The politics of turmoil: Overcoming global supply chain disruption

Staying one move ahead

There are a number of reasons that airfreight remains relatively secure at airports despite the potential threats.  First, passenger operations are high-value targets for terrorists. Brian Michael Jenkins, senior adviser to the president at the RAND Corporation, published an article following the 2011 bombing of Moscow’s Domodedovo Airport, explaining that, “Attacks on airports give terrorists the symbolic value they seek and guarantee the attention of the international news media,” whereas cargo operations are removed from the public.

Second, cargo operations have made remarkable progress in security, partially because they are not subject to the security variables associated with large crowds of passengers. Germany-based 3PL Rhenus Group has invested in “security measures and in the screening of airfreight shipments,” said Jörn Schmersahl, CEO, Europe air and ocean in the business area Rhenus Freight Logistics. “At Rhenus, we use Explosive Detection Dogs and X-ray scanners for the screening of airfreight shipments. At our Amsterdam Airport Schiphol facility, we have our own X-ray scanner; in other European countries we use external providers.” Schmersahl added that Rhenus had recently added nuclear detection portals.

In addition, airports have extensive contingency plans that take cargo into consideration, said Polmans at Brussels Airport, which explains why the facility “was able to open up for cargo aircraft.” Stakeholders in the airfreight business watched events closely this summer and are developing strategies that account for the successes and failures at Brussels Airport. While airports don’t disclose details, he said that, since the attack, “plans will be updated where needed” to prepare for future disruptions.

Forwarders can also implement their own contingency plans in conjunction with affected air hubs. A critical link in these plans is the ability to re-route cargo to other airports via the forwarders’ own networks, Schmersahl said. “We have the possibility to re-direct the airfreight shipments to other Rhenus Airfreight stations in Europe and also in Asia,” he said.

As a result, even temperature-sensitive shipments survived the Brussels attack, said Polmans. “Brussels Airlines and Adelantex, which specialize in perishables, found a way to continue operations without much impact,” he said.

In neighboring Germany, “The regulations for air cargo are very strict,” explained Dirk Schusdziara, senior vice president of cargo for Frankfurt Airport. “All goods have to be checked upon arrival at the airport. There can only be exemptions if a secure process chain has been maintained with a ‘Known Consignor’ and a ‘Regulated Agent.’ It is very difficult to obtain certifications for ‘secure process chain’ status – and certification must be regularly renewed.”

These strict standards are necessary, however they come at a cost. Cargo airports need flexibility, but “restrictions and flexibility are a contradiction,” explained Steven Verhasselt, vice president for commercial at Liège Airport. Unlike on the passenger side, the government is not stepping in to pick up the tab. So while Verhasselt noted that Liège had not yet imposed security fees, adapting was costing operators.

Following the failed coup in Turkey, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) briefly imposed a ban on all direct flights, regardless of carrier, from Turkish airports. Turkish diplomats launched a panicked campaign that quickly ended the embargo days later, but it was long enough to force Turkish Airways to divert significant volumes of cargo through airports like Liège in Belgium, where it was picked up by other carriers headed to the U.S.