Gerrit Grimm Cargo Manager Hamburg Airport

Gerrit Grimm, cargo manager at Hamburg, highlights the elimination of paper documentation

The first paperless cargo shipments were sent from Hamburg Airport in Germany last week, using the new eFreight container system that Emirates SkyCargo forecasts will speed up shipment handling times while also proving a greener alternative to paper cargo shipments.

Last week's eFreight shipments were sent from northern Germany's busiest cargo airport, headed for Dubai in the United Arab Emirates.

A move towards eFreight means that Emirates SkyCargo will be able to dispatch cargo shipments from Hamburg without the need for paper documentation, with crucial information required for customs authorities and shippers now electronically stored and transmitted.

Hamburg is the 23rd Emirates SkyCargo gateway to implement the eFreight technology, joining locations such as Dubai, London, Paris, Singapore, Seoul and Sydney.

According to Emirates, 80 per cent of its SkyCargo shipments will be handled electronically by the end of 2010, making freight faster and more environmentally friendly.