News / Swissport unveils self-service check-in kiosks for air freight

Brussels Airport

Swissport has begun a roll-out of self-service cargo check-in kiosks, with Brussels and Schiphol among the first gateways to deploy the system aimed at reducing congestion.

The kiosks identify drivers, scan air freight documentation and direct trucks to the relevant drop off points, the last step completed by text message.

Vice president global operations cargo at Swissport International Hendrik Leyssens said: “Truck drivers benefit from minimal wait times and faster turnarounds.

“Our new kiosks support the paperless eFreight initiative by IATA and significantly accelerate the import and export processes for our customers.”

The company expects to have the systems operating across its core cargo station network by the end of 2021.

The firm said the service also provides for shipping information to be entered via a kiosk web portal by forwarders, as well as allowing a link to Swissport’s database.

“During the document check, the kiosk system, which is connected to the EU Regulated Agent database, also checks the security status of every shipment,” it added.

Brussels’ adoption of the new system forms part of a wider push by the Belgian gateway to improve truck flows at the airport. Today it announced the launch of its Road Feeder Management app, which it claims will enable trucking companies to provide real-time updates on estimated arrival.

The company said: “For ground handling agents, it will be possible to manage gates and personnel linked to airport-to-airport truck movements in a more efficient way.”

It added that the pilot app would be launched with Essers, Jan De Rijk, Ninatrans and Aviapartner in Q1 2020.