Ports

Air cargo handlers eye eight-hour collection savings through operational data structuring

CHI Cargo Group CEO Kai Domscheit says streamlining air cargo collections could shave roughly eight hours per shipment by organizing truck dispatch before traditional release-order triggers. Speaking at Aviation Connect in Athens, he emphasized that the air cargo sector generates enormous volumes of operational data trapped in emails, PDFs, and spreadsheets rather than structured formats. He noted the industry's future lies in interconnected ecosystems rather than single platforms, but cautioned that meaningful automation requires first converting unstructured data into usable information. A single unit load device can generate more than 100 information flows across airlines, handlers, forwarders, and airports throughout its journey. Operational challenges at major hubs include release orders issued before completion of all checks, ambiguous cargo configuration details, and incomplete documentation for multi-master shipments. These inefficiencies create additional storage costs, empty truck movements, and operational delays across the supply chain.