Air Cargo Netherlands (ACN) has issued a stark warning that the surge in ecommerce parcels is pushing cargo handling at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport to its breaking point. The Dutch air cargo association is urging IATA to accelerate the development of a dedicated ecommerce handling code, arguing that without swift action, the airport's ability to process both ecommerce and conventional air freight is at risk.
ACN describes the situation as an "avalanche" of parcels that has overwhelmed first-line handling. Unlike traditional cargo, which arrives in consolidated, orderly units, ecommerce shipments consist of countless loose, irregularly sized parcels. These often arrive in grey poly-mailers or cartons, with pallets sometimes containing collapsed boxes. Many lack weight indicators, and because they cannot be stacked properly, counting items on a pallet becomes extremely difficult. Moreover, these small, variable parcels are incompatible with automated systems designed for large, consolidated freight. Unclear or handwritten labels further complicate administrative processes, and workers reportedly dread handling ecommerce flows due to the high workload and lack of structure.
The impact extends beyond ecommerce itself. As handlers struggle to count, process, and transfer parcels to trucks, bottlenecks form, delaying traditional air freight. Errors lead to significant rework and delays, putting immense pressure on both the physical and administrative sides of the operation. ACN emphasizes that the current model is unsustainable and requires structural interventions.
To address these challenges, ACN advocates for tackling the problem at the source. The relatively few companies responsible for the bulk of ecommerce imports into the Netherlands should enforce stricter requirements on packaging, labelling, and consolidation. Shipments for the same receiver should be consolidated into a single unit before arrival, rather than being spread across multiple pallets or ULDs, which necessitates costly breakdown and repalletisation at Schiphol. ACN also suggests that airlines and the airport consider imposing additional conditions on companies that fail to deliver complete units.
A central part of ACN's proposed solution is the introduction of a specific IATA identifier for ecommerce, which would provide greater visibility into the volume and nature of ecommerce flows. IATA has already begun work on an ecommerce special handling code (SHC), but ACN believes the process needs to be accelerated. "A specific IATA handling code for ecommerce is necessary so that the industry at least has an overarching understanding of the actual volume of ecommerce being transported," ACN stated. However, better identification alone is not enough; smarter consolidation, improved data exchange, and fewer manual interventions are also crucial. By bundling ecommerce flows more intelligently and minimising physical handling, ACN argues, the industry can protect operational continuity and reliability at airports, as well as the health and motivation of the workers performing manual labour. The message is clear: the tide must be turned before the supply chain grinds to a halt.