Lufthansa Cargo and Kuehne+Nagel have introduced ‘paperless corridors’ between Europe and Asia, seeking to eliminate the unnecessary burden of physical documentation while optimising the entire air freight process.

The two companies have shared that since the recent pilot phase commenced, they have achieved 100 per cent paperless shipments for general cargo on the lane between Germany and Hong Kong.

More lanes are expected to be added to the next phase of the pilot project, paving the way for a cargo corridor between Europe and Asia where paper use could be eliminated.

The move to paperless cargo corridors also means that Lufthansa Cargo and Kuehne+Nagel are actively looking to a more sustainable and an efficient future in logistics.

Dr. Jan-Wilhelm Breithaupt, vice president global fulfilment management at Lufthansa Cargo, said: “We see great opportunities in this initiative as it supports all participants in pushing their handling efficiencies as well as increasing data availability and transparency throughout their network.

“The transition to a paperless environment will significantly reduce processing times plus complexity and offers just-in-time shipment status information. However, it will only be a first step towards a fully digitalised air freight future; especially accompanying documentation of special cargo will come into our focus soon enough.”

Kolja Mahler-Wingen, vice president air logistics operations Germany at Kuehne+Nagel, said: “In addition to the positive effect of paperless handling, which primarily saves time and gains efficiency, a purely digitally supported process also offers further potential for automation in order to reach the best possible transparency and data quality for our customers around the globe.

“We as Kuehne+Nagel are highly committed to further expanding our digital ambitions on the way to a fully digitised air freight process.”

Both Lufthansa Cargo and Kuehne+Nagel are encouraging industry players to join them in their efforts to eliminate unnecessary paper documents. They state that joining the ‘paperless corridor’ is easy as all that is required is the participation in the electronic Air Way Bill (eAWB) Single Process and the selection of the eFreight Special Handling Code (EAW) for all general cargo when preparing the shipment and paperless delivery to the airline.