February 13, 2018: The operator of Frankfurt Airport (FRA), Fraport and IT service provider Dakosy have concluded a cooperation agreement for the implementation of a digital cargo portal at FRA for shippers of dangerous goods.

According to a press note from the company, the portal communicates all shipment details and dangerous goods-specific data completely electronically through only one interface – from the shipper to the airline. The launch of a pilot phase is planned for early May. Thus, for the first time worldwide, the entire dangerous goods process will be fully digitised.

Ulrich Wrage, CEO of DAKOSY AG, said, "With the shipper portal, we are solving another significant challenge of the air cargo supply chain. Our solution will considerably simplify processes for all users across company borders. The ever closer collaboration with Fraport AG as a strong partner for this innovative product allows us to contribute to drive forward the digital transformation in the air cargo industry on a consistent and ongoing basis."

The legislation prescribes that, for every dangerous goods shipment, a Dangerous Goods Declaration (DGD) must be included with the shipment. Due to documentation errors, there are delays for a significant portion of dangerous goods. With the new portal, these errors are usually identified and corrected well before arriving at the airport. Additionally, time-consuming manual entries are no longer necessary. As a result, delays and related costs can be avoided.

Underlining the benefits of the new portal, Anke Giesen, Fraport AG’s executive director Operations, said, "The portal enables all players of the airfreight supply chain to make the process faster, more reliable, and more transparent. We at Frankfurt Airport are thus once again underscoring our position as an innovation leader in airfreight."

The project is an ideal complement to the e-AWB initiative launched by IATA, as it promotes the digitisation of an additional airfreight document. Many renowned companies have already committed to participating in the pilot phase at FRA. In the future, the portal might be expanded by additional product groups.

Photo: For representational purpose only