Air Dispatch, part of dnata and supplier of centralized load control (CLC) services, has recently celebrated the production of its seven millionth loadsheet.
The milestone document was issued from the Prague facility after it ensured the safe and efficient operations of a A330-300 P2F cargo flight operated by Titan Airways on behalf of forwarder GEODIS.
Air Dispatch’s CLC unit coordinates with stakeholders at all stages of the operations and provides 24-hour support for weight and balance issues. The timeline for a cargo flight varies and is often spread out over many hours. Cargo handlers need to understand the maximum weight and specific pallet combinations many hours before the departure of the flights so that they can build the payload in the most effective way, ensuring compliance with the balance requirements of the aircraft operating the flight.
The load planning takes place before the Loadmaster arrives at the airport, freeing them up for the safety critical role of coordinating and supervising the loading. A CLC unit can also coordinate transit loads well before the aircraft arrives, allowing for efficient turnarounds and improved on-time performance.
Air Dispatch has been offering quality and reliable CLC services to both legacy and new-generation carriers since 2007. Every month, the company’s 170-strong team produces over 60,000 loadsheets for 19 airlines operating from 392 airports.
Nick Yeadon, CEO of Air Dispatch, said that, with the increased adoption of the IATA Ground Operations Manual (IGOM), more and more cargo airlines are looking to CLC services as a way of complying with the newly required ‘four-eyes’ principle for the production of weight and balance documentation.
“Using a CLC for the production of the loadsheet allows for early communications with the cargo warehouse, thus maximizing the payload and freeing up the Loadmasters’ time during the turnaround,” he noted.
In addition to its core expertise, Air Dispatch also provides carriers with other value-added support services, including flight data warehousing and ULD (unit load device) tracking. It operates three state-of-the-art centres in Prague, Ostrava, and Warsaw, where it uses the customer’s preferred departure control system (DCS) solution.
Greg Holland, operation director at Titan Airways, shared: “the CLC team in Prague work proactively with our partners, from our freight forwarder client, through the warehouse and ground handling chain to ensure safe and on time departures while maximising the payload we carry.”
“Additionally, the CLC provides reactive solutions to our Loadmasters when they are busy out on the ramp and encounter a need to replan, using the four eyes principle this enhances safety and allows our loadmasters to focus on load supervision.”
dnata offers ground handling, cargo, travel, catering and retail services in 38 countries across six continents. In the financial year 2021-2022, its teams handled over 527,000 aircraft turns, moved 3 million tonnes of cargo, uplifted 39.9 million meals, and recorded a total transaction value (TTV) of travel services of US$ 632 million.
