Wiremind and WestJet Cargo explore capacity forecasting
21 / 06 / 2023
Image source: WestJet Cargo
WestJet Cargo and Wiremind have begun working together to improve capacity forecasting at the airline to improve efficiency.
A Proof of Concept (PoC) was initiated in April and will run for the next few months with a “final enhancement” expected in the second half of this year, said the companies.
An artificial intelligence-driven capacity forecasting mechanism is already part of Wiremind’s optimisation solution, CARGOSTACK Optimiser.
Through a combination of advanced Machine Learning models and algorithms, Wiremind’s solution aims to provide an accurate estimate of the remaining cargo capacity for sale, after factoring in non-cargo items such as passenger baggage, fuel and other capacity consuming items.
It can provide this capacity estimate in payload, volume and positional terms, depending on the profile of the flight or the aircraft type operated.
The capacity forecasting partnership follows WestJet Cargo’s renewal of its SKYPALLET contract with Wiremind.
The new capacity forecast solution is designed to complement SKYPALLET by providing a more accurate capacity definition within which SKYPALLET must optimise the flights’ bookings.
Further iterations are planned for both solutions to work seamlessly together, such as automatically reconfiguring aircraft to an optimal layout to further improve efficiency.
“We understand that a key pain point for cargo teams at passenger-heavy airlines is determining how much cargo capacity they will be able to sell. This is why we developed our capacity forecasting solution to provide more accurate recommendations which cargo sales teams can trust,” stated Nathanaël de Tarade, Wiremind Cargo chief executive.
“We have been accompanying WestJet Cargo in its digital transformation since December 2019, when they became a SKYPALLET customer, and we are very excited to take this partnership a step further with this PoC.”
Kirsten de Bruijn, executive vice president Cargo at WestJet Cargo, said: “In the run-up to the flight, there are several variables and factors to consider, making intelligent digital support highly valuable. Given the current pace of change in machine learning and artificial intelligence, we are just at the beginning of the vast opportunities they can bring to the air cargo business. With Wiremind, we have a trusted and innovative SaaS provider that offers flexibility and reliability.”
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