Lufthansa Cargo, Kuehne+Nagel pilot 100% paperless shipments

By introducing “paperless lanes” between Europe and Asia, Lufthansa Cargo and one of its most digital partners Kuehne+Nagel seek to eliminate the unnecessary burden of physical documentation while optimising the entire air freight process.

"The benefits of paperless lanes extend beyond operational efficiency. This collaboration will also make substantial contributions to sustainability efforts within the air freight industry," says a release from Lufthansa Cargo.

"Already in the first weeks of the pilot phase, Lufthansa Cargo and Kuehne+Nagel achieved 100 percent paperless shipments for general cargo on the lane between Germany and Hong Kong. This means not only the electronic air waybill but additionally also targets accompanying documents and paper pouches. In the next phase, more lanes will be targeted. By increasing the number of paperless lanes, a whole paperless corridor between Europe and Asia will be built for general cargo where the transport of paper could be eliminated."

Jan-Wilhelm Breithaupt, Vice President, Global Fulfilment Management, Lufthansa Cargo says: “We see great opportunities in this initiative as it supports all participants in pushing their handling efficiencies as well as increasing data availability and transparency throughout their network. The transition to a paperless environment will significantly reduce processing times plus complexity and offers just in time shipment status information. However, it will only be a first step towards a fully digitalised air freight future; especially accompanying documentation of special cargo will come into our focus soon enough.”

Kolja Mahler-Wingen, Vice President, Air Logistics Operations, Germany, Kuehne+Nagel adds: “In addition to the positive effect of paperless handling, which primarily saves time and gains efficiency, a purely digitally supported process also offers further potential for automation in order to reach the best possible transparency and data quality for our customers around the globe. We as Kuehne+Nagel are highly committed to further expanding our digital ambitions on the way to a fully digitised air freight process.”

Participating in the paperless corridor is easy for logistic companies: all that is required is the participation in the electronic airway bill (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, the release added.