Operators examine their options

Along with the rest of the airfreight industry – but maybe more so – gearing up for the Security 108 regulations has been a major challenge for perishable specialists, says Skyservices MD Bernd Jülicher. “We believe it has potential from a security point of view and will provide a competitive advantage should it be implemented in a professional manner. Skyservices has been regulated in Johannesburg and Cape Town and is currently investigating its options in terms of future long-term cargo screening options,” director sales, marketing and operations Jaco Vlok told FTW. “Being low season we can screen the cargo 100% ourselves before we lodge it. “We’re deciding whether to go for X-ray machines or a sniffer dog service and have already invested significantly in CCTV cameras, security gates and staff training. “Some agents have ordered scanning machines but during high season you could have four interlinks with 26 pallets of grapes – and all the pallets must be broken down which translates into a lot of handling and temperature abuse,” says Vlok. “There’s another product called an itemiser which is dragged over the cargo and is highly sensitive to any hazardous substances it may contain.” Then there’s the option of sniffer dogs. In the perishable industry the important considerations are timing and handling and the solution will need to find the best compromise in terms of these priorities. “We are also encouraging shippers to become known consignors because this will result in only 10% of cargo being screened.” The company expects to make its final decision within the next few months.