DIGITAL
DISTRIBUTION
CHAIN
REACTION
Cargo carriers are collectively wising up to the benefits of digitalising their distribution
services, observes Felicity Stredder.
Air freight pricing and
slot-booking suffers
inefficiencies that
the passenger segment has
been free of for years. Fact.
Traditionally, it is a timeconsuming
and laborious
process that is carried out
manually and burdened
by out-dated, convoluted
procedures that can extend
over days. This wastes time
that costs the industry dearly,
both in lost revenue and
unfilled capacity.
Making cargo rates available
and bookable online in a live
and dynamic format removes
these inefficiencies, accelerates
booking, cuts cost and
improves service for shippers.
At long last, investment by
carriers in such digital services
is gaining momentum.
Surge in interest
Announcements of airlines
and technology providers
partnering on solutions like this have been coming in thick
and fast this year. United Cargo became the latest customer of
WebCargo by Freightos in July to offer its customers enhanced
e-booking functionality, dynamic pricing and real-time updates,
using the WebCargo Horizon Software-as-a-Service platform. In
doing so, it became the fourth major air carrier to go digital with
Freightos, alongside Lufthansa, Air France KLM and IAG Cargo.
As of September, meanwhile, customers of AirBridgeCargo and
CargoLogicAir have been able to book capacity with the click of
a button and receive instant confirmation thanks to cargo.one,
following 12 weeks of collaboration since the partnership was
formed back in June. Founder and MD, Moritz Claussen, noted
at that time that six further customers were in the pipeline. “The
shift to digital in air cargo is ubiquitous,” he said in September.
30 October 2019 www.airlogisticsinternational.com
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