Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (Schiphol) has launched the upgraded version of its Port Community System (PCS) together with its fully owned cargo information platform, Cargonaut.

Schiphol is currently migrating the first clients on the new system and the airport mentioned the development process, which took around 4 years, made sure the new version is fully future proof and can easily integrate new technology.

“The upgraded system facilitates the use of new technologies, including API Connections (software), XML (data migration) and the OneRecord data model,” explained Marco van Katwijk, head of Cargonaut.

These improvements on the PCS enable faster data processing, greater transparency and full compliance with the latest IATA standards and guidelines, allowing better data exchange between internal stakeholders at Schiphol and external authorities such as Customs.

“By upgrading specific parts of the PCS, the system is more robust and future-proof. This means we can continue to safely ensure the smooth import and export of a large amount of cargo,” said Joost van Doesburg, head of cargo, Schiphol.

The airport has been the sole owner of Cargonaut since 1 November 2020, and was a co-founder at its inception in 1986. Schiphol is working on the roll out of a few more technologies this year to enhance its operations, including a secure import system and a truck visited management system to improve notifications and waiting time for cargo deliveries and collections.