Service to streamline movement of shipments to and from aircrafts, enhance journey transparency and document
processing
Abu Dhabi, UAE – 11 March, 2022: As part of ongoing efforts to accelerate the digitalisation of
Abu Dhabi’s trade and logistics landscape and to further enhance the capabilities of the Advanced Trade and
Logistics Platform (ATLP), Maqta Gateway, AD Ports Group’s digital arm has introduced Digital Airfreight
Solutions as part of the Advanced Trade and Logistics Platform (ATLP).
Inaugurated in May 2020 by His Highness Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Member of the Abu Dhabi
Executive Council, and Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Office, the Advanced Trade and Logistics Platform
(ATLP) is the first
of its kind in the region. It is developed and operated by Maqta Gateway, under the supervision of the Abu Dhabi
Department of Economic Development (ADDED) and aims to integrate and facilitate the operations of trade and
logistics
sectors, and link the sea, land, air, industrial and free zones with all authorities regulating these
activities.
The Digital Airfreight Solutions, developed in close collaboration with key partners that include Abu Dhabi
Airports, Etihad Airport Services and Etihad Cargo, the new solution will streamline the movement of air cargo
shipments to and from all five airports in Abu Dhabi.
Beyond digitalising and simplifying the processing of air cargo for the benefit of all stakeholders and
customers
involved, ATLP’s latest solutions will introduce new levels of efficiencies, including reducing waiting times by
80
percent, improving delivery time via customs integration, enhancing track and trace visibility, introducing
digital
payment channels as well as enhancing warehouse utilisation through an automated appointment system.
Dr. Noura Al Dhaheri, Head of Digital Cluster at AD Ports Group and CEO of Maqta Gateway, said:
“With the
introduction
of digital airfreight solutions into ATLP, we have passed a key milestone on our journey to accelerate the
digitalisation of trade and logistics in the region.
“ATLP is taking the next steps towards enhancing transparency across the entire value chain and enabling
stakeholders
and customers to realise new efficiencies associated with the movement of air cargo to and from Abu Dhabi.
“ATLP is taking the next steps towards enhancing transparency across the entire value chain and enabling
stakeholders
and customers to realise new efficiencies associated with the movement of air cargo to and from Abu Dhabi.
“The continued evolution ATLP is a testament to the leadership’s vision for a fully-integrated logistics
ecosystem that
positions Abu Dhabi as a leading trade, logistics, and economic hub powered by a formidable and future-ready
digital
foundation.”
Dr. Ali Husain Makki, Executive Director of Logistics & Trade Facilitation Sector at Abu Dhabi
Department of Economic Development, said: “This latest step in the continued development of the
Advanced Trade Logistics Platform marks an
important step in Abu Dhabi’s rapid progress towards becoming a global hub for trade and logistics.
“The ATLP digital airfreight solutions introduce an invaluable tool to ATLP to further consolidate Abu Dhabi’s
trade
ecosystem and accelerate the facilitation of trade across the UAE and beyond. We look forward to working closely
with
regional logistics leaders such as AD Ports Group, Etihad Airways to devise novel solutions that can be applied
across
the entire value chain.”
Francois Bourienne, Chief Commercial Officer at Abu Dhabi Airports, said: “Abu Dhabi Airports
welcomes the introduction of the Advanced Trade and Logistics Platform (ATLP)’ Digital Airfreight Solutions
developed and operated by Maqta Gateway. It is a testament to how collaboration and innovation can help
streamline processes to further reinforce Abu Dhabi’s competitive position as a hub for the movement of goods
and international trade.
“We are confident that the additional capabilities of the ATLP will have a positive impact on airport and
airlines operations by accelerating the movement of air cargo shipments.”
The introduction of Digital Airfreight Solutions under ATLP has brought a plethora of operational efficiencies
beneficial for both logistical operators and users of the platform.
In addition to reducing the amount of paperwork needed for air cargo shipments by 90 percent, the new services
also cut down on unnecessary trips to the airport for air freight agents by 80 percent by providing digital
access to all required documentation, as well as related online payments and handling of documents to the ground
handler.
This, in turn, has reduced the time required for the entire process down from 1 hour to a mere six minutes and
the digitalisation of documents has greatly improved staff efficiency by 50 percent.
Digital Airfreight Solutions has also reduced delivery time by 50 percent for both imports and exports. This was
achieved thanks to the online submission of documents, enabling ground handlers to perform pre-checks and
process shipments without waiting for the customer to arrive at the counter.
In the case of exports, the new service has reduced the processing time for by 25 percent (80 to 60 minutes),
while for imports, the amount of time needed has also been cut down by 20 percent (67 to 54 minutes). Lastly,
ATLP’s latest additions have also reduced waiting times for trucks by 50 percent.
To ensure the successful implementation of these new solutions throughout the air freight ecosystem, Maqta
Gateway
recently signed an agreement with Etihad Aviation Group, under which the two parties will work together to
deploy these
digital solutions among all customers, partners, and stakeholders active within the air freight sector.
Martin Drew, SVP Sales and Cargo at Etihad Aviation Group, said: “This is a major stride
forward in the industry’s bid to digitally transform the sector to produce wide-ranging benefits for operators
and all stakeholders and builds an enhanced client offering and the momentum behind Abu Dhabi’s positioning as a
global trade, cargo and logistics
hub.
“And with the industry estimating that world air cargo traffic will more than double in revenue worth over the
coming two decades to US $578 billion tonne-kilometre (RTK) the emirate is becoming digitally ready to secure a
sizeable and justifiable market share.”
Jubran Al Breiki, Director Etihad Airport Services, said: “The capabilities of the Advanced
Trade and Logistics Platform enables stakeholders across land, sea, air, and future rail, to not only conduct
trade in a highly efficient and integrated digital approach, but it also allows users to access the services
they need and to pay for them, all through a single-window interface.
“The movement of air cargo to and from Abu Dhabi will be greatly enhanced with new levels of operational
efficiency,
bringing our customers, forwarders and stakeholders on a common community platform, enabling faster-processing
of goods,
resulting in significant benefits to the air freight community”
Recent advancements to the industry-leading platform include the integration of Fujairah’s trade and logistics
ecosystem
under ATLP, a move that has transformed how business is facilitated within the emirate, as well as the
introduction of
exporter capabilities that collects, compiles, and data-mines target markets and industry intelligence for
actionable
insights catering to Abu Dhabi-based exporters.
Maqta Gateway has also recently introduced a new inspection and clearance module, which links directly with Abu
Dhabi
Customs’ online services and other regulatory authorities and enable traders to manage their entire end-to-end
cargo
experience on ATLP’s single-window.