Singapore Airlines has appointed IBS Software to bring its global cargo operations onto a single integrated digital cargo platform to improve operational insight across its entire network.

This will be achieved through the deployment of Indian company IBS Software’s iCargo SaaS-based cargo management.

The implementation will see the airline transitioning from its existing air cargo systems to iCargo to support its cargo business units, which include sales, import and export operations, air mail handling, and revenue accounting. This should strengthen its ability to manage cargo capacity, gain visibility of shipment yields and revenues, optimise network performance, and collaborate with partners’ systems, as well as drive efficiencies and improve operational resilience.

“The Covid-19 pandemic has challenged the air cargo industry and greatly accelerated the need for change, especially in digitalisation,” said Chin Yau Seng, senior vice president at Singapore Airlines. “We look forward to working closely with IBS Software to leverage the many strengths of iCargo to improve our digital capabilities and allow us to deliver a differentiated customer-centric quality of service, while staying compliant and up-to-date with global industry standards and initiatives.”

ICargo supports end-to-end business functions such as cargo reservations, rating, manifesting, import and export operations, warehouse management, revenue accounting, air mail handling, and revenue management of cargo-carrying airlines and ground handling service providers. It follows air cargo industry best practices and is compliant with global industry standards and initiatives such as Cargo iQ, C-XML, OneRecord, e-AWB and e-Freight in general.

“Singapore Airlines is an iconic brand in the airline industry, synonymous with innovation,” said Gautam Shekar, senior vice president at IBS Software. “It gives us immense pleasure to welcome them to the iCargo user community during these turbulent times. We greatly value the trust that Singapore Airlines has placed with us and I’m looking forward to our teams jointly developing the next generation of air cargo ecosystem for their customers and partners.”

ICargo is deployed globally with some of the world’s leading airlines and ground handling service providers. Over the past 24 months, demand for iCargo has gained momentum, including 22 go-live implementations and eight new users.

Singapore Airlines offers cargo capacity on its fleet of Boeing 747-400 freighters as well as passenger flights operated by carriers within the SIA group, which include Scoot and SilkAir. It is ranked among the top ten largest cargo carriers in the world based on freight-tonne-kilometres flown internationally.

IBS Software is a SaaS provider to the travel industry globally, managing mission-critical operations for users in the aviation, tour and cruise, and hospitality industries. Its products for the aviation industry cover fleet and crew operations, aircraft maintenance, passenger services, loyalty programmes, staff travel, and air-cargo management. The company also runs a real time B2B and B2C distribution platform providing hotel room inventory, rates and availability to a global network of hospitality companies and channels.