Frankfurt happy with progress on digital switch-over

A little more than a year ago, the FrankfurtAIR@Link (FAIR@Link) cargo community system (CCS) went into operation at Germany’s busiest air freight hub. According to Frankfurt airport operator Fraport, since the system was introduced at the gateway in January 2015, the number of users and also the volume of cargo handled via FAIR@Link have grown steadily.
During the course of 2015, the platform’s list of users were joined by CEVA Logistics, GEODIS, Röhlig, UTi Deutschland, and cargo handler CHI. Meanwhile, the number of shipments registered on FAIR@Link increased by 55% between January 2015 and January 2016, with a total of more than 40,000 air waybills (AWBs) being processed using the system over that period.
FAIR@Link, like all CCS, is designed to shipments to be moved through the port/airport more efficiently. Ulrich Wrage, CEO of Dakosy, the company that developed the system, has summarised its benefits: “The handling agents benefit from FAIR@Link both because it reduces paperwork and because it lets them assign personnel to loading and unloading processes more efficiently. Forwarders and their service providers realise major time savings in connection with deliveries and pick-ups as a result of leveraging digital and largely automated processes.”
Fraport has viewed the introduction of FAIR@Link as representing a major push on the road towards digitising Germany’s largest and busiest cargo airport. Dirk Schusdziara, senior vice president cargo at Fraport, explained: “Our customers want reliable, transparent processes, and FAIR@Link serves as the basis for this. It networks the players in the airfreight chain and allows them to digitally exchange information, which in turn improves the physical processes between them – not just within our CargoCities, but also well beyond their perimeters. That is why we actively supported the development of this system from its beginnings.
“Looking ahead, we will continue to promote the platform in order to strengthen our leading position in this sector,” Schusdziara added.