Sunny Ho: HK air cargo 'finished' if 24-hr advance manifest imposed

HONG KONG's leading role in world air freight is "finished" if cargo manifests are demanded 24 hours in advance, Hong Kong Shippers Council chief told an air freight media luncheon.

"Hong Kong would be finished. It would erode all our advantages," he said, referring to demands in the United States and elsewhere for the presentation of cargo manifests 24 hours in advance of flights.

Mr Ho said the industry typically works with four hours. He made his remarks to a press luncheon called to announce the biennial Air Freight Asia 2011 exhibition in Hong Kong from March 8-10.

Mr Ho said Hong Kong ground handlers pride them themselves on being able to expedite the departure of cargo in two hours. By comparison, air freight from Shenzhen, Wuhan, Shanghai and Guangzhou takes 24 hours because of cumbersome procedures.

Paul Tsui, chairman of the Hong Kong Association of Freight Forwarding and Logistics (HAFFA), said: "I wouldn't think 24 hours is going to be implemented. There are a lot of objections from different stakeholders."

Dr Tsui doubted US regulators would impose such measures because of the disruption it would cause and the costs it would bring about. Already air cargo here faces problems because of the need to screen all bellyhold cargo on passenger aircraft to the US and that such measures were being imposed in Canada in March and in the EU soon afterwards.

One idea is to move the screening downstream to forwarders. Against this idea are the costs involved because screening devices required are costly and the bulk of forwarders are small and medium sized enterprises, ill-equipped to afford such machines.

Air Freight Asia 2011 is attracting strong industry support in the midst of booming market, said Brian Thomas of Reed Exhibitions.

Major international exhibitors already committed to the show include Air Bridge Cargo, Etihad Airways, HACTL, Hong Kong International Airport, International Cargo Centre Shenzhen, Kingfisher Airways, United Cargo and World Airways. The event will be held alongside Asian Aerospace 2011 at AsiaWorld-Expo in Hong Kong from March 8 to 10.

Air Freight Asia 2011 is looking forward to large scale attendance from China, having received official endorsements from both the China Aviation Transportation Association (CATA) and the China Civil Airport Association (CCAA), the two most influential national industry trade bodies.
(Source:www.schednet.com)