Airports Company South Africa (ACSA) is pursuing the automation and digitalisation of air cargo, ACSA CEO Mpumi Mpofu assured the inaugural International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) Global Air Cargo Summit. (ICAO is the specialist agency of the UN which oversees global commercial aviation; the summit is being held in Antalya, in Türkiye.)

She also called for the streamlining of trade processes and “smarter” infrastructure, to improve efficiency and competitiveness, globally. “Digitisation increases efficiency, reduces turnaround times, and improves accuracy – but governments must play their part by reducing the complexity of cross-border documentation,” she affirmed.

She stressed the necessity of customs integration, risk-based processing, and digital clearance systems, to cut delays when goods crossed frontiers. Public-private partnerships were valuable for the modernisation of airport cargo precincts, as well as to improve transparency across the supply chain, and to place key African air cargo hubs as leaders in the region.

Mpofu also highlighted the importance of emerging technologies.

“Blockchain ensures transparency and trust in the supply chain, while AI can streamline inspections and automate risk detection,” she pointed out. “The future of air cargo depends on adopting smarter, cleaner technologies and closer collaboration among stakeholders.”

Regarding ACSA’s initiatives in these areas, she highlighted its programmes at Johannesburg’s OR Tambo International Airport (ORTIA). There, to reduce congestion and increase productivity, the company was investing in technologies including automated storage, AI-driven systems and robotics. She noted that ORTIA Cargo had, since 2013, won the African Cargo Airport of the Year five times.

ACSA’s participation in the ICAO cargo summit was, the company affirmed, part of its 'Innovate, Grow and Sustain' corporate strategy. It reported that the summit provided valuable insights into technologies that could help strengthen air cargo operations in South Africa, as well as into current global trends.   

ACSA is a State-owned company that owns and operates nine of South Africa’s airports, including all but one of the country’s international airports.