Article • 16.06.2022
„Delivery to the customer up to an entire day faster“
With FRA-OS, users speed up their processes at the airport
Using the FRA-OS platform - a component of FAIR@Link - consolidated import shipments at Cargo City Süd at Frankfurt Airport can now be deferred for presentation to customs by the freight forwarder. Initial experience shows that all parties involved benefit.
The challenge
The handling areas for the cargo handlers at the airport are at a premium, the goods are very often time-critical, and the freight volume is increasing rapidly. Add to this the new customs procedure prescribed by the EU Customs Code for the presentation of consolidated imports, which requires even more space and time. It involves the customs presentation of goods, for which 1:1 referencing - i.e., presentation at HAWB level - has been mandatory since August 1, 2021.
The handling agents located directly on the tarmac are in principle responsible for receiving the goods, physically inspecting them and declaring them under customs regulations. Previously, this was only required per consolidated shipment (MAWB level). Since August 1, 2021, additional checks must be made to ensure that the individual shipments of a consolidated shipment comply with the accompanying documents, the House Airway Bills (HAWBs). This requires freight handlers to break up consolidated shipments, count individual shipments and then warehouse them separately. This takes up space as well as manpower and can lead to delays in processing. To ease this bottleneck, it was important to expand the process in terms of space in Cargo City Süd. There, freight forwarders are now authorized to undertake the task of 1:1 referencing under certain conditions and to defer the presentation of the goods.
The digital solution
The key solution to this challenge is digital and it goes by the name of FRA-OS. The IT platform was developed quickly and collaboratively by DAKOSY, Fraport, the Association of Air Cargo Handlers in Germany (VACAD) and the Hesse/Rhineland-Palatinate Forwarding and Logistics Association (SLV). All relevant customs and cargo information flows together in FRA-OS. In addition, each change of location of the cargo within the airport premises is electronically tracked with real-time accuracy via status messages. End-to-end tracking and tracing was the essential prerequisite for customs' acceptance of the solution. This ensures that customs officials have access to the goods at all times, whenever necessary.
Experiences from the community
Markus Tönsgerlemann, Director of the Head Customs Office Frankfurt am Main: „The FRA-OS platform provides the necessary transparency, and the dashboard is easy to use. With just a few clicks, we can see which shipments are inbound and precisely where they are located. Inspection notifications for the Entry Summary Declaration have also been integrated into FRA-OS, which simplifies and speeds up communication."
Patrik Tschirch, Managing Director of LUG: "Using the previous procedure, we could never have got it all referenced. What's new is the physical breakdown by individual HAWB, which we can't cope with at that scale. We simply don't have the capacity for that. By shifting these processes to the freight forwarder and capitalizing on the newly-created transparency, especially for ground handling services, LUG’s throughput will increase. Freight forwarders using FRA-OS will be able to deliver their shipments to customers up to one entire day faster in the future.”
Claus Wagner, Managing Director FCS: "We move up to 35,000 tons of imported goods through Cargo City Süd every month. With this kind of volume, in order to fulfill all the new customs requirements, we rely on automated processes. The digital solution FRA-OS creates transparency, accelerates processes and minimizes interface problems. What's more, nobody at the site needs to be taught how FRA-OS works. The solution is part of the FAIR@Link cargo community platform established at Frankfurt Airport."
Fabian Heilmann, VP Air Logistics Import Gateways, Kühne + Nagel: "Since the introduction, we have become considerably more efficient. Now that the handling agent no longer has to make customs declarations on our behalf, the goods can be handed over to us almost immediately after unloading. In addition, we receive all relevant status information via the platform and can thus plan processes better and optimize operations. This can also be made available to shippers/consignees, for whom the demand for such information is rising sharply."
Max Philipp Conrady, Head of Cargo Development at Fraport: "With FRA-OS/Import, we have successfully implemented an important milestone in the digitalization of cargo processes at Frankfurt Airport. We are pleased that the cargo community was able to grow closer together through the excellent cooperation and we will strive to continually improve the platform through future advancements."
