Facilitation and airport services - Airports Council International

Cargo facilitation3.31Government inspection services for cargoACI POLICY3.31.1 Government inspection servicesfor cargo should be available andadequate to facilitate the expeditiousclearance of cargo consignments.ACI RECOMMENDED PRACTICE / COMMENTInternational air cargo hub operations have evolved into a 24 hour per day, 7 dayper week business, and the air cargo industry is catering for increasingly timesensitiveshipments. The “just-in-time” concept has given rise to the need forfast, cost-effective and seamless transport chains. Moreover, the rapid growth oftraffic in perishable cargo creates a requirement for the streamlining ofprocedures, not only for the physical handling of goods, but also for the timelyinspection and release of cargo. Governments should move to enhance thespeed advantage of air cargo by making available government inspectionservices whenever they are needed.ACI believes that compatibility must exist between the requirements of therelevant government inspection agencies at the origin and destination of aconsignment. Procedures related to the movement of air cargo, as well as thoserelated to intermodal transportation (air, sea, rail and road), must be developedon an international level to allow for the standardization of documentation andhandling methods. These procedures should recognize the desirability of theeventual replacement of processes now in existence in favour of automation anda paperless environment.Governments should also encourage the development of internationalcommunications networks allowing for the transmission of data betweengovernmental agencies within a country and between countries. At airportswhere there is a lack of capacity for expansion, the airport operator may wish todevelop off-airport facilities for initial acceptance, storage, distribution,consolidation, de-consolidation and final receipt and clearance of goods. In thesecases, the cooperation of control authorities is sought to facilitate theestablishment of off-airport clearance and storage facilities for bonded goods.3.32Maximum clearance time for arriving cargoACI POLICY3.32.1 Maximum clearance times fordifferent categories of cargo should beestablished by the customs authorities,in consultation with airports andairlines, and should meet or better therecommended performance standardsin Annex 9.ACI RECOMMENDED PRACTICE / COMMENTACI supports ICAO Annex 9 Recommended Practice 4.29 establishing a targetCustoms clearance time of three hours for arriving general cargo not requiringexamination, from the time proper documentation or a legally acceptableelectronic equivalent is presented. In line with ICAO Annex 9, Standards 4.25 to4.27, shipments such as perishable goods, live animals, personal effects andlow-value goods should be cleared promptly on arrival. As provided under ICAOAnnex 9, Recommended Practice 4.28, goods imported by authorised importerswho have demonstrated compliance with Customs regulations and who supplyadvance information, should be released immediately on arrival.ACI recommends that physical examination of cargo by Customs should alwaysbe based on targeting and risk assessment criteria.ACI Policy and Recommended Practices Handbook | Seventh Edition | November 2009 Section 3 | Page 16