Air France KLM Cargo (AFKL Cargo) has become the first airline group to adopt the IATA Dangerous Goods AutoCheck for the acceptance of dangerous goods shipments.
The DG AutoCheck is a digital solution for accepting dangerous goods by checking the compliance of the Shipper’s Declaration for Dangerous goods against all relevant rules and regulations in the IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations.
Optical character recognition technology transforms the paper DGD into electronic data.
DG AutoCheck can also receive electronic Shipper’s Declaration for Dangerous Goods (e-DGD), with data being processed and verified automatically using the digital version of the DGR.
The DG AutoCheck also facilitates a ground handler or airline’s decision to accept or reject a shipment during the physical inspection stage by providing a pictorial representation of the package with the marking and labelling required for air transport.
Staff can check if prerequisites for accepting lithium battery shipments, due to increasing transportation and the difference in type, packaging and safety hazard of these batteries.
Marcel de Nooijer, executive vice president of Air France KLM Cargo says the group handles 173,000 shipments requiring dangerous goods handling.
He says: “DG AutoCheck provides a digital solution to more effectively manage the transport of dangerous goods by air for our customers while at the same time enhancing safety and compliance.
“It is another significant step in AFKL Cargo’s commitment towards a digital transformation of the air freight business model, and we will work closely with our ground handling partners to expand the use of DG AutoCheck beyond our hubs.”
Frederic Leger, director airport, passenger, cargo, security products for IATA says: “To ensure that the industry is ready to benefit from this growth, modern and harmonised standards that facilitate safe, secure and efficient operations, particularly in relation to the carriage of dangerous goods, need to be implemented.
“In becoming first adopters of DG AutoCheck Air France KLM Cargo are leading the way among their peers in the digital evolution of the dangerous goods supply chain and setting themselves up for future success.”
