Flying in the Face of Danger: Lufthansa Handles World’s First eDGD

When Lufthansa Cargo handled a shipment from global healthcare company Abbott based in Wiesbaden, it was no routine transaction. It represented the world’s first dangerous goods shipment with an electronic Dangerous Goods Declaration (eDGD), using the INFr8 platform. Lufthansa Cargo, flew the shipment from Frankfurt Airport to Mexico City on board cargo flight LH8222.

The global eDGD standard was established as part of the International Air Transport Association’s e-freight initiative. This completely new approach to dangerous goods shipments has been developed and evaluated through close collaboration all along the transport chain. Because its IT systems and processes can now deal with paperless dangerous goods shipments, Lufthansa Cargo is the first and currently only airline capable of supporting the eDGD standard.

The dangerous goods process has traditionally been paper-based due to the lack of digital standards. Dangerous Goods Declarations on paper from shippers arrive at the airport with the respective cargo. Accordingly, airlines can only begin checking the documentation after handover.

Thanks to the new electronic system, however, errors in accompanying documentation can be detected and corrected before the airline ever receives the shipment. This will translate into fewer rejected shipments in the future. It will also mean faster processes and better use of resources.