Events
L to R: Lawrence Cockburn, dnata; Andy Cooke, BIFA; Malcolm Fowler, BT Consultant; Claudia Carley, BT; Magdalena Deitsche, HAL; Paul Hilditch, HAL; Peter McSwiney, BT Consultant; Zofia Gahir, dnata
Air Cargo Community Advisory Body focuses on ULD handling
ULD handling at Heathrow was the focus for the latest workshop organised by BIFA’s Air Cargo Advisory Body
Airport, highlighted the importance of landside efficiency and active stakeholder involvement in driving operational improvements. She outlined the governance structure supporting the initiative and the structured process used to identify a preferred system provider. Four providers participated in a comprehensive selection process, including demonstrations and community voting, resulting in CCSUK’s AIS being recommended as the preferred solution. It was further highlighted how AIS is enabling the airport’s cargo community to better manage landside traffic flows, reducing wait times, and improving the efficiency of cargo drop-offs and collections, a critical factor for time-sensitive freight. Claudia Carley and Malcolm Fowler from BT presented the benefits of the Advanced Information System (AIS), focusing
T he Air Cargo Advisory Body, established by BIFA in 2025, recently hosted a ULD workshop bringing together stakeholders from across the cargo community to discuss landside infrastructure and ef fi ciency developments which support the future of cargo operations at Heathrow Airport. improvements, and identified steps required to support future growth in cargo volumes while operating within existing estate constraints. Andy Cooke, secretariat of the Advisory Body, opened the meeting by welcoming attendees, making introductions, and setting out the workshop agenda and The workshop focused on community collaboration, technology, operational
objectives. He emphasised the importance of open discussion and community collaboration across the cargo supply chain, setting the tone for a constructive and forward-looking session. Airport expansion Paul Hilditch, senior cargo manager at Heathrow Airport, provided an overview of the airport’s expansion and redevelopment plans, outlining how Heathrow is preparing for significant future demand, including in cargo. He highlighted that operational efficiency, and improved throughput will be critical to accommodating future growth within existing infrastructure. Magdalena Deitsche, senior cargo manager at Heathrow
24 | June 2026
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