Iberia extends e-freight network
31 / 03 / 2009
IBERIA and the International Air Transport Association (IATA) have launched a new stage in the IATA e-freight Spain project, extending the use of electronic documentation for airfreight bound for London and Stockholm. Since last April the system has been used for shipments from Madrid to Frankfort and Amsterdam, and in coming months it will be introduced on routes to the Canary Islands and the United States.
Electronic freight documentation (e-freight) eliminates the need to print the 13 documents required for most airfreight shipments, by substituting them with electronic messages that are accessible online to the parties involved. It is cheaper, faster, and more reliable that the paper-based system.
“IATA e-freight is a US$55 billion revolution for developing electronic business and the global economy,” said Alfonso Fuertes, director of Iberia Cargo. “This launch ushers in an era of greater efficiency in airfreight operations.”
The IATA e-freight system is also being tested in pilot projects in Australia, Canada, Denmark, Dubai, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Luxemburg, Mauritius, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Singapore, South Korea, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United States. The end of 2010 has been established as the target date for full implementation of the project.
