Will GSAs slowly disappear?
I recently read Adrien Thominet’s article discussing the GSA model and the transformation they’re undergoing.
It reminded me of an interview I gave a couple of years ago, answering the question, “Will GSAs slowly disappear?”
With the digitization of our industry – take Airblox as an example – a rapid change is coming. While shippers might ideally want to do business directly with airlines to increase their margins, given the mass of paperwork, they are still (rightly) dependent upon freight forwarders.
In turn, Freight Forwarding agents want to be able to secure capacity and seek quotes as quickly as possible with increased options.
Digitizing the process will be extremely necessary because forwarders still end up in the daily routine of numerous emails and telephone calls, hoping they will obtain space at the correct tariff.
Adrian Thominet’s article from ECS Group speaks to the different models, like a low-cost GSA.
The way I see it, a digital system cannot regulate everything. A good GSA will always add value for an airline when up-to-date knowledge is in-house and used in practice.
Airblox offers GSAs the unique option to list, sell and buy capacity for the Airlines they represent. Instead of “cutting” them off from the Air Cargo chain, Airblox embraces the knowledge of a GSA.
To answer my question from the beginning, “Will GSAs slowly disappear?” The answer is, No!
—
About Ralph van Eijk: Ralph is the Senior Strategic Advisor at Airblox. He has over a decade of experience in the Aviation Industry and brings his valuable years of working closely with GSAs to Airblox.
Learn more about the benefits of Airblox!