Air France-KLM and WebCargo launch online booking platform for air freight industry

AMSTERDAM, Netherlands: Air freight pricing and booking that takes place offline costs the industry billions in changing fees, untapped capacity, and manual labour, sometimes turning the sales process for an hours-long flight into a process that extends days. New digital connectivity introduced by Air France KLM Martinair Cargo (AFKLMP Cargo) now enables forwarders on the world’s largest air freight platform, WebCargo, to instantly view live rates, assess capacity availability, and secure cargo bookings on specific flights in real-time.

WebCargo and Air France-KLM say the new booking platform will ensure improved transit times and significant cost savings for airlines, forwarders and shippers, as well as improved capacity utilization.

Last month, pilots conducted between Panalpina, a top global air freight forwarder, WebCargo and Air France KLM Martinair Cargo, ushered in a new era of digital sales for the leading air carrier. WebCargo’s other air freight customers can now benefit from improved visibility, instant booking, and increased data exchange accuracy. Real-time eBookings will be launched in a number of countries and gradually expanded.

In order to provide the optimal customer experience, Air France KLM Martinair Cargo has prioritised technology initiatives, like APIs. In addition, AFKLMP Cargo also launched dynamic air cargo pricing. This provides advanced revenue management capabilities while offering forwarders and shippers alike access to the most competitive rates.

“Air France KLM Martinair Cargo is committed to be a leading player in transforming our industry online. Our online platform myCargo exemplifies our ambition ‘to be easy to do business with’. Our latest partnership with WebCargo by Freightos provides our customers and partners a convenient and fast digital interface to our products and services, and it stipulates time and again that our strategy ‘be there, where the customer is’, is the right one,” said Marcel de Nooijer, Executive Vice President of Air France-KLM Cargo & managing director Martinair Holland NV.

“Online quotation and booking are key features of Panalpina’s goal to make air freight more efficient for our customers. WebCargo’s support of instant dynamic pricing and ebooking with one of our preferred partners, Air France-KLM, means faster operations and, more importantly, improved service for our customers,” said Markus Muecke, Global Head of Air Freight Procurement and Product Management at Panalpina.

WebCargo by Freightos already boasts the world’s largest real-time air cargo rate database. It now enables real-time pricing, capacity and ebooking for leading airlines, including Air France KLM Martinair Cargo. If capacity is unavailable, the system also supports manual online ad hoc pricing. The result is more frictionless global air freight.

According to WebCargo CEO Manel Galindo, “Air France-KLM is one of the world’s largest airline groups, which has developed unparalleled digital capabilities stemming from a commitment to offering best-in-class customer service. As a recent benchmarking study we conducted confirms, Air France-KLM Cargo is one of the cargo industry’s leaders bringing freight online. We’re proud to play a role in their success.”

The Air France-KLM Group is a global airline group with a strong European base. Its main areas of business are passenger transport, cargo transport and aeronautical maintenance. AIR FRANCE KLM MARTINAIR Cargo is the Air France KLM Group’s dedicated air cargo business. Our three airlines offer the industry more than 1,100 weekly frequencies to 124 destinations. In 2018, AIR FRANCE KLM MARTINAIR Cargo transported 1.1 million tonnes of cargo. In addition to the Group’s global network of passenger aircraft, we offer cargo main deck capacity on two Boeing 777 Freighters, four Boeing 747-400 Freighters and six Boeing 747-400 Combi aircraft. Air France Cargo and KLM Cargo and our two main hubs (CDG and AMS) are IATA CEIV certified, providing service excellence to the pharmaceutical industry. Air France-KLM Cargo is a member of SkyTeam Cargo (www.skyteamcargo.com) offering an even larger network coverage. Special partnerships include China Southern Cargo, Delta Cargo and Kenya Airways Cargo. For more information visit www.afklcargo.com for more information about AIR FRANCE

WebCargo by Freightos® is the most advanced digitization platform for logistics service providers.WebCargo is the leading platform for live air cargo rate distribution and bookings between hundreds of airlines and 1,400+ forwarders. Partners using fully digital eBooking on WebCargo include leading airlines, like Lufthansa and Air France-KLM, and forwarders such as Panalpina.

WebCargo Multimodal is the leading platform for enterprise freight forwarders to manage rates and automate sales, spanning ocean, air and land. Customers include Hellmann, Nippon Express, CH Robinson, FedEx Logistics and dozens more.

WebCargo joined Freightos in 2016, the world’s largest digital freight platform for the trillion-dollar international shipping industry. Founded by serial entrepreneur Zvi Schreiber, Freightos is a logistics technology pioneer with a worldwide presence, and has raised $94.4 million from leading venture funds, including GE Ventures and the Singapore Exchange.

Picture left to right, Mr. Zvi Schreiber, CEO of the Freightos Group and Mr. Marcel de Nooijer, EVP Air France-KLM Cargo & managing director Martinair Holland NV.

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