Innovative IT system goes live at Hamburg Airport Cargo Center

Oct 31, 2019: The new FAIR@Link portal, after a six-month test phase, goes into full operation for digitally-supported air cargo handling at Hamburg Airport Cargo Center.

This new portal ensures more sustainability and transparency as well as faster and more efficient processes for the companies involved in air freight handling.

The platform was developed by software firm DAKOSY, which also operates the Port Community System for the Port of Hamburg and the Cargo Community System for Frankfurt Airport.

In addition to Hamburg Airport and DAKOSY, the pilot participants included the forwarders CROSS FREIGHT, Delta-Stallion, a.hartrodt and SABLE, the handling agents LUG and Swissport, the Hamburg Airport Customs Office and the Hamburg Forwarding Agents Association (VHSp).

The pilot project started at Hamburg Airport Cargo Center on May 6, 2019.

Hamburg Airport begins using DAKOSY air cargo community system

All participants have already noticed clear improvements in their processes during the pilot phase.

Hamburg Airport highlights the advantage of implementation of this platform. Out of many, one is that forwarders can book time slots for deliveries. This results in shorter waiting and handling times, more transparency along the transport chain and improved documentation for handling agents, who no longer need to re-enter duplicate data - thus avoiding mistakes and saving time.

Hamburg Airport Cargo Center completes one year of operations

Introducing this system brings in a major advantage, that is the system prepares export Customs declarations and then automatically submit the electronic forms to Customs upon entry to the Hamburg Airport Customs Office geofence area.

Slot booking makes planning easier

Jens Sorgenfrei, managing director of CROSS FREIGHT Internationale Speditionsges. mbH, sums up the advantages for freight forwarders: “Transports pre-registered via FAIR@Link are handled preferentially by the handling agents at the airport. The slot bookings save us several hours every day. Processes are easier to plan. All in all, we benefit in Customs and door clearances.”

Dr. Jürgen Vogt, managing director of LUG, also sees it as positive from the viewpoint of handling agents: “With slot booking, our EDP system receives all information before the arrival of the goods. The data does not have to be entered again when the document is received. This enables us to save a lot of time and speed up the receiving process. With FAIR@Link, we gain more transparency into all processes and can better manage our capacities with regard to door and personnel availability.”

Ulrich Wrage, CEO of DAKOSY said: “Through connectivity and intelligent process support, FAIR@Link can optimize the physical processes between companies and achieve significantly faster and more transparent processing. In addition, the platform promotes ecological concerns, as optimized traffic management and reduced check-in and waiting times lead to CO2 savings. And it saves paper, too.”