Air cargo data boosts industry's performance

Cargo 2000 brings together about 30 major airlines, freight forwarders and ground handling agents in a bid to provide a better quality service to exporters.

The initiative falls under theresponsibility of the International Air Transport Association (IATA).

The publication of the performance data by air cargo company and other providers along the supply chain is meant to push members toward improving their services.

For the food industry the new datawill help them pinpoint supply chain glitches and get the best supplier for their products.

A significant amount of food, mostly perishable items such as fresh, chilled or frozen products is transported by air, according to an Cargo 2000 spokesperson.

Timing is therefore of supremeimportant in ensuring the food does not spoil.

The European Shippers' Council (ECS), which represents customers of worldwide air cargo services, said the decision to publish data tracking performance levels across the supply chain will lead tosavings and a more efficient industry.

"It has taken many years for the major airlines and freight forwarders to promise implementation of the service performance indicators but we are absolutely delighted that the industry isnow making some firm commitments to have the door-to-door performance measured and to publish this data," stated Nicolette van der Jagt, the ESC's secretary general.

"We are convincedthat this will lead to greater operating efficiencies, lower costs, better communications and substantial customer service improvements in airfreight movements."

The Cargo 2000 group published its first data in May 2005 for network performance, measuring joint airline and forwarder service levels.

The information, which tracks whether cargo shipments arebeing transported as scheduled, is published each month on Cargo 2000's public website.

Over the first three months of publication to July overall network flown-as-planned performance has improved to 93 per cent from 90 percent.

However in August the average service performancedropped to 92 per cent.

This is still an improvement over the 82 per cent on-time rate recorded in October 2004.

Cargo 2000's goal is to get flown-as-planned performance levels up to 95 per cent.

Currently only four airlines achieved above the 95 per cent rate of scheduled flight departures.

In January 2006, Cargo 2000 will begin publishing data that shows booking quality levels from forwarder to airline.

This will be followed in April with the publication of the data that monitorsdelivered as promised' service levels from airline to forwarder.

Currently Cargo 2000 reports joint airline to forwarder data.

The new information will name specific companies, indicating responsibilities for service failures.

Under the current system forwarders and airlines have improved their rate of correctly delivering goods to an average of 91 per cent in August, compared to 47 per cent performance level a yearearlier.

By the end of 2006, all shipments between current members will be measured globally, an extension to the current commitment to measure performance on a network of specific routes.

In October 2006, members have agreed to begin publishing initial data for phase two of Cargo 2000's quality improvement programme.

The programme will focuses on shipment planning and tracking atthe air waybill level.

It will provide interactive monitoring of the door-to-door movement of goods.

Members have also agreed to raise their target for all key performance indicators to 96 per cent in 2006, and to 98 per cent in 2007.

Mick Fountain, Cargo 2000's chairman, said new commitment shows that the group is moving to set new standards for service in airline cargo.

"It is another significant step towards our goal of eliminating fragmentation in the worldwide air cargo industry and delivering a common platform that brings together reliability,predictability and proactive shipment management with reduced costs and improved customer satisfaction," he stated.

Cargo 2000 was formed as a means of easing the process of transporting cargo by air.

By reducing the number of individual processes in the air cargo supply chain from 40 to 19, Cargo 2000 hasdeveloped a less labour intensive process for managing shipments via electronic means.

Cargo 2000 members include ABX Logistics, Air Canada, Air France Cargo, Alitalia Cargo, American Airlines, Austrian Airlines, British Airways World Cargo, Cargolux Airlines International, CathayPacific Airways, DHL Danzas, Delta Air Logistics, Exel, Geologistics, Korean Air, Kuehne & Nagel, KLM Cargo, Lufthansa Cargo, Nippon Cargo Airlines, SAS Cargo, Schenker, SDV/SCAC, SingaporeAirlines Cargo, SwissWorld Cargo, United Airlines and Yusen Air & Sea.

External links to companies or organisations mentioned in this story: Cargo 2000