Airlines serious about security

Security will remain a paramount issue in the airline industry, which has been on “high alert” since the 9/11 attacks in New York. According to Kum Naicker, cargo manager Emirates SkyCargo, security is a daily buzzword around the world with regulators, governments, service providers, airport authorities and all stakeholders involved in trying to make the world a safer place. “In South Africa the Civil Aviation Authority rigorously enforced Part 108 of the Civil Aviation Regulations, which stringently governs effective air cargo security measures with particular emphasis on cargo screening.” In addition to the focus on security, the development of e-freight is expected to accelerate considerably over the next decade. “E-freight is expected to eliminate more than 7 800 tons of paper documents in the airfreight industry, the equivalent of 80 Boeing 747 freighters worth of paper, a saving of up to US$4.9bn annually across the supply chain,” says Naicker. A “fervent” advocate of the e-freight initiative, Emirates will maintain its focus on IT investment in the next 10 years. “Emirates has been at the cutting edge in the deployment of new technologies and will continue to identify inefficient processes and strive to contain costs without compromising service quality. SkyChain, Emirates’ very own all-incorporating system, is testament to our leadership in IT innovation and development.”