The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has urged the air cargo industry to increase the pace of modernisation and focus on providing high-quality services.

It is noted that January’s cargo performance showed a 7% growth in demand compared to the same period last year.

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According to IATA, the industry could be upgraded by adopting simple modern electronic or digital processes, including e-freight.

“Our customers pay a premium to ship by air and they rightly expect modern processes and high-quality services.”

As part of the process, the industry has already started using the e-air waybill (e-AWB), which has been developed collaboratively with industry stakeholders, to remove the requirement for a paper air waybill (AWB).

The IATA has also urged the air cargo industry to to make strong and successful partnerships, as well as meet specific customer requirements while delivering e-commerce, and time and temperature-sensitive cargo such as pharmaceuticals.

IATA director general and CEO Alexandre de Juniac said: “Listening to the customer has never been more important.

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“The positive forces currently supporting growth are good news. But our customers are telling us that they expect more. Complicated and convoluted paper-based processes that are basically unchanged from the 16th century are still being used in air cargo today.

“Our customers pay a premium to ship by air and they rightly expect modern processes and high-quality services.”

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