DHL Global Forwarding, the air and ocean freight forwarder of Deutsche Post DHL, and Emirates SkyCargo, will partner to drive the e-freight agenda across their networks.

Both companies recognise that e-freight will bring enhanced operational efficiency and improvement to the supply chain.

According to the International Air Transport Association (Iata) up to $4.9 billion of annually industry savings could be generated by e-freight processes. And the environment will also benefit from the elimination of 7,800 tons of paper documents worldwide – the equivalent of eighty Boeing 747 cargo planes per year.

“We will work with Emirates SkyCargo to ensure that driving e-freight volumes stays a key strategic program for us,” stated Michael Schaecher, head of Global Airfreight, DHL Global Forwarding.

E-freight is an industry-led project involving carriers, freight forwarders, ground handlers, shippers and customs authorities. It aims to take the paper out of the air cargo supply chain, streamline processes, improve speed and reduce costs.

“E-freight is the future of our industry. By reducing paper and carriage of paper on aircraft, e-freight will help to reduce errors and increase accuracy. We believe by collectively engaging we can achieve better and coordinated results,” added Ram Menen, Emirates Divisional senior vice president Cargo.-TradeArabia News Service