The Freightos WebCargo airfreight platform has developed a system that it says can book cargo onto two or more connecting carriers in seconds – a process that until now often takes 24-48 hours to complete using manual processes.
The first booking was a test shipment by Qatar Airways Cargo on an ITA Airways flight.
Freightos says that in a post-Covid world, interline activities have become increasingly relevant as carriers cut back their schedules and put more emphasis on partnership activity.
Almost a tenth of all passenger itineraries involve code-sharing but the process is underused in cargo. Digital interlining will allow airlines to improve capacity utilization, broaden global coverage and create new business opportunities, it says.
WebCargo chief executive Manel Galindo said: “Waiting two days to price and book cargo that can circle the globe in under a day simply does not work. This new functionality brought together two carriers with no recent record of interlining together, which demonstrates the power of the new product. We’re privileged to collaborate with so many leading airlines, tapping digitization to support global supply chains.”
Qatar Airways’ cargo customer experience vice president, Faisal Karamat, added: “This platform provides us access to additional routes that further enhance our global coverage and enable the teams to book it instantly.”
IAG Cargo also played a crucial role as a design partner, helping to identify and structure a platform-supported eBooking process.
Interline eBooking on WebCargo is available to all airlines, including those not yet offering e-bookings on WebCargo.