AFTER being caught in a dispute regarding the use of a document which allows goods to be transported by air, a group of aircargo forwarders and an international organization of carriers are still awaiting settlement regarding the Neutral Airway Bill (NAWB). 

Jaime Roxas, president of Aircargo Forwarders of the Philippines Inc. (AFPI), said that the organization is still waiting for the settlement terms to be offered by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), which had a new president early this year.

According to Roxas, IATA settlement would be done outside the Civil Aviation Board (CAB). 

"We met with IATA twice to discuss the possible agreement and expect to salvage a decision in the next few weeks," Roxas said. "However, as talks are on going, AFPI is asking for a moratorium on the collection of the NAWB fee."

Since April last year, IATA has implemented the neutral airway bill, which disallowed the use of individual airway bills, which were given free by the airlines. The NAWB is only available at the IATA for P10 each.

During last year's hearing at the CAB, the AFPI said that the NAWB's price was not as important as the source of the aircargo document.

Besides asserting that it is the only authorized source of the NAWB, IATA said that it already printed thousands of booklets of the said document.

In December, the government proposed a settlement by setting the document's price at P6 each but all parties declined.

Meanwhile, flag carrier Philippine Airlines joined in the fray and supported the IATA, since it is the only airline that began using the NAWB.

As a result, PAL had gotten the ire of AFPI after the flag carrier claimed that the CAB was not the proper venue to hear the case. The flag carrier also proposed that the matter should be discussed privately between the parties.

Only a few countries use the neutral airway bill, a consignment note completed by the exporter and issued by the airline. In Australia, the agents pay for the cost of the form, while in Korea and in Japan, the cost is shared  by the agents and airlines.

THE chief of an agency which runs Philippine economic zones expressed support for amending a law which prohibits companies from clearing goods through the Bureau of Customs (BOC).

AFTER being caught in a dispute regarding the use of a document which allows goods to be transported by air, a group of aircargo forwarders and an international organization of carriers are still awaiting settlement regarding the Neutral Airway Bill (NAWB).