According to WebCargo by Freightos, almost 10% of passenger travel itineraries contain codeshares but the air cargo process for interlining is manual, taking between 24 and 48 hours to complete, which means it is an underused service.
Manel Galindo, CEO of WebCargo by Freightos, says, “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 digitisation to support global supply chains.”
Interline eBooking is available to all airlines, even those not yet offering eBookings on WebCargo.
A spokesperson for ITA Airways says digital interlining increases efficiency due to network opportunities for customers and offering faster capacity access.
The spokesperson says, “ITA Airways is fully committed to introducing new digital solutions for cargo, and to improving and facilitating shipment management and customers' booking experience. We were proud to be WebCargo eBooking adopters for forwarders, and are now excited to be pioneers of digital interlining.”
Faisal Karamat, Vice President Cargo Customer Experience at Qatar Airways Cargo, says, “This platform provides us access to additional routes that further enhance our global coverage and enable the teams to book it instantly. It has been designed with a user experience mindset hence allowing for increased efficiency and speed which is crucial for air cargo.”
IAG Cargo was a design partner, helping to identify and structure a platform-supported eBooking process.
Jonty Brunner, Head of Strategic Alliances at IAG Cargo, says, “We're proud to have played a driving role in conceptualising interlining. We're excited for the potential efficiencies this will introduce for both airline relationships and their forwarding customers.”