Ever since parcel bombs from Yemen threatened the future of international air cargo in 2010, European authorities have been working hard to close gaps in security and in order to ensure  safer handling of airfreight cargo without the access of unauthorised persons, special EU regulations have been introduced which been implemented in Europe since 25 March this year.

The new regulations, EC No. 300/2008 and EU 185/2010, declare an air cargo shipment of a particular company as ‘safe’ only if the respective enterprise had previously obtained the status of ‘officially accepted known consignor’. This requires the approval of the German Federal Office of Civil Aviation (LBA).

The new regulations of course also affect textile machinery shipments and as Germany is a world leader in its manufacture, leading machine builders have had to take action. Leading warp knitting machinery manufacturer Karl Mayer is leading the charge and has obtained  certification as a ‘known consignor’, which is gaining  importance for airfreight consignments, on 28 May, after having implemented a comprehensive catalogue of measures required.

Certification

Last year Karl Mayer decided to obtain the ‘known consignor’ certification. For this purpose, the company fixed a time frame of nine months and initiated a relevant project. The main focus was on the following measures:

• Application for validation sent to the German Federal Office of Civil Aviation (LBA)
• Appointment of an airfreight security officer and of his/her deputy
• Reliability check according to §7 of the German Aviation Security Act  (LuftsiG) of the airfreight security officer and of the staff members who might come into contact with identifiable airfreight
• Completion of the required 35-hour training as airfreight security officer
• Completion of the prescribed 3-hour training of the company staff
• Working out of a security program
• Submission of the security program to the German Federal Office of Civil Aviation

It was also necessary to carry out constructional changes in Karl Mayer’s Logistics Centre. The crucial point of the building modifications concerned the set-up of a separate room in the Logistics Centre which is only accessible after having passed through several predefined safety procedures.

The worked-out and implemented safety solutions have been put to the test on 28 May by the authorised persons of the German Federal Office of Civil Aviation.

Important and recognisable

The ‘known consignor’ status entitles Karl Mayer to dispatch ‘safe’ airfreight. Companies without this status must have their air cargo shipments separately checked, x-rayed and released by a special service provider – a procedure that implies increased freight charges for the dispatcher. Moreover, there is a higher risk of delays in shipment.

This certification ensures reduced door-to-door times as well as a safe supply chain for the air cargo. In other words the company’s  customers can rely on  fast and safe delivery. Compared to many other eco labels known from the consumer sector, this certificate is officially recognised by the German Federal Office of Civil Aviation, Karl Mayer says.

www.karlmayer.com