Plane Handling Ltd
Unique and Efficient Unified Services Solution Delivers Cargo Documents to Users within Hours of Flight Cargo Preparation
Plane Handling is one of the largest and most successful independent ground handling companies in the UK. The company, whose headquarters are in the heart of London’s Heathrow airport - one of the world’s busiest, specializes in ground and cargo handling for 35 top international carriers. Plane Handling handles over 20% of all air cargo business through Heathrow and over 20% of air cargo business at Manchester, the nation’s fastest growing airport.
KCL has worked with Plane Handling to implement a flagship solution, which has gone through various iterations before arriving at its current state. Plane Handling started by outsourcing all cargo file documentation for imports and exports from its Virgin cargo facilities. The scanning was done on the ‘back-end’ - meaning that documents were not sent for scanning until they had gone through the cargo facilities and accounting departments. Later, the other airlines were added so that Cathay Pacific, US Airways, United Airlines and other airlines’ cargo documentation were all being scanned off-site at the KCL service bureau operation.
Plane Handling then approached KCL about moving the scanning function to an earlier stage within their business process. KCL has also provided multi-function devices to Plane Handling, and as current leases expired Plane Handling began the upgrade process to include scanning capabilities on every device within the organization, including those located at the cargo sheds.
By planning the switch closely with KCL’s staff, Plane Handling made the switch to a unified services approach. Currently, Plane Handling staff finishes the documentation for a specific flight and then scan the cargo documents themselves as a part of their internal process. The scanned files are then automatically transmitted to KCL personnel who index the data and make it available on Plane Handling servers within hours of the flight having been ‘closed’.
This enhanced process means that before an aircraft has left the ground, all cargo documents have been scanned and made available to Plane Handling personnel. The goal is that these documents will eventually be made available to shippers, receivers, airlines and customs personnel.