oha: Qatar Airways Cargo, the largest cargo airline in the world, has received huge response for online bookings via third-party eBooking platform, WebCargo by Freightos. The airline has seen over 50,000 bookings via this platform in the last one year.
“Qatar Airways Cargo’s online eBooking journey with WebCargo by Freightos began one year ago. Since then, we have seen more than 50,000 bookings via the platform,” said Qatar Airways Cargo on one of its social media platforms.
Since the introduction of WebCargo in February 2021, Qatar Airways Cargo has been receiving high volumes of eBookings via the platform.
Throughout the first half of the last year, Qatar Airways Cargo rolled out its capacities on the Freightos WebCargo third party eBooking platform, first across few selected countries in February, then throughout the European region in June, followed by the United States of America in July, and finally the rest of the world in August.
The launch of this service allowed forwarders to conduct real-time eBookings, access live rates, and see available capacity with Qatar Airways Cargo via the service of WebCargo, a Freightos Group company.
Forwarders in the carrier’s worldwide network are now able to place eBookings from both, its online and offline origins with access to live rates and capacity on the WebCargo platform. This will enhance their booking experience with the airline, resulting in higher efficiencies and real-time responses for availability.
Qatar Airways Cargo has positioned itself during the pandemic as a critical supplier of capacity. The cargo carrier has further strengthened its position, and brought stability, as well as an ever-expanding global network, to its local market. It serves a global network of more than 60 freighter destinations and 140 passenger destinations utilising freighters, belly-hold passenger flights, passenger freighters and mini freighters.
Introduction of WebCargo is one of the many important digitalisation initiatives implemented by Qatar Airways Cargo in recent months. Qatar Airways Cargo underwent extensive digital enhancement during the year. In January, together with CHAMP Cargosystems and Agility, it completed the first phase of the IATA ONE Record pilot to showcase the initiative’s benefits and feasibility of defining a common API (Application Programming Interface) for all electronic platforms in use along the entire supply chain.
This aims to standardise air cargo data exchange protocol for better data quality, control, transparency, and ease of connectivity. In a similar vein, in March, IATA launched its Enhanced Partner Identification and Connectivity (EPIC) platform to support the digitisation of the global air cargo supply chain.
Qatar Airways Cargo provided key input during the project’s pilot phase and meanwhile 32 airlines, 94 freight forwarders, and other industry stakeholders have joined the growing community which will eventually bring about total digital transformation of the industry.