Airport Authority of India is the official cargo handler at all four metropolitan airports viz Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkatta and Chennai, and handles all cargo meant for import or export from India. ICMS system is designed and developed for managing the import, export, disposal and trans-shipment (TP) operations for these different locations. The system covers all the aspects of cargo handling from the time it is received by AAI and to the time it is handed over to agents / airlines, including billing for all cargo related activities. This project went online in October 1999 and has been running successfully since then.

Import cargo cycle
Import module involves on line transaction processing of data (viz. details of import cargo) that are entered during flight check, binning, examination, billing, delivery of cargo, acceptance of cargo and queries/generation of report for manifest, segregation, pre-deposit accounts (PDA) and MIS.

Under the normal flow of imported consignments a flight's manifest (IGM) is entered at the flight check counter.The consignments are seggregated and binned at the various locations in the 'bonded area'. When the delivery order is received, the consignment is sent for customs examination to the examination area and on getting 'out of charge' the payment is done for the consignment, through a bank challan and it is delivered under a gatepass.

Incase of a trans-shipment consignment (international-to-international / international-to-domestic) the cargo transfer manifest (CTM) is entered and after its payment the consignment is delivered to the consignee /agent.

In case of exceptions to the normal cycle the advance manifest is received from customs and it is processed before the actual IGM. Unmanifested consignments without any identification number are regularized after permission from customs. Untraceable/unconnected consignments join the normal flow of consignments when they become traceable.

Consignments detained by customs are detached from the normal cycle and processed on their release. Consignments can also be taken by customs as 'samples', under a sample gatepass.

Miscellaneous activities like, conversion of consignments from import to TP and viceversa, recording damaged consignments, reprinting of documents like bank challan / gatepass / location slips are provided in the system.

Export cargo cycle
In case of export, the exporter is allowed to bring consignments into Airports authority of India cargo complex after payment of terminal storage processing charges to AAI, which is based on type of commodity and chargeable weight of the consignment. An airway bill number (AWB No.) identifies a consignment. The consignments are physically weighed by AAI to cross check with what has been declared in the AWB. In case of weight variation, the exporter has to pay "weight difference" charges. Later on, they are moved into examination area where cargo is examined by customs. The cargo undergoes x-ray scanning if required. Once examined, customs either grants "let export" permission or asks the exporter to withdraw the cargo, or detains the cargo.

In case the consignment is detained, it is sent for further examination outside the cargo complex. Once examined and permission is obtained, the consignment is moved into bonded area. where consignments are binned (placed). In case, cargo is being withdrawn, the exporter is given a gate pass for withdrawal of cargo. Based on loading permission obtained from customs, airlines load consignments into unit load device(ULD), which is assigned to a particular flight. Once ULD building is complete with respect to a particular flight, airlines approach Airports Authority of India for "export permit for release of ULD". Once release permit (gate pass) is obtained, the ULD is taken for physical loading into aircraft via "airside gate" followed by "upliftment". In case the flight gets cancelled or any consignment needs to be withdrawn from the flight, offloading happens. If offloaded, the ULD may either be "re-built" or may be assigned to another flight. Re-building is the process of breaking of ULD which means that the consignments in the ULD are shifted back to bonded area locations.

Disposal Module

Consignments that lie unclaimed or undelivered for more than 30 Days (or a duration which is decided time to time by AAI) with AAI are normally disposed off in a manner deemed fit by customs. This disposal mode could be open auction, sealed tender sale, destruction or simply handing over to customs or any other approved agency.

Disposal Activities normally for import cargo a report of all the consignments lying undelivered for more than criteria duration measured from the actual time of arrival of the concerned flight is generated from ICMS database. This report includes location details, advance paid by consignee, hold or preventive check on the consignment, bill of entry details available from customs as well for the consignment and based on a case-by-case decision consignments are shifted from import warehouse to disposal unit under a transfer challan. Some consignments that lie un-exported but unclaimed for further processing are also likewise shifted to disposal unit. Once in disposal unit, a disposal warehouse number (DWR) assigned by ICMS identifies each package. The airway bill and import general manifest details are relegated to background for all purposes. Once each packages is assigned a DWR number, a government-approved valuer is appointed who records the detailed inventory, and the reserve price or value for each package. The valuer, based on nature of items and value, clubs various packages into lots and suggests the disposal mode. customs finalizes the disposal mode for each lot and accordingly the lots are disposed off. In case of auction earnest money deposit (normally 30% bid amount) has to be paid on spot and balance at time of delivery. Facility of clubbing of lots in auction hall itself is also there in ICMS. In case of handing over to customs etc proforma bills are raised. This billing is based on the prevailing AAI terminal handling and demurrage charges rates. In case the concerned consignee comes any time prior to final disposal, the consignment is shifted back to respective warehouse against a transfer challan.

Inter module interface

	Old consignments which are lying in import/export are sent to the 'disposal' module.
	Imported TP consignments(domestic to domestic/domestic to international) are sent to the export module.

Enabling web interface and electronic exchange of data:

In January 2002, AAI approached CMC to enable electronic exchange of data with Customs. Customs plays an important role during Export, Import and Disposal of cargo, wherein all necessary approvals are granted by Customs. The Import & Export system requires interchange of documents at seventeen different stages of cargo handling. The manual process of document generation and exchange suffers from obvious limitations:

1) Time consuming which may even cause financial loss to customers

2) Error prone

3) Inconvenience to customer as he has to shuttle between Customs and AAI buildings / officials

4) Loss of image in international market.

To automate this process a set of messages was identified for each of the seventeen stages of cargo handling. CMC undertook the task of generating and ingesting the messages by making required changes in the ICMS software (described above). Actions corresponding to each of the seventeen stages trigger events to generate or upload the corresponding message. For actual exchange process, Oracle jobs and Unix scripts run as scheduled jobs and exchange messages over FTP. Customs and AAI FTP servers are connected over a dedicated fibre link and the message formats though derived from international standards are customised to suit Indian cargo operational procedures.

After successful commissioning of the above document exchange, AAI asked CMC to take this one step further and automate electronic document exchange with its business partners which include airlines, banks, cargo agents and forwarding agents. The envisaged solution is web enabled with a public available web, mail and FTP server. All partners desirous of sending information to AAI, can send it using HTTP, SMTP or FTP and the corresponding server will receive it. Microsoft Biztalk server would be configured to listen to all such incoming messages. It will send an automatic acknowledgement and if certain parties have chosen to transfer digitally signed message, it will verify the signature and accept or reject it. This server will then transfer the message to the desired location (Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkatta) where it will be picked up and ingested in the ICMS database. For messages originating from AAI, ICMS is customised to trigger event at the concerned stage which will generate the message. This message will be put up on the Web / FTP server or sent by email. Trade partners can log on to the server and download their relevant messages. Optionally the system also has the capability to connect to FTP servers of partners and put their messages there. This approach has performance and other limitations (like whether the other server is online) and is thus not preferred. For small time cargo agents there will be web forms which can be filled up to send the desired information to AAI.

Web server will also offer features like cargo tracking, amount payable on consignments and option to pay through selected banks. In case of payments, web server will transfer control to the bank's web site where the user can pay through his account with the bank. The payment approach is limited to banks which tie up with AAI and the agent having to have an account with the concerned bank.

The complete approach outlined above will overcome the current limitations and ensure speedy clearance of cargo. Cargo agents will be the major beneficiaries as it will minimize their interactions with AAI & customs officials and reduce their time and visits to cargo complex. Ideally they need to come only for taking delivery (for Import) and unloading of cargo (for export).

ACC software functions

	Air cargo complex software product
	Records bill of entry
	Records payment details
	Generates gate passes
	Generates permits for exit of bonded trucks from the air cargo complex
	Generates cash / terminal handling / transportation / x-ray / storage / MOT statements
	Generates export / import manifests
	Records shut-out of cargo
	Receipt and delivery of cargo
	Warehouse and gate pass
	Keeps record of cargo arrival date at air cargo complex
	Keeps record of cargo departure
	Cargo inspection details
	Keeps record of cargo departure
	Cargo inspection details

Technical architecture, hardware and software platforms

Strengths

	Easy to use
	Portable on any platform
	Fully parameterised
	Product can be customised according to customer requirements

Experience
CMC has implemented an air cargo complex system at the Rajasthan air cargo complex.

Indicative client list
Air cargo complex, Rajasthan

Contact
Head - Transportation
CMC Limited
C-18, Bandra Kurla Complex,
Bandra (East)
Mumbai 400051 India
Tel: 91-22-26591000/01/02
Fax: 91-22-26591046
Email: transportation@cmcltd.com