The Air Cargo Community Advisory Body (ACCAB), established by the British International Freight Association (BIFA) earlier this year, recently held its second meeting to advance transformation in cargo operations at Heathrow Airport (LHR). Building on its inaugural session in MAY25, the meeting brought together over 75 stakeholders including freight forwarders, airlines, Heathrow Airport Ltd, HMRC, and ground handlers to support Heathrow’s cargo estate redevelopment plans.
The focus was on improving landside efficiency with updates from Heathrow Airport Ltd and BT/CCS-UK on a new slot booking system for landside freight movements. Having evaluated available options, the community selected BT’s CCS-UK Advanced Information System (AIS) for its operational flexibility, integration with customs, and Heathrow expertise. BT outlined short-term AIS deployment with plans to enhance congestion management, slot booking, virtual queuing, driver communication, and operational visibility ahead of peak seasons. Stakeholder feedback will guide AIS improvements, including driver app upgrades and integration with cargo estate redevelopment. A trial of a dedicated truck parking facility was introduced to better accommodate long-distance arrivals, offering driver welfare amenities outside the main cargo estate.
Magdalena Deitsche, Senior Cargo Manager at Heathrow Airport Ltd, stated: “With AIS, the community will be better equipped to manage landside traffic flows, reduce wait times, and improve the efficiency of cargo drop-offs and collections – especially critical for time-sensitive freight.”
Steve Parker, Director General of BIFA, confirmed: “We established this body to give BIFA members and the wider community a platform to work directly with CCS-UK and other key stakeholders and play a key role in identifying and solving the issues that matter most. That mission remains firmly in place.”
Andy Cooke, Secretariat of the Advisory Body, added: “Through this forum, stakeholders can drive the adoption of best practices, help shape modern freight systems, and support the transformation of the cargo estate. The progress we’ve seen so far demonstrates the strength of partnership across the community.”
