WestJet Cargo and Wiremind have embarked on a new initiative centred on improving capacity forecasting. An exploration Proof of Concept is underway.

With WestJet Cargo’s recent renewal of its SKYPALLET contract with Wiremind, the decision to take the digital collaboration further and explore capacity forecasting improvements was made. A Proof of Concept (PoC) was initiated in April 2023 and will run for the next few months with a final enhancement expected in the second half of this year.

An Artificial Intelligence-driven capacity forecasting mechanism is already part of Wiremind’s optimization solution, CARGOSTACK Optimiser. Through a combination of advanced Machine Learning models and algorithms, Wiremind’s solution provides a more 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.

“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,” states Nathanaël de Tarade, Chief Executive Officer of Wiremind Cargo. “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.”

The new capacity forecast solution also complements SKYPALLET by providing a more accurate capacity definition within which SKYPALLET must optimize the flights’ bookings. Further iterations are planned for both solutions to work seamlessly together, such as automatically reconfiguring the aircraft to an optimal layout, to unlock further efficiencies.

“Having experienced the financial benefits and efficiencies that SKYPALLET brings to the cargo business, here at WestJet, where we have already implemented Wiremind’s software into our daily operations for three years, I am more than confident that our joint Proof of Concept will be an incredible success, confirms Kirsten de Bruijn, Executive Vice President Cargo at WestJet Cargo. “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.”