Today Delta Cargo debuted its new self-service kiosks, operational in Atlanta and Boston, for use of electronic air waybills (e-AWBs) for its domestic network.
This marks another step in the carrier’s path toward digitalization, following the company’s launch earlier this month to allow access to its full suite of services online, which include a sort and filter flight schedule tool, e-AWB Access, and recurring booking set-up.
Since the start of the kiosk project’s trial at Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL), the carrier said it has seen a 94 percent increase from paper to e-AWB bookings for U.S. domestic shipments in Atlanta. The kiosks are now available for use at Logan International Airport (BOS), and will “shortly be available” at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and at Seattle International Airport’s (SEA).
At present, Delta said its penetration rate is 81 percent, year-to-date, surpassing IATA’s global goal of 68 percent eAWB penetration for 2018. Delta said it hopes to reach its goal of “100 percent e-AWB penetration in the United States” by the end of the year, and internationally by 2019.
To that end, the carrier did not say if it intends to phase out paper air waybills or charge an extra fee, like Lufthansa, which will bump up its fee to €12 per paper air waybill in October.
Learn more about digitalization on 10-12 October at Cargo Facts Symposium. For more information, or to register, visit www.cargofactssymposium.com.