LAN Cargo First Latin American Airline to Implement E-Freight

JOC Staff |
Santiago, June 9, 2010. LAN CARGO is the first Latin American airline, and one of the pioneer airlines worldwide, that will provide cargo transportation services using the innovative e-freight system.

This initiative, promoted by the International Association of Air Transportation (IATA), allows an air cargo shipment to be fully processed electronically without the need to use any printed documents.

The program is similar to issuing e-tickets for passenger flights, and uses online messages that are automatically generated. This way, the process is considerably simplified, the time required for each step in the supply chain is reduced, and the information obtained is more accurate and consistent.

The use of this new technology will also make an important contribution to the conservation of the environment by allowing a more ecological operation through the saving of almost 7,800 tons of paper each year.

This program will be gradually implemented on routes operated by LAN CARGO.

We are the first Latin American airline to use this innovative way to process cargo and in doing so are collaborating with IATA as one of the promoters and developers of the project. This will bring important benefits to our clients, providing them with a faster and more convenient service through the use of simple and efficient processes, reinforcing the fact that we are at the cutting edge in the use and implementation of new technologies that allow us to deliver the best service, said Cristian Ureta, CEO, LAN CARGO.

LAN CARGO and the Arturo Merino Benitez International Airport in Santiago were chosen by IATA to lead the application of this program in Latin America. Chile is the first country in the region to use the system already implemented at major airports worldwide. The initiative required the joint efforts of the airport authorities, customs, cargo agents, shipping agents and airlines.

This new service is part of a series of initiatives developed by LAN CARGO that are aimed at providing clients with a more efficient service every day. This has meant the simplification of some processes and the automatic delivery of shipment status information through different channels, including LANCARGO.com, messages to mobile phones, and emails.

We keep investing in efficiency and technology to provide our clients with a world-class, top-of-the-line product, added Ureta.