Swissport begins rolling out self-serve check-in for global airfreight

Ground services provider Swissport is introducing self-service kiosks for air cargo check-in at its cargo warehouses around the world, according to a Friday statement. The service launched at Brussels Airport (BRU) and was rolled out shortly after at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport (AMS).

Swissport plans to add the kiosks across “all core cargo stations” over the next two years. Drivers picking up cargo from Swissport warehouses register, provide identification at the kiosks, and scan relevant airfreight documentation. A text message then notifies drivers at which gate to drop off cargo. According to the statement from Swissport, forwarders can also directly enter shipping information in a kiosk web portal, and customers can use an API interface to link their IT systems with Swissport’s database.

“Our new kiosks support the paperless eFreight initiative by IATA and at the same time accelerate the import and export processes for our customers significantly,” said Hendrik Leyssens, Vice President Global Operations Cargo at Swissport. “Truck drivers benefit from minimal wait times and faster turnarounds.”

Swissport is only the latest air cargo service provider to introduce self-service kiosks. Last year, Alaska Air Cargo and Delta Cargo in the U.S. both launched self-service kiosks, for airfreight retrieval and electronic air waybills, respectively.