The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has urged the air cargo industry to increase the pace of modernisation and focus on providing high-quality services.

It is noted that January’s cargo performance showed a 7% growth in demand compared to the same period last year.

According to IATA, the industry could be upgraded by adopting simple modern electronic or digital processes, including e-freight.

“Our customers pay a premium to ship by air and they rightly expect modern processes and high-quality services.”

As part of the process, the industry has already started using the e-air waybill (e-AWB), which has been developed collaboratively with industry stakeholders, to remove the requirement for a paper air waybill (AWB).

The IATA has also urged the air cargo industry to to make strong and successful partnerships, as well as meet specific customer requirements while delivering e-commerce, and time and temperature-sensitive cargo such as pharmaceuticals.

IATA director general and CEO Alexandre de Juniac said: “Listening to the customer has never been more important.

“The positive forces currently supporting growth are good news. But our customers are telling us that they expect more. Complicated and convoluted paper-based processes that are basically unchanged from the 16th century are still being used in air cargo today.

“Our customers pay a premium to ship by air and they rightly expect modern processes and high-quality services.”