The IATA accreditation underlines the precision at the heart of the refreshed Cathay Dangerous Goods shipment solution
Cathay Cargo has refreshed another of its specialist shipment solutions to deliver best-in-class quality and standards. Cathay Dangerous Goods requires precise handling, segregated storage across all nine classes of dangerous goods including flammable, radioactive and other types of hazardous materials, along with the safe carriage of lithium-ion batteries. Cathay Cargo was one of the first carriers in Asia to receive the International Air Transport Association’s (IATA) Center of Excellence for Independent Validators (CEIV) Lithium Batteries accreditation, and was this summer one of the first to be recertified. Cathay Cargo continues to hold a full suite of CEIV accreditations.
“Safety is the cornerstone for all our operations, and particularly when it comes to the transport of dangerous goods,” said Tim Wong, Cathay Cargo General Manager Cargo Service Delivery. “The safe carriage of lithium-ion batteries is a core focus of our cargo business and we have introduced a series of safety protocols with our customers and operational teams to mitigate any risks. This CEIV reaccreditation will give further reassurance to our customers that we adhere to the highest standards of handling in the industry.
“This milestone reflects our continued commitment to safety and operational excellence in handling dangerous goods, especially lithium battery shipments. This achievement was made possible through the collaborative efforts of our teams across the business and reinforces our position as a trusted leader in air cargo service delivery.”
With the growth of e-commerce, the shipment of lithium-ion batteries or goods containing them has become a potential safety concern, and so the new solution provides additional measures to ensure safety for carriage in the air, and segregated storage on the ground. Along with the existing range of fire-resistant bags and containers for shipments of varying sizes, the Cathay Dangerous Goods solution now offers greater flexibility for shipment options with a build-up solution for multiple fire-resistant bags. This increases space efficiency by 50 per cent for larger shipments and allows the carriage of bigger individual battery sizes safely.
Additionally, the refreshed Cathay Dangerous Goods solution offers a digital Lithium Batteries Shipper Approval Request Form to streamline and speed up the approval process for shippers and forwarders, making the process more agile and responsive to urgent customer enquiries. This follows on from further reductions through digitisation in the time required to approve heavy and out of gauge shipments. Both these are examples of Cathay Cargo’s commitment to enhancing efficiency through digital innovation.
Cathay Cargo has continued its work to prevent the transport of misdeclared and undeclared dangerous goods as general cargo. Initiatives include new screening processes at the Cathay Cargo Terminal in Hong Kong, which use AI technology to identify possible misdeclared or undeclared shipments and hidden dangerous goods. Additionally, the Cargo Agent Operation Programme, which offers comprehensive training workshops and handling advice to forwarders, has been extended to more outports worldwide.
Tim added: “Our refreshed Cathay Dangerous Goods shipment solution ensures the precision required for the safe and seamless transport of dangerous goods is visible at every stage of the journey.”
