Airfreight operations at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA) in Dhaka, Bangladesh, are currently facing substantial delays. The disruption is due to the malfunction of three out of the airport's four RA3-certified Explosive Detection System (EDS) scanners. EDS scanner three recently developed technical issues in March, adding to EDS two and EDS four which were already out of service.
This situation significantly hampers the airport's ability to process air cargo efficiently, as security screening is a critical step in the airfreight supply chain. The RA3 certification is essential for cargo moving to certain international destinations, particularly within the EU, ensuring compliance with stringent security standards.
For freight forwarders and shippers, this means extended lead times for air cargo originating from Dhaka. Shipments may experience longer dwell times at the airport, potentially impacting delivery schedules and increasing the risk of missed connections. Forwarders should communicate proactively with their clients about potential delays and explore alternative routing or modes if time-sensitive cargo is involved. Capacity might also be indirectly affected as processing bottlenecks reduce the effective throughput of the airport's cargo terminals.
The article does not specify when the faulty scanners are expected to be repaired or replaced, nor does it mention any contingency plans being implemented by the airport authorities.
