After many years of technological stagnation, the air cargo industry now seems to have grasped the fact that technology holds the key to so many of our challenges. 

“There have always been hot spots where this process has been ongoing and has a clear focus, and I would like to think that Hactl has done more than its fair share to drive this movement,” Wilson Kwong, Chief Executive of Hactl, explained.

“What’s different today is that we are now seeing critical mass building in areas such as digitisation; this is fundamentally important because you cannot have automation and AI if you are still using paper-based processes and storing or transferring data on paper.” 

Leveraging the potential

Hactl’s automation story began way back before SuperTerminal 1 was built in 1998. That new terminal then introduced a degree of automation that was unheard of throughout the industry.

“That gave us an impressive productivity per capita that others could only dream about,” Kwong outlined. 

“Inevitably, others copied us, and that was both flattering and intentional, as we have always felt that the industry is only as good as its weakest link, so it’s in everyone’s best interests to help others get over the bar by sharing ideas and experiences.”

Innovation and continuous improvement have become obsessions for Hactl, but with such a long history already behind them, the challenge is now finding even better ways of working. Through their Performance Enhancement Team, whose job is to root out inefficiencies and solve them with tech solutions, the handler is still finding scope for new optimisations in processes. 

“Our attention is now fully on robotics: we initially trialled this with our Automated Parts Store that dispenses urgent machinery spares around the clock; we went on to use robotic security patrols to complement our human security guards; and now we are in the process of developing autonomous ramp vehicles such as towing tractors,” he continued.

“Robotics, linked to AI, is a solution to our constant challenge of recruitment, but also delivers additional potential benefits such as accuracy and reliability, and releasing staff from repetitive duties to focus on areas that require their experience and skills.”

Avoiding hampering hurdles

The main obstacle to innovation is always cost, but with the steadily increasing adoption of robotics and AI across the industry, the cost of this technology will inevitably fall. This also means that, where elaborate systems could once only be justified in large scale operations, the solutions Hactl is developing will also be viable for the smaller and more typical handling operations around the world.

“We have developed a close working relationship with our airport authority and the local community that is already bearing fruit,” he stated. 

“The adoption of autonomous ramp vehicles, for example, is best done in a collaborative manner, and that is the case in Hong Kong. 

“In other areas such as the introduction of our Automated Service Kiosks, regulation has not been a significant obstacle either; in fact it is to be welcomed where it ensures the necessary adherence to safety and security protocols.”

Standardised approach

In an industry where there is still such a wide gap between the most and least technological operations, the clear priority must be for all areas and locations to catch up with the most advanced ones. Beyond that, there are still areas in which automation could provide an answer, but has not yet done so. 

Depending on which area of the vast automation and IT arena the industry is exploring, there is already ample scope for systems integration, and initiatives such as IATA One Record are working

to standardise processes and communication protocols. 

In the more physical aspects of operations such as container handling systems, ramp vehicles and forklift trucks, the equipment itself can be diverse as long as the computer systems behind it can communicate using standard protocols.

“There will always be some degree of customisation required from one operator to another, arising from the existing management systems that are being expanded and adapted to control the new equipment as part of the wider handling process,” Kwong continued.

Sustainable solutions

Efficiency is the friend of sustainability: for example, tech solutions that lead to less machinery movements and reduced vehicle travel, lower energy consumption and emissions. Full digital processes work better with electrical machinery: controlling electric motors is simpler than starting a diesel engine, engaging and changing gears, and turning off the engine. 

“It’s a little hard to separate the achievements we have made through green measures, as compared to innovation. The two very often go hand in hand, such as our adoption of mobile computing; this was done for process streamlining reasons, but also significantly reduced tractor ramp travel and emissions,” Kwong outlined. 

“That’s why, nowadays, we say that what is good for business is usually also good for the environment. Hactl is, incidentally, committed to the Science Based Target initiative (SBTi) and has had its targets approved; innovation will play a key role in achieving these targets.”