Air Cargo Digitalization : From EDI to Community Systems - Port Community Systems (English)

The pace of digitalization and automation has picked up since the internet emerged for the public three decades ago. Globalization has deepened and value chains lengthened. The logistics industry has harnessed IT platforms and digitalization. While some industries and sectors have been quick to embrace the power of technology and digitalization, others have been slower to act. In air cargo, both digital success stories and laggards coexist, creating a more fragmentary environment for supply chains. The air cargo supply chain is complex and fragmented, involving the exchange of at least fifteen documents and additional permits and licenses for border clearance. Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) is the foundational piece of air cargo digital information flows, as it involves several independent entities, each operating their own IT system. This report looks at the evolution of digitalization in air cargo. It also looks at barriers and gateways to local and global digital initiatives which support the global movement of goods by air.