80 Boeing 747 freighters every year. IATA e-freight replaces 13 of these documents with electronic messages. That will increase to 16 in 2009, and 20 in 2010.
Key benefits include:
- Lower costs: industry savings of up to US$4.9 billion annually
- Faster service: a reduced cycle time of an average of 24 hours
- Greater reliability and accuracy: one-time electronic data entry at point of origin
- Better visibility: electronic documentations allows for online track and trace functionality
Project information: