U-Freight assures readiness for stricter air cargo security screening in Hong Kong
HONG KONG: U-Freight, one of the biggest freight forwarding and logistics firms globally, assured it is ready for the final phase of the stricter air cargo security screening in Hong Kong set to be implemented this month.
Hong Kong first implemented stricter screening for cargo on January 1, 2020 pursuant to the rules of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
“The final phase demands that all consignors of air cargo must be approved by the appropriate authority as a “validated” Known Consignor (KC), with any consignee not validated becoming an “unknown consignor” with all their cargo subject to 100% security screening prior to being loaded on to a commercial aircraft, to meet the ICAO deadline of 100% screening of non-known consignee cargo by June 30th 2021,” said Simon Wong, UFL’s chief executive officer.
U-Freight Group had since installed an X-ray machine at its Golden Bear Industrial Centre in Hong Kong two years ago, giving staff adequate time to gain experience in the scanning process, as well as helping to identify prohibited/suspect products inside the ever-increasing number of e-commerce parcels it handles.
The Group said a second enhanced X-ray machine was installed in July 2019, which can scan consignments up to pallet size. It also modified its export operations warehouse to accommodate the existing X-ray machine, as well as the newly purchased one.
“The U-Freight Group fully supports the ICAO aviation security requirements and has worked closely with CAD, Hong Kong Airport Authority, Cargo Terminal Operator and HAFFA in making the necessary preparations to make sure that we enhance our air cargo security regime to meet international aviation security requirements,” said Wong.
“The establishment of off-airport screening facilities in Hong Kong enables air cargoes to be screened at the existing warehouses or similar premises of the air cargo industry before such cargoes are transported to the airport for loading onto aircraft,” he added noting that U-Freight was one of the first forwarding and logistics companies to have been accredited by CAD.
