Today, all that has changed as more formalized communities are forming across the globe. Much of this cooperation was prompted by the need to increase quality control procedures for high-value cargo, such as pharmaceuticals. As more forwarders, carriers and ground handlers became certified in Good Distribution Practices (GDP) and IATA's Center of Excellence for Independent Validators in Pharmaceutical Logistics (CEIV-Pharma), the various supply chain stakeholders began to formalize relationships with each other and schedule regular meetings to discuss improving efficiency.
The following five examples of airport cooperation helped pave the way to today’s cargo community trend, which has spread from Asia to Europe — and is gaining momentum in North America.
Changi Airport, Singapore
As far back as 2013, Singapore’s Changi Airport has been a pioneer in the development of the cargo community movement. That year, Swiss WorldCargo, the airfreight unit of Swiss International Air Lines, along with ground-handling partners, Cargologic and Singapore Air Terminal Services (SATS), signed a memorandum of understanding to further improve cargo handling and information services.
