Lufthansa Cargo and Kuehne+Nagel (K+N) have introduced paperless lanes for shipments between Europe and Asia as part of efforts to digitize cargo.
In the first weeks of the pilot phase, the partners reported achieving 100% paperless shipments for general cargo on the lane between Germany and Hong Kong.
This includes not only the electronic air waybill but additionally also targets accompanying documents and paper pouches.
"In an era driven by digital transformation and environmental consciousness, the need to reduce paper usage and streamline operations has become increasingly paramount," Lufthansa Cargo said in its announcement.
It added that by introducing "paperless lanes" between Europe and Asia, Lufthansa Cargo and Kuehne+Nagel seek to eliminate the unnecessary burden of physical documentation while optimizing the entire air freight process.
"The benefits of paperless lanes extend beyond operational efficiency. This collaboration will also make substantial contributions to sustainability efforts within the air freight industry," the air cargo carrier added.
In the next phase, more lanes will be targeted.
"By increasing the number of paperless lanes, a whole paperless corridor between Europe and Asia will be built for general cargo where the transport of paper could be eliminated," the announcement said.
Lufthansa Cargo and K+N noted the "transformative potential" of this pilot project — noting that the paperless corridor would pave the way for a more sustainable and efficient future in logistics.
"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," said Dr Jan-Wilhelm Breithaupt, vice president of Global Fulfillment Management Lufthansa Cargo.
"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 digitalized air freight future; especially accompanying documentation of special cargo will come into our focus soon enough," he added.
Kolja Mahler-Wingen, vice president of air logistics operations in Germany, Kuehne+Nagel, added: "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."
Both Lufthansa Cargo and Kuehne+Nagel encourage industry players to join them in their efforts to eliminate unnecessary paper documents.