Airlines under the AirAsia Group are further strengthening their cargo footprint by marketing and selling available cargo spaces on flights with blockchain platform Freightchain.

This will allow airlines within the group to fully interline its flights digitally with other carriers, allowing for a faster and more on-demand connectivity to transport cargo across Southeast Asia and other regions.

The digital platform, considered the word’s first air cargo network based on blockchain, will assist shippers and freight forwarders to explore all available connections owned by airlines for their supply chain needs. It then facilitates on-demand bookings in real-time through bids submitted and validated on blockchain.

“Freightchain digitally creates a combined itinerary for air cargo bookings by searching, booking and arranging multiple routes to transport cargo across multiple destinations and airlines. The online booking process makes it seamless, simpler and faster as it eliminates the traditional process of manual contracts and agreements,” AirAsia said in a statement.

Also read: Teleport bolsters network with full and converted freighters

Runing on blockchain, the platform allows airlines to manage shipment bookings on their own, from finalising consignment details all the way to rescheduling. The payment and settlement process is simplified and secured with various options, including wallet top-ups, credit cards or deferred payments.

So far, there are now 10 airlines listed on the blockchain platform along with their agents and forwarders, including all of AirAsia Group’s airlines based in Asean.

“There is a huge opportunity for airlines to leverage on demand interlining on Freightchain to fill the belly space to deliver significant convenience, so they never have to fly empty. Collaborating with Freightchain provides a new world of possibilities during this time to transport cargo to areas we aren’t able to reach on our own,” said Tony Fernandes, chief executive of AirAsia Group

“On the cargo and logistics front, we have established Teleport that will utilise the cargo spaces not only our AirAsia flights but also other airlines, and this provides great synergy for our business. We’re making it possible for businesses to transport cargo to places outside our network and the region like Moscow and Brussels,” the AirAsia chief added.

To find out how you can book through the platform, watch this video by Teleport.