Air cargo needs a technology manifesto for change

Air cargo must abandon inefficient, expensive, out-of-date technology in favour of web-based solutions and e-freight, according to John DeBenedette.
The managing director of WIN, the online platform for independent forwarders, has challenged airfreight bosses to adopt a technology manifesto for change.
Speaking at IATA’s e-cargo conference and workshop in Geneva, DeBenedette called on all airfreight stakeholders to bring the industry into the 21st century.
“We need disruptive innovation, to look to a common platform accessed by the web,” said DeBenedette.
“If we continue relying on 1990s solutions, e-freight adoption is going to take forever.
“E-collaboration is powering modern business everywhere, the likes of Amazon are booming, the technology is less expensive, more reliable, and more secure.
“We have to move away from saving and forwarding messages, we need a paradigm shift here and now.”
DeBenedette said that the air cargo community must work towards adopting a common platform accessed by the web, agree to move away from ‘store and forward’ messaging, and collaborate to explore new technologies and business models for inter-operability.
“Let’s call it a technology manifesto for change,” he said, adding: "We need to agree on this and move the industry forward and we need to do it now.”