Emirates SkyCargo has said its total shipments of e-freight – paperless cargo consignments – reached the one million kilograms-a-month milestone. It also passed the 16 million kilograms mark in total e-freight shipments during the first week of July.

The carrier, which is an enthusiastic advocate of the IATA initiative and the world’s leading carrier of e-freight, achieved this landmark in just 19 months and is now seeing around 12 per cent of shipments from compliant airports being sent in this manner, it said.

Key e-freight stations for Emirates SkyCargo include Singapore, Zaragoza, Mauritius, London Heathrow, Hong Kong, Sydney, New York (JFK), Munich and the carrier’s hub – Dubai.

“E-freight is the future of our industry, and one we are embracing. Its benefits are enormous, and we encourage our forwarding partners to adopt it,” said Emirates’ divisional senior vice president cargo, Ram Menen.

IATA estimates that the lower costs of e-freight are resulting in industry savings of up to US$4.9 billion every year, but freight forwarders are critical of the process saying they have not been adequately consulted and not only see little or no benefit for their organisations, but see extra costs in order to gear up for e-freight.

In November 2008, Emirates SkyCargo started sending e-freight shipments from five airports. Today there are 126 e-freight compliant airports worldwide, 38 of which are within Emirates’ global network. The carrier estimates that more than 50 of its airports will be handling e-freight by the end of 2010.