SriLankan Cargo is currently in the process of imparting training to manual EWB customers so as to convert them into the e-AWB model in line with digitization. We are targeting 100 per cent by end of this year, says Chamara Ranasinghe, Head of Cargo, SriLankan Airlines.
Priyanshi Bana
How has this year been different from last year’s air cargo tonnage? Increase of what percentage was recorded?
SriLankan Cargo experienced an increase in the cargo uplift by 29,000 MT during tJanuary to October 2021, accounting for a growth of 61 per cent.
Since medical cargo was transported last year, what other goods were in demand 2021?
Perishable goods, manufacturing raw materials and e-Commerce have been vital contributors to hauling air cargo, in addition to urgent medical supplies. Due to restrictions in sea freight capacity, air cargo volumes saw a swell in demand as the logistics sector aimed to minimise the disruption during the winter peak.
How did digitalisation help in moving seamless cargo?
Enhanced digitization was a key factor in facilitating operations during the pandemic. The following represent the key initiatives undertaken by SriLankan Cargo during the pandemic.
- SriLankan Airlines is currently pursuing the IATA e-AWB initiative in line with the industry requirements for digitization. The current e-AWB penetration is 75 per cent in Sri Lanka, and SriLankan Cargo is targeting 100 per cent by end of this year in line with the compliance of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). The
airline is in the process of imparting training to manual AWB customers for conversion into the e-AWB model in meeting the objective. - SriLankan Cargo further integrates all imports and exports customs data in Sri Lanka with the Acycuda system maintained by the Sri Lanka Customs Authority, thereby eradicating the requirement for physical documentation for submitting Manifests and AWBs as of June 2021.
- An online payment portal was developed for customer settlement of cargo-related charges where they were previously required to physically process payments at the cargo terminal at
the airport. - The SriLankan Cargo App providing customers with real-time information on shipments was further developed during this period, in order to include available facilities and prior calculation of applicable charges.
How will the future of air cargo transform due to the pandemic?
Growth in air cargo is viewed as a permanent shift in the aviation sector by many in the industry, with cargo currently accounting for one third of global airline revenues from the 12 per cent in the past as confirmed by IATA. Cargo revenues were considered previously taken for granted by the airlines, and the significance of the same pivoted overnight due to the pandemic, as its value for sustaining operations over the past year will ensure that due prominence and consideration is given for cargo in planning airline networks and operations.
The logistics sector has a renewed appreciation for the key benefits of speed and reliability through air freight over other modes of transport, primarily over cross-border distances and the resilience of the sector in disastrous global conditions.
