Photo: Kuehne+Nagel press releases

Kuehne+Nagel and Lufthansa Cargo launch “paperless lanes” connecting Europe and Asia

Kuehne+Nagel and Lufthansa Cargo have teamed up to introduce “paperless lanes" connecting Europe and Asia. Kuehne+Nagel says the move is designed to eliminate the unnecessary burden of physical documentation while optimizing the entire air freight process. The collaboration also promises to make substantial contributions to sustainability efforts within the air freight industry.

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The parties say they have already accomplished 100% paperless shipments for general cargo on the Germany-Hong Kong lane.

“This goes beyond merely implementing electronic air waybills; it also targets accompanying documents and paper pouches. As we move forward, the plan is to expand paperless lanes to cover more routes, ultimately creating a comprehensive paperless corridor between Europe and Asia for general cargo, eliminating the need for paper transport documentation entirely,” reads the joint press release regarding the lanes.

Commenting on the introduction of the paperless lanes, Kolja Mahler-Wingen, Vice President Air Logistics Operations for Germany at Kuehne+Nagel, said:

“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. We as Kuehne+Nagel are highly committed to further expanding our digital ambitions on the way to a fully digitized air freight process.”

Dr. Jan-Wilhelm Breithaupt, Vice President Global Fulfillment Management at Lufthansa Cargo, added:

“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. 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.”