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Understanding Heathrow’s Cargo Landscape

As one of the world’s major international airports, Heathrow’s cargo infrastructure is a vast and complex network of airlines, ground handlers, mail operators, live animal centres, courier and express operators, freight forwarders, border force and customs, and integrators.

The logistics to coordinate all of these moving parts is no mean feat, and there are multiple ways to handle the significant volume and range of cargo passing through.

Your company’s specific cargo needs may be super speedy and simple, or it could require multiple physical touchpoints. Either way, if you’re undertaking this process for the first time it can be daunting.

With over 40 years’ experience working alongside the world’s largest airlines to move goods in and out of Heathrow, we can help. Our operations, facilities, and services differ from other cargo sheds and may be more suitable for a business just like yours.

In this article, we’ll cover…

  • – Why we’re the chosen handler for over 30 of the world’s largest airlines.
  • – The systems and processes we use for handling cargo.
  • – How our operations and facilities best suit your business needs.

But first, a background to Heathrow and the cargo landscape

Heathrow is a major freight hub and holds significant importance across the wider UK air freight market, with most freight forwarders having major consolidation centres in the vicinity of the airport. Over £203 billion worth of goods – weighing 1.4m tonnes – travelled through Heathrow in 2022, with 72% of all UK air cargo being processed here too. 

Safe to say, there’s a lot happening.

So how do we fit into it all? Well, we’re one of the most trusted ways for couriers and eCommerce shippers to move goods in and out of the airport. So much so that we’re the only courier facility bespoke to Heathrow. That means we’re able to provide a range of courier solutions to benefit your company rather than working to a one-size-fits-all approach.

How does it all work?

Cargo handling involves a series of intricate and well-coordinated steps, alongside several security and customs screenings steps. Here’s what happens when moving your export goods out of Heathrow…

1. Getting booked in

Once you’ve booked your cargo in, the necessary documentation will need to be prepared by the sending agent, most often a freight forwarder. This includes the air waybill, commercial invoice, and any necessary customs forms.

2. Delivery and inspection

Your goods will then need to be delivered to the airport’s cargo terminal to be accepted and inspected by the handling agent.

At Heathrow Airport, cargo handlers locate themselves in two areas: either on-airport or off-airport. 

On-airport cargo facilities mean that a cargo handling service provider has direct access to the airside, and can deliver cargo straight to the plane. This helps to speed up the delivery and transfer time of your shipments.

Off-airport cargo facilities have to transport the cargo on public roads from a warehouse just outside of Heathrow Airport. They then have to go through an additional checkpoint to get to the airside.

3. Shipment sorting and handling

Your cargo will then be sorted based on its final destination and whether the goods are perishable or considered express. A label that includes the air waybill number, destination, and handling instructions will be printed and put on the goods.

If the cargo requires specialist handling – maybe because it’s valuable, oversized, or hazardous – then it’ll be stored in a suitable environment until the aircraft is ready to be loaded.

4. Unit Load Device preparation

Cargo is often consolidated into Unit load Devices (ULDs), which are basically just big containers or pallets that fit the aircraft’s cargo hold. Once this is done the weight and balance are also calculated to ensure safe transportation.

5. Security screening and aircraft loading

Next up comes the security checks, of which all cargo is subject to. Once passed here it can then be loaded onto the aircraft. 

And that’s it! Your cargo will be ready to jet off to its destination.

If you want to move goods into Heathrow, the process is much the same…

1. Unloading and transfer

Upon arrival, the cargo is unloaded from the aircraft and sent to customs clearance for inspection and approval.

2. Shipment sorting

Your cargo will then be taken to either the on-airport or off-airport cargo facilities to be sorted based on its final delivery address. 

3. Collection and delivery

The cargo will be cleared for collection from a consignee or picked up by a delivery service in order to be taken to its final destination. 

It’s also important to know that usually it’s the airlines who choose their handler. We’re a little bit different here at CFL though, as our customers are both airlines and couriers. Because of this, any airline can work with us meaning there’s a greater choice of partner for all involved.

The systems and processes for handling cargo

Interested to know what goes into the intricate task of moving cargo from one corner of the world to another? Here are the systems and services we use to ensure our processes remain compliant and efficient.

Customs and Border Force

There are 2 main systems used to facilitate import and export processes, Cargo Community Systems (CCS) and Courier Network Service (CNS). Both digitally connect and facilitate information-sharing between:

  • – Airlines
  • – Border Force
  • – Courier
  • – Freight forwarders
  • – Ground handlers
  • – Hauliers
  • – HM Revenue and Customs

Most use CCS but we opt for CNS, as it’s a dedicated airport community system. It allows couriers and express parcel operators to get customs clearance when importing and exporting goods, and is secure, reliable, and helps enable trade flow without any fuss or complication.

Customers Declaration Service

The Customs Declaration Service (CDS) is the UK government’s digital platform for managing customs declarations for all goods being imported and exported. Regardless of whether CNS or CCS is used, all that information comes here. 

CDS replaces the older Customs Handling of Import and Export Freight system (CHIEF), and provides a more modern and efficient service. It supports the UK’s international trade by making the overall customs clearance process more efficient and transparent. 

Here’s how. CDS…

  • – Ensures compliance with customs regulations
  • – Helps with the accurate calculation of duties and taxes
  • – Facilitates the streamlined processing of customs documentation 
  • – Enhances data accuracy 
  • – Offers better integration with other government and business systems
  • – Supports future customs requirements.

BIRDS and LVBC

BIRDS stands for Border Inspection Revenue and Digital Services. It’s a comprehensive and robust digital system that we use for managing and supporting customs processes and procedures, such as Low Value Bulk Clearance (LVBC)

But what is LVBC exactly?

This is a customs procedure that streamlines the importation of low-value goods. Its goal is to simplify and speed up the clearance process for goods under a certain monetary value, and in doing so aims to ensure efficiency, compliance, and effective revenue collection.

Here’s how BIRDS and LVBC work together:

  • 1. Digital integration: BIRDS integrates and digitises various customs operations, including the clearance of low-value goods. This helps streamline the LVBC process, speeding it up and making it more efficient.
  • 2. Data management: BIRDS facilitates the management of large volumes of data associated with low-value shipments. By leveraging digital technology, it ensures that all relevant information for LVBC is accurately processed and recorded.
  • 3. Compliance and efficiency: The system ensures that low-value goods cleared under LVBC comply with all the necessary regulations, while benefiting from the expedited processes that BIRDS supports. 
  • 4. Revenue collection: BIRDS helps in the accurate collection of duties and taxes for low-value shipments under LVBC. This ensures that the UK government is paid the appropriate revenue while also making way for smoother trade operations.

We hope our whistle-stop tour through Heathrow’s cargo landscape has given you a good peek into how handling works. 

All of our systems and processes, along with our facilities and expertise, come together to create a smooth operation that you can rely on. And it’s why each week we’re able to help move millions of parcels all over the world.

If you want to know more about our courier services, get in touch. We’d love to see how we can help.