German airline Lufthansa Cargo has handled a shipment with an electronic Dangerous Goods Declaration (eDGD) using the INFr8 platform at Frankfurt Airport.
The eDGD shipment is claimed to be the world’s first. It is from healthcare giant Abbott Diagnostics in Wiesbaden and was flown onboard cargo flight LH8222 to Mexico City.
Due to a lack of digital standards, the dangerous goods process has traditionally been paper-based. However, the use of the new electronic system INFr8 platform can help to detect errors in the accompanying document and correct it before the airline receives the consignment.
The trial phase of the INFr8 shipping portal has been successfully launched in collaboration with its partners. The pilot phase is expected to last six months.
Subsequently, the platform will be made available to all market participants who wish to use it as a standard tool.
Once fully implemented, the platform will minimise shipments rejection in the future while accelerating processing of consignment.
Lufthansa Cargo worked with International Air Transport Association (IATA) to establish a global eDGD standard as part of the association’s e-freight initiative.
Lufthansa Cargo operations board member and COO Sören Stark said: “We are pleased that the eDGD has celebrated its global launch with Lufthansa Cargo. This underscores our claim to be the industry pioneer in digitisation.
“There is still so much more for us to achieve here together with shippers, forwarders and airports.”
In addition to Lufthansa Cargo, logistics service provider Panalpina has been an important process partner to the platform developer Dakosy.
Frankfurt Airport has played an important role in dangerous goods handling for both companies.
Dakosy CEO Ulrich Wrage said: “Our shipping portal solves a major challenge in the air cargo supply chain, ensuring greater reliability and transparency for all.”
