It certainly hasn't happened overnight, but finally the penetration rate of the e-AWB has reached the 50% level.
IATA has been the driving force behind the adoption of the electronic option, but its take-up has been woefully slow - to the point that the concept has been joked about by some freight professionals with long memories. IATA has set a target of 62% penetration by the end of 2017 but that, for many, is seen as something of a digital daydream. However, to give IATA its due, the latest statistic of 50.7% represents a 1.3% advance over the previous month's score. In April, more than 730,000 digital documents were processed, IATA said.
Also on the plus side, both Flydubai and Kenya Airways reported 100% processing of electronic air waybills, with Cathay hitting just over 80% in the same period.
