Cargo news
Taking the lead in the cargo industry's online evolution
Finnair has always been in the vanguard in developing digital tools and services, promoting the use of online channels. The developments in consumer-facing business have been fast - with the cargo business is catching up in recent years.
Online tools and channels have changed the aviation business in many ways. The developments have been spearheaded by the commercial passenger business, but in the last few years, the cargo business has advanced in leaps and bounds.
- Within cargo, digitalisation is only penetrating certain markets now, whereas the whole industry is onboard on consumer side. But we are now seeing how more and more cargo customers prefer online channels, and we as a company want to have a strong presence wherever our customers are, Tiina Saari, Senior Manager, Sales & Product at Finnair Cargo states.
Finnair Cargo has developed a strong online portfolio, consisting of dedicated Finnair Cargo Online service, cooperation with multicarrier platforms, and direct system-to-system integrations with key customers.
- We still do direct sales and use local sales agencies (GSA agents). Often the more challenging cargo cases might require personal contact, but with regular bookings online works well. This means that customer service resources can be focused on where they are most needed, Saari continues.
Finnair Cargo Online is the flagship of the portfolio with the entire offering of cargo booking options in place. According to Saari cooperation with different platforms is also very fruitful.
- We work closely with our digital service partners, and everyone is striving for the same goal.
Around the clock, around the world
Making bookings through online platforms has several obvious perks. The customers have full visibility on all routes products and the availability is always up to date. The pricing is transparent.
- Of course, one of the main benefits is that customers can make bookings 24/7 regardless of location. Booking is easy and fast, with no waiting time for phone calls or emails.
At the moment, the difference between market areas in reaping these rewards is significant. Certain markets such as Asia are well ahead of the game, with over 70 per cent of bookings done online - and certain Asian countries reaching almost 100 per cent.
In Europe, the number is around 60 per cent, but the differences between individual countries are big. North America is still relying heavily on personal sales contacts, but this is likely to change rapidly in the next few years.
- Last year in 2024 we already received over half of all cargo bookings globally through online channels. It is also clear that the growth is not stopping here, Saari states.
Steps are taken every day
Saari points out that the success of online platforms is dependent on continuous development and listening to the customer's wishes. It is also a question of continuous education and being present for the customers in all their needs.
New development projects and implementations for Finnair Cargo are happening constantly. One of the major implementations recently was a vast system-to-system integration with Kuehne+Nagel, giving the company full view of all Finnair cargo availability.
Finnair has also put a lot of effort recently into new functionalities and process development, aiming to make the channels work as seamlessly as possible.
One new development took place early this year, as Finnair Cargo joined Unisys’ CPS multi-carrier platform. This means an even wider reach of customers. In addition to CPS, Finnair Cargo capacities can also be booked via cargo.one, WebCargo and Cargo.AI.
- We are very proud that we as a company are agile enough to enter new marketplaces and be present in as many places as possible. This is not only great for us, but especially our customers who can find us easily regardless of which platforms they prefer.
