Cathay Pacific Airways has signed an agreement for electronic data interchange with DHL Global Forwarding as part of a move that will take air cargo shipments towards a paper-free environment.
 
The agreement is based on the e-freight model developed by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) for agreements on data exchange. IATA's e-freight initiative aims to eliminate the need to produce and transport paper documents for air-cargo shipments by moving to a simpler, industry-wide, electronic and paper-free environment.

Currently, the average cargo shipment generates more than 30 documents that are used and/or handled by the various parties involved including shippers, freight forwarders, handling agents, export and import brokers, airlines, customs and other government authorities.

The new agreement with DHL Global Forwarding will eliminate the need for printing air waybills - documents made out by the shipper which confirm the contract between the shipper and carrier. Cathay Pacific is the first airline to sign an electronic air waybill agreement with a freight forwarder in Hong Kong.