After a series of conclusive tests with digital freight forwarders and TMS systems worldwide, CargoAi is officially launching its API Suite services, allowing airfreight players to plug to the API Suite and retrieve real-time schedules, availability, rates and tracking information. With this move, CargoAi reaffirms its positioning as a solid tech company that has the ambitions and resources to bring much-needed pragmatic solutions to airfreight procurement.
These APIs are nuggets of engineered data solutions and will prove a value-adding integration for freight forwarders, TMS or other airfreight players of any size, from startups to large enterprises.
For freight forwarders or TMS, the integration of one or all of the API Suite services provides an efficient solution to view, compare, book and track shipments, leveraging the same high-quality data as available on CargoAi.co, hereby supercharging the efficiency and productivity of the whole quote and procurement processes as well as improving planning and operations.
With its API Suite product, CargoAi aims at accelerating forwarder’s digital transition through high-quality data to feed their own transportation management system, transporting the marketplace efficiency tools right into a forwarder’s own IT environment.
The API Suite can also be used by any other airfreight player to create personalized B2B applications.
To best match the current demand for airfreight data, the Gartner-awarded company has created three distinct API packages:
- Schedules
- Rates & Book
- Track
- The Schedule API includes a pool of schedules and real-time routes data of virtually all airlines worldwide and will be a valuable plug-in to any airfreight and logistics player.
- The Rates & Book API extends beyond schedules and fetches real-time availability and pricing. The integration to the Rates & Book API allows the freight forwarding consumers to make instant bookings (as well as booking requests) on the airline portfolio currently available on CargoAi.co, which at the moment consists of 130+ airlines, 18 of them offering capacity on CargoAi on a global basis and the rest of the portfolio bookable in individual markets. This allows forwarders to easily book cargo capacity to hundreds of destinations across the world. The API replicates all advanced marketplace functionalities with the options to book special commodities (eg Dangerous goods) and all load types (eg BUP), as currently offered to users on the CargoAi flagship platform.
- Last, the Track API is simply to most complete solution to track air shipments irrespective of the channel where they’ve been booked.
As reported by Gartner in 2021, “many companies lack visibility of their shipments in transit. This lack of visibility results in instability, unpredictability, delays, additional costs and poor customer service.” The CargoAi API solution now includes close to 150 airlines worldwide and offers the customers two options: either a pull feature, to retrieve an AWB status in real time; or a subscription option, where automatic AWB updates are automatically sent via an API call-back.
With the activity on the API Suite only meant to grow in size and geographics, the launch of the CargoAi API Suite means a significant increase of demand for the airlines distributing their rates and product on the platform. These APIs will significantly broaden the distribution and marketing horizon for cargo carriers, thereby producing continued beneficial impact on top and bottom lines.
“Our mission remains focused on connecting the airfreight industry with cloud native and API-first architecture and the best of Saas marketing technology, air freight expertise and a very pragmatic approach. The launch of this API Suite is a wonderful milestone for the development of the CargoAi solution portfolio and for the relevance of our company in the airfreight community. The diversification of the demand via the API consuming model is undoubtedly a wonderful opportunity for our airline partners as well.” says Matthieu Petot, CEO of CargoAi.
CargoAi’s product portfolio continues to develop with the company continuously investing in its White Label, Business Intelligence and API Suite and services and its global airline partner portfolio expected to double by the end of Q2 2022.
All 3 APIs in the API suite also include the CargoAi CO2 calculator which is the unique tool able to use IATA standards for CO2 calculation. Far beyond creating awareness, it provides airfreight players with a direct opportunity to measure and reduce their carbon footprint by selecting trade lanes and flight plans which are the most environmentally friendly.