Lufthansa Cargo joins air cargo digitalisation project
11 / 02 / 2022
Photo: Lufthansa Cargo
Lufthansa Cargo is taking part in a new project by the German government to digitalise air cargo.
The Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure’s (BMVI) “Digital Test Field Air Cargo” project is being coordinated by the Fraunhofer Institute for Material Flow and Logistics (IML).
Within the project, Lufthansa Cargo said it is focusing on intensified data exchange between all partners in the transport chain, even beyond the roles that have been typical in the transport process to date. This data exchange is the basis for all data-driven optimisations and AI-based applications.
For example, digital accompanying documents from manufacturers to consignees will be made available to all parties by using IATA’s new, open ONE Record standard. This standard was co-designed by Lufthansa Cargo.
Likewise, temperature data, position data and photos of the entire transport chain are to be made available in order to identify and solve problems earlier. This can increase transparency and make processes and capacities more efficient through better forecasts and higher data quality. Eventually, this also leads to a reduction in CO2 emissions, said Lufthansa Cargo.
The association of different players covering the entire air cargo logistics chain, including pre-carriage and onward carriage, enables the project to contribute and take into account perspectives and requirements for further developments from the entire industry. This creates the opportunity to develop digitisation solutions across locations and at the same time prepares the ground for implementation in existing process flows.
Harald Gloy, Lufthansa Cargo’s executive board member for operations and human resources, and a member of the BMVI’s Innovation Commission, said: “We are pleased that the Federal Ministry of Transport has clearly committed itself to airfreight in Germany with the Digital Test Field Air Cargo.
“We want to contribute to further strengthening Germany as a business location. That is why we are contributing our many years of experience in digitalization along the supply chain to this nationwide project and ultimately also want to set international standards.
“Digitalising air freight further also means making it more sustainable. To this end, we see great potential in optimized data exchange between all partners in the airfreight transport chain, for example, which we want to leverage.”
