The aim of Airlink Accelerate the cargo handling process at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol

Airlink is one of the pilot projects in the Seamless

Connections innovation programme, a joint initiative

involving the logistics sector, government and knowledge

institutes in the Amsterdam Metropolitan Area.

Seamless Connections focuses on accelerating, associating

and advancing logistics chains in the Amsterdam region.

ICT solutions (digitisation) play a signifi cant role,

but equally important is updating existing rules

and practices and effi cient use of the (multimodal)

infrastructure. Seamless Connections does what its name

says, and by creating seamless connections it enables

the Amsterdam Metropolitan region to excel now and in

the future in terms of speed, safety and reliability,

low costs and sustainability.

The advantages of Airlink

Accelerating incoming and outgoing cargo fl ows at the

airport helps give the Amsterdam Metropolitan Area a

competitive edge as a logistics hub. Better planning re-

sults in more effi ciently structured cargo fl ows and lowers

the pressure on the airport aprons. Digitising administra-

tive transfer times increases the quality of information

by reducing the risk of mistakes and fraud. Most of all,

faster handling as a result of digitising the process gives

handlers and shippers a cost advantage.

Approach

Initially, Airlink focuses on the further incorporation and expan-

sion of the eLink digital pre-registration system for the transport

between shippers and handlers with respect to export cargo at

Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (phase 1). eLink is part of a more

widely usable application of Cargonaut (the cargo community

system at Schiphol) called eCargoReceipt. Providing cargo data,

means of transport and driver at an early stage in the chain (pre-

registering) to the next party in the chain allows handlers and

government authorities (customs) to plan their activities more

effectively and effi ciently. When security checks, customs checks

and volumes are known before the shipment arrives, the logistics

fl ow to and from the airport can be accelerated signifi cantly.

Airlink phase 1 delivers the following concrete results:

■ By using electronic pre-registration, part of the logistics

process (reporting to the handler’s offi ce) can be skipped,

which allows cargo to be delivered faster.

■ Drivers can report directly, without any downtime,

from the incoming gate to a designated location for

unloading.

■ Shipments can be pre-registered for unloading at

Schiphol from any location in the Netherlands, unlike

the current situation in which this can only be done

within the Schiphol community.

■ During the pre-registration process, all shipments

can be checked in the system for compliance (with the

prevailing rules and regulations). This way, a shipment

can be verifi ed as ‘safe’ at an earlier stage in the

process.

The second phase of the project involves further acceleration of

the import fl ows and combined planning of incoming and outgo-

ing cargo. It also entails exploring the potential for linking up the

systems with Truckparking, which allows lorries to wait in a ‘buff-

er zone’ until called. Optimising transport between shippers’ and

handlers’ warehouses using alternative logistics concepts will

likewise be tested. One example is the Milkrun, which reverses

the delivery process: instead of delivering shipments to the han-

dlers, they are collected from the shippers. This concept is being

evaluated for feasibility in cooperation with research organisation

TNO and Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences.

Intended result The above-mentioned efforts must bring:

A 25% reduction of transfer times for

incoming and outgoing cargo transports

at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol

Airlink project management is

provided by Air Cargo Netherlands

(ACN).

For more information

Robin Audenaerdt

e robin.audenaerdt@acn.nl

Project management for

Seamless Connections is provided

by Amsterdam Connecting Trade

(ACT).

For more information

Vivianne Blommers

t +31 (0)20 666 40

e v.blommers@sadc.nl

www.seamlessconnections.nl www.seamlessconnections.nl www.seamlessconnections.nl www.seamlessconnections.nl

Partners

Airlink is a cooperative effort involving more than

60 parties. You can fi nd a complete list of all those

involved at Seamlessconnections.nl. The Airlink steering

committee comprises the following parties: