Managing Road Feeder Arrival Times at LAT: Responsibility for Missed Flights
In my recent blog post, I addressed the absence of standardized definitions for the Latest Acceptance Times (LAT), highlighting its critical role in the success of air cargo logistics.
After sharing this article on LinkedIn, I received a good thought-provoking question from Mr. Malcolm Fowler, an experienced aviation professional. He pinpointed a nuanced issue, touching on a delicate aspect of the industry that defies simple answers. This is because both the haulier and the ground handler play vital roles in servicing the airline, working together to fulfill the contract of carriage and ensure shipments are delivered as promised.
A central question often arises in this complex relationship: should hauliers merely show up at the Latest acceptance time, or should they plan their arrival with potential queuing times at the airline’s GHA in mind? Moreover, when a flight is missed, who bears the responsibility?
The LAT is a key operational marker, indicating when hauliers are scheduled to access the landside facility. However, arriving precisely at LAT without accounting for possible queuing times can lead to delays, jeopardizing cargo processing and risking missed flights. GHAs frequently face fluctuating congestion levels, making it crucial for hauliers to anticipate these challenges in their planning.
While arriving just in time for LAT might seem practical, this approach is inherently risky. Operational best practices suggest that hauliers plan to arrive slightly ahead of the LAT, building in a buffer for potential delays caused by queues or inefficiencies. This strategy reduces the risk of missed deadlines and ensures smoother cargo handovers.
When flights are missed due to cargo processing delays, determining responsibility involves a detailed review of the events. Accountability may rest with the haulier, the GHA, or both parties, depending on the circumstances.
Adding to the complexity, even if a haulier or ground handler is found responsible for a service failure, this does not necessarily translate into liability. In most cases, there is no direct contractual agreement between hauliers and handlers regarding service standards. Failures that do not result in direct loss or damage are often categorized as consequential losses, which are typically excluded from liability under standard contractual terms.
Historically, the issue of liability has been particularly significant for ground handlers. Before the introduction of the Standard Ground Handling Agreement in 2008, handlers were not liable for damages arising from their operational responsibilities. This lack of accountability created an environment with minimal consequences for service failures, diminishing the incentive to maintain high standards.
To reduce delays and disputes, clear communication, between hauliers about estimated arrivals and GHAs to provide handling capacity transparency, is paramount. Both parties should coordinate in advance to establish realistic expectations about queuing times and processing capacities. It is also critical that each adheres to their operational commitments to ensure a seamless handover process.
Well-defined contractual agreements can also play a significant role. These should outline LAT expectations, service level standards, and protocols for addressing unforeseen delays. Additionally, incorporating buffer times for cargo drop-offs provides a safety net to account for unexpected disruptions.
Ensuring smooth cargo operations ultimately depends on effective collaboration between hauliers and GHAs. Hauliers must plan their schedules with an understanding of operational realities, while GHAs must prioritize transparency and efficiency. By working together to address timing challenges, both parties can minimize the risk of missed flights and the conflicts that follow.
In the dynamic logistics landscape, adaptability and communication are the cornerstones of success. By treating LAT and queuing times as shared responsibilities rather than isolated tasks, hauliers and GHAs can strengthen the supply chain, ensuring that goods reach their destinations on time.
Trucking CDM provides a multi stakeholder solution to enable the airline to monitor their shipment and delivery performance, the haulier to optimize their truck planning by increasing handling capacity and cargo readiness transparency and last but not least the handler full visibility of truck movement enabling the to optimize their staff planning. In the end all stakeholders involved are contracted by airline to support the execution of the contract of carriage. Collaboration and transparency will therefore increase the delivered as promised ratio as well as the competetiveness of the air cargo product.
Raoul Paul | CEO
