Hamburg Airport has launched new FAIR@Link portal for digitally supported air cargo handling at Airport’s Cargo Centre. The platform was developed by DAKOSY and has been piloted for six months before being released.

Alexander Müller, head of cargo at Hamburg Airport, said: “The new platform is an important step into the digital future for us. With FAIR@Link, we can significantly improve handling processes and manage the increasing volume of traffic on the ground more efficiently. At the same time, we increase sustainability and promote environmentally compatible growth for the location.”

The main feature of FAIR@Link is that it enables forwarders to book time slots for deliveries. This results in shorter waiting and handling times, more transparency along the transport chain and improved documentation for handling agents, who no longer need to re-enter duplicate data, thus avoiding mistakes and saving time. A particular advantage of digitalisation is that the system can prepare export Customs declarations and then automatically submit the electronic forms to Customs upon entry to the Hamburg Airport Customs Office, which again saves time.

Efficiency

Hamburg Airport, CROSS FREIGHT, Delta-Stallion, a.hartrodt and SABLE, the handling agents LUG and Swissport, the Hamburg Airport Customs Office and the Hamburg Forwarding Agents Association (VHSp) all participated in the pilot phase and saw increases in efficiency.

Jens Sorgenfrei, managing director of CROSS FREIGHT Internationale Speditionsges. sums up the advantages for freight forwarders: “Transports pre-registered via FAIR@Link are handled preferentially by the handling agents at the airport. The slot bookings save us several hours every day. Processes are easier to plan. All in all, we benefit in Customs and door clearances.”

Dr Jürgen Vogt, managing director of LUG, also sees it as positive from the viewpoint of handling agents: “With slot booking, our EDP system receives all information before the arrival of the goods. The data does not have to be entered again when the document is received. This enables us to save a lot of time and speed up the receiving process. With FAIR@Link, we gain more transparency into all processes and can better manage our capacities with regard to door and personnel availability.”