april2022 - 30

International
Opportunities Ahead
Kurt believes that there are opportunities for the development
of the air cargo value chain at every level.
" Integration of technology into the value chain is one of
the most predominant opportunities, to speed up the customer
experience as well as reduce lead times, ensure data
integrity and facilitate interorganization communications, "
he says. " Furthermore, I see a lot of scope for the development
of 'smart warehouse equipment' to assist in addressing the
time-consuming processes within warehouses today. "
According to officials at dnata, digitalization and automation
offer valuable opportunities for the cargo industry
looking ahead.
" This year we will continue our digital transformation
journey to provide the best possible services to our customers
through advanced solutions. We will launch a next-generation
e-commerce platform which will take Calogi, our existing
community platform, to a whole new level, " says Crozier.
" It will allow stakeholders to conduct business with their
customers and interact with authorities on one platform,
sharing information and settling payments using their Calogi
credit account. "
dnata's customers will be able to integrate the platform into
existing workflows through application programming interfaces
(APIs) and take advantage of all innovative functions
while using their own system, affirms Crozier.
" The platform will also help customers simplify existing
processes, without investing in multiple systems. Furthermore,
it will enhance sustainability by promoting paperless
and cashless trade through collaboration and automation, "
he says.
dnata is committed to digitizing its largest operation in the
UAE by the beginning of 2023 by launching its 'OneCargo' Terminal
Operator Solution, adds Crozier.
" Artificial intelligence-driven tools and analytics provide
enhanced visibility on sales and business performance, allowing
customers to match real-time demand with available
Digitalization and automation
offer valuable opportunities for
the cargo industry looking ahead.
capacity for maximum profitability, " he says. " In addition,
OneCargo eliminates all redundancies and manual check
sheets, substantially improving operational efficiency. "
Ground Handling Business Recovery
As far as dnata is concerned, Crozier says that with constrained
global cargo capacity due to pandemic-related
restrictions, shippers and freight forwarders have been
increasingly opting to transport cargo through Dubai.
" There has been a massive growth in import general cargo
volumes, including fashion accessories, electronics and
fast-moving consumer goods. Among the various categories of
cargo, mail and courier have shown steady increases as compared
to pre-pandemic volumes, indicating a rising trend with
e-commerce shipments, " says Crozier. " Sea-air solutions are
increasingly sought after at Dubai, given the city's strengths
as a logistics gateway to markets in the Middle East, Europe,
Asia, Africa and beyond. Reflecting the strength of the markets
for e-commerce and health products, we expect continued
robust demand for our cargo services in 2022. "
Looking further ahead, Kurt believes that the ground handling
industry is set for recovery.
" The medical impact of COVID-19 is reducing as time
AI driven tools and analytics
provide visibility on sales and
business performance, allowing
customers to match demand
with available capacity.
passes; the latest Omicron variant is indeed significantly more
contagious, but it is having only minor physical impacts on
the patients. Other variants are significantly less common;
and hence, the global perception of risk appears to have
reduced, " he says. " This is leading to both business and leisure
travel to pick up, resulting in flight numbers and load factors
picking up. Naturally as flights take off and land, the demand
for ground handling will increase. "
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
DR. MARIO PIEROBON
Mario Pierobon provides solutions in the areas
of documentation, training and consulting to
organizations operating in safety sensitive industries.
He has conducted a doctoral research project
investigating aircraft ground handling safety. He may
be reached at mariopierobon@az-all-in-one.com.
30 || Ground Support Worldwide || April 2022
DNATA
DNATA
april2022

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