First paperless round-trip for general airfreight
Panalpina is the first company in the world to achieve completely paperless flights for general airfreight. Using its own controlled Boeing B747-8 freighters, the Basel (Switzerland)-based forwarder now operates several paperless (e-freight) port-to-port services with final destinations in Europe, Hong Kong and the USA.
At 05.49 local time on 19 November 2013, flight 5Y607 departed from Huntsville AL (USA). What appeared to be just another routine Panalpina flight to Luxembourg was in fact the inaugural flight of the world's first paperless round-trip route for general airfreight. The company is confident that it will be able to fly all general airfreight on its own controlled freighters without paper in less than two months' time. The only exceptions will be flights to and from the MEAC region (Middle East, Africa and the CIS), mainland China and Brazil.
By 2015 the company aims to eradicate 80% of pouches for all general air cargo, be it on its own controlled network or on commercial flights.