Mail as cargo – Ensure integration ot mail and cargo systems into every step of the delivery chain

Mail as cargo – Ensure integration ot mail and cargo systems into every step of the delivery chain

More than 2/3rds of all #commercial items ordered #online are transported within the global #postalnetwork.  Facilitated by the Universal Postal Union (UPU), the #postaloperators responsible for #transport and #delivery within this network are designated by the UPU’s 192 member countries to fulfil these #obligations in accordance with the UPU convention and #regulations. In a similar vein, the #transport and #logistics industries – and in particular the air freight industry – have developed their own #internationalstandards and procedures.

The pandemic has disrupted #globaltransport and #logistics. Prior to #COVID-19, mail was transported in passenger planes, with the #cancellation of passenger flights resulting in many #postal consignments becoming stranded. It quickly became apparent that “mail as cargo” needed to be better understood so that #air freight could step in and supplement passenger flights.

The #challenge at hand is to ensure that the two systems are integrated into each step of the #deliverychain. In short, the UPU and its designated operators need to „hand over“ and „receive“ MAIL (as qualified in the UPU regulations) and for the airlines (and increasingly other transport modes) to „carry“ CARGO.

“𝗛𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿” 𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗹

Handing over mail involves more than simply swapping the UPU’s „CN“ documentation and airlines’ „AirWayBill“ (AWB) documentation. The airline also needs to assess the applicable operational scenario.

“𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗲𝗶𝘃𝗲” 𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗹

The #delivery of mail is not just the end of an AWB. The #airline needs to assess the applicable operational and regulatory scenario.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝗶𝗿 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗼 𝗶𝗻𝗱𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝗴𝘂𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀

Many #businessopportunities are failing to be exploited because postal operators do not know how to work with a full cargo airline, and vice versa. This issue cannot simply be solved by applying the existing #standards, especially in a #crisis.

However, it would be possible to quickly adopt some alternative, downgraded #solutions to assist many #postal operators, while simultaneously respecting the existing processes of #cargo airlines which are not used to the #postaloperationalmodel.

The methods for carrying mail as cargo can be decided at a local level, and on a bilateral basis, but it would be beneficial for the #postalindustry if it were able to refer to #operationalguidelines approved by the IATA, TIACA and the #UPU.