News / IBS and CargoAi partnership steers more airlines towards digital booking

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Airlines using IBS software will be able to integrate with new online booking platform CargoAi with “very little effort”, following a partnership between the two companies.

IBS, which offers the iCargo platform to carriers including Lufthansa Cargo and Singapore Airlines, has been working with CargoAi since July to build a “rich integration”, using a scalable API-based architecture.

“Through this partnership, CargoAi and IBS Software have invested in creating platform-level integration to give our customers more choices on channels to digitally connect with their clients, faster time-to-market for such capabilities and to do so with very little effort,” said Ashok Rajan, SVP & head of cargo & logistics, IBS Software.

“We believe innovation can be fast-tracked by partnering with companies like CargoAi, bringing in new and improved ways of doing business like in sales and distribution, which is still very antiquated and legacy-based in the air cargo industry.”

IBS customers will be able to extend their presence in markets through digital sales and distribution.

The software company noted that “airlines … only have to turn on the switch for e-bookings from all over the world to reach their system”.

It said: “The process couldn’t be easier for airlines – only a few days of tests are required between the platforms to get on board with CargoAi and no expensive bespoke IT development or complex system integration projects is required to deliver this capability. All the work has been done ahead of time by the two partners.”

Matthieu Petot, chief executive of CargoAi, added: “The integration currently covers real-time e-booking and e-quoting, flight availability searches and shipment tracking. Lots of other possibilities exist, but this partnership is already showing just how essential synergies are in order to make digitalisation accessible to all stakeholders in our industry, a goal that we share with IBS.”

Newfound enthusiasm for digitalisation is not restricted to airlines. Kale Logistics Solutions said this morning that, together with TIFFA EDI, it would bring paperless trade to Thailand’s maritime sector, with its Port Community System (PCS).

“The integrated platform empowers the SME players in the value chain to automate their internal business processes in an end-to-end manner,” said Kale.

Kerry Siam Seaport, SITC Container Lines and Kline Logistics, have already signed up to the platform.

“We have empowered the air cargo sector with digitisation of air waybills and now we look at digitising the maritime sector,” said director Vineet Malhotra. “Our domain expertise and experience of working in 27 countries and executing global IT projects in maritime and air cargo space will add value to our PCS platform in Thailand.”