Flexibility Key for Heathrow Truck Handling – Air Cargo Stakeholders Stress Eye-Catching Title

The CCS-UK panel at Heathrow Airport, consisting of Jason Breakwell, Lawrence Cockburn, Chris Packwood, James Golding, Claudia Carley, Steve Parker, and moderator Guy Thompson, discussed the need for flexibility in digitalizing truck handling operations for air cargo. Stakeholders expressed concerns about how the frequently changing nature of air cargo operations would align with the CCS-UK AIS portal for booking and monitoring trucks.

While some companies questioned the system’s ability to handle schedule changes, ground handlers dnata and Worldwide Flight Services (WFS) already use AIS at Heathrow and are confident in making necessary adaptations. WFS stated that slot times could be adjusted to accommodate changes, while dnata supports flexibility with slots and the possibility of adding extra slots if needed.

Heathrow’s head of cargo, James Golding, mentioned that as AIS is further adopted, it can be tailored to suit businesses’ needs. The BIFA-organized event aimed to showcase how AIS could improve trucking congestion, supply chain delays, and make truck handling more efficient, ultimately moving towards a paperless air cargo industry.

AIS, available for CCS-UK customers, allows freight forwarders and hauliers to pre-alert ground handlers of truck arrivals for faster handling. Guy Thompson, CCS-UK user group project director, highlighted the need for a unified platform to streamline logistics and reduce costs associated with truck queues at the airport.

Currently, 90 forwarders and transport companies use AIS at Heathrow, processing around 3000 trucks per week with 7000 truck status updates. As Heathrow undergoes redevelopment, efforts to improve truck turnaround times become crucial. CCS-UK, BIFA, and Heathrow Airport Limited are collaborating to enhance air cargo ground logistics in alignment with the airport’s redevelopment plans.

Insights from the event can be found in the November Monthly Exclusive.