The e-Gate pass facility would be open to all stakeholders effective July 1 as an optional service and it will be made compulsory from July 15. The e-Gate pass facility for import cargo delivery will not only help in ensuring social distancing by reducing human contact at the terminals, but will also expedite the process and save time.
Delhi International Airport (DIAL) in collaboration with Delhi Customs Brokers Association (DCBA) and operators of both the cargo terminals (Celebi and DCSC) has launched paperless e-Gate pass with QR coding at their cargo terminals. The e-Gate pass facility for import cargo delivery will not only help in ensuring social distancing by reducing human contact at the terminals, but will also expedite the process and save time.
The airlines, consolidators or freight forwarders will now upload the scanned copy of Master Airway Bill/ House Airway Bill in the custodian system. The Bill of Entry (BoE) and Out of Charge (OoC) is being transmitted electronically by the Customs to the custodian system. With these details, the customs broker agent will submit the request for issuance of e-Gate pass for the delivery of goods and will generate the QR code at his office itself after due verification by the cargo terminal operator, saving time and resources.
Earlier, the cargo clearing agents had to go through various documentation processes and stand in queues at designated counters at the cargo terminal for issuance of gate pass. Commenting on the launch, S. Ramakrishna, President, Delhi Custom Brokers Association (DCBA) maintained that digitisation is the need of the hour and the entire committee of the association, in one of the meetings with DIAL, conceptualised the idea before pandemic. “Most importantly all stakeholders have to play their role properly. The airlines and consol agents have to upload the AWB and their delivery orders correctly on the AFMS system,” he pointed out.
Pondering on the development, Vandana Aggarwal, Senior Economic Advisor, Ministry of Civil Aviation said, “The introduction of e-Gate Pass is a timely stitch which will help to strengthen the digitisation of the supply chain at the airport. After 100 per cent EDI mode and eAWB acceptance, e-Gate pass is a natural progression in furtherance of the vision of digitalisation of the supply chain processes initiated by all cargo stakeholders in collaboration with the Ministry of Civil Aviation. It is also vital for the collaborative approach being adopted between the customs brokers/agents and the custodian/airport. E-Gate pass will help optimise on timely delivery of services by air cargo community while adhering to the social distancing norms which are so essential in the present circumstances.”
“The Ministry of Civil Aviation compliments DIAL and the customs brokers and other stakeholders and looks forward to seeing each gateway airport in India become an international hub in the fullest sense of the term. Developing the digital world-class facilities with the redistribution centre – infrastructure and processes – would be a game changer. I wish e-Gate pass all the success,” she maintained. “This new paperless and contactless e-Gate pass facility is the need of the hour in this pandemic situation, aimed towards minimising human interface at the cargo terminals. This will not only bring more efficiency in the process but also reduce paperwork, strengthening DIAL’s commitment in taking measures to save the environment,” said a DIAL spokesperson.
