Exporters await impact of new pan-European security regulations due to come into force on 29th April
Widespread delays to international airfreight are predicted when new EU regulations come into effect on 29th April. Under the new regulations, any shippers not already inspected and approved for security standards will have to submit all freight for x-ray screening before flight. Despite a three-year transition period since the introduction of the legislation in 2010, many shippers appear to be unprepared, according to emergency logistics specialists, Evolution Time Critical.
The company said “Although there has been a three year preparation period, our sources indicate that in several European countries the majority of shippers have not yet been able to meet the stringent requirements to enable them to have their premises inspected and approved. From the 29th April, they will have to join the queues for x-ray inspection or scramble for the dwindling spare capacity on freighter services. They face significant delays either way.”
Designed to improve security in the face of the persistent threat of terrorist attack, the new regulations (EU reg. 300/2008 & EU reg. 185/2010) harmonise the previous patchwork of national controls under an EU-wide umbrella. The regulations empower each country’s air security authority to inspect and certify the security of a shipper’s premises. Once approved, the shipper is granted “Known Consignor” (KC) status and all that shipper’s freight is considered to be “secured” for carriage by any aircraft without further checks.
A lower level of approval, “Account Consignor” (AC), will initially continue to be open to shippers signing individual shipment security declarations, but this only permits freight to be shipped on pure freighter aircraft. AC status freight would still require x-ray before loading on passenger aircraft.
Evolution says that there are unlikely to be enough x-ray facilities to cope with the extra throughput, especially at the larger airports, nor is there sufficient spare capacity on freighter services for the transfer of some urgent shipments, and expects a spike in the demand for emergency logistics to help customers avoid delays. The biggest issues are expected to arise in Germany, where between 50 and 70 percent of freight will be classified “unsecured” under the new regulations, and subject to x-ray inspection. It is estimated that only 10 percent of German shippers have KC status. Delays are expected to ease as the new systems bed in, more x-ray capacity is introduced, and more shippers obtain KC status, but it is the early impact which is expected to be the most challenging.
In other EU countries a similar situation is expected, with many shippers unable to be approved to KC status ahead of the deadline. Despite investment in additional x-ray facilities, delays in freight acceptance of up to 24 hours are initially anticipated until more companies complete the accreditation process.
Evolution will be helping customers to work around the issues, by providing short-term, premium options to maintain their schedules, for example sending small, advance shipments ahead by on-board courier prior to the main shipment, re-routing to smaller, less congested airports, and making use of high speed road transport to provide the essential link between major centres.
Brad Brennan, Evolution Time Critical’s Managing Director
