• GSSAs are being reshaped by direct digital sales, rising expectations for speed and visibility, and tighter margins, with ECS Group demonstrating how modular, plug-and-play digital ecosystems can deliver rapid deployment, unified standards and measurable efficiency gains across global networks.
• Compliance and resilience now rely on embedded digital controls and geographic diversification, enabling consistent service across disparate regulatory frameworks and volatile markets, supported by interoperable platforms linking local partners to central oversight.
• Competitive differentiation is shifting from price to demonstrable value, with airlines selecting modular services that improve yield, load factors and operational control, supported by a hybrid operating model in which high-volume processes are automated while complex and sensitive cargo is handled by expert teams.

As airlines increasingly bypass traditional intermediaries in favour of direct digital sales, the role of the General Sales and Service Agent (GSSA) is being redefined. What was once a business built on relationships, paperwork, and physical networks is now being forced to compete in a fast-paced, technology-driven environment where speed, transparency and data are paramount.

Airlines are demanding instant booking, live visibility and compliance reporting across fragmented infrastructures, while shippers expect streamlined flows for everything from perishables to e-commerce parcels. At the same time, consolidation among carriers and persistent price pressure are squeezing margins. The result is a market that must rapidly adapt—or risk obsolescence.

“Digitalisation is no longer a project—it’s the operational norm,” says Jean Ceccaldi, chief executive of ECS Group, one of the world’s largest GSSAs. “Our model has had to evolve because airlines want the same digital agility in cargo sales that passengers have enjoyed for years.”

That evolution has come within CargoTech, a digital alliance combining ECS Group’s own Cargo Digital Factory with independent innovators such as Wiremind Cargo, CargoAi, Rotate and Aerios. “The beauty of this set-up is that it’s plug-and-play. Airlines don’t have to wait months to roll out new booking or pricing tools. Everything is modular, so they can scale instantly and monitor every step through integrated dashboards.”

The results are already visible. In 2024, ECS Group platforms processed more than one million digital bookings and quotations. “That’s proof that digitalisation has moved from theory to practice,” says Ceccaldi. “We’re not just talking about efficiency, we’re delivering faster market access and unified standards worldwide.”

Innovation hubs play a central role in this transformation. Ceccaldi points to CargoAi’s automated quote API or the latest version of SkyPallet, which optimises load factors. “Launch-to-market times are now measured in weeks, not months. One client saw up to ten percent improvement in load factors thanks to SkyPallet. That’s the kind of tangible gain that keeps airlines competitive.”

Resilience through compliance and geography

Ensuring consistent service across diverse regulatory environments is another challenge. “Air cargo is global, but customs and infrastructure are anything but standardised,” Ceccaldi notes. “You cannot rely on paper checklists anymore—you need digital guardrails.”

For ECS Group, that means embedding compliance directly into workflows. “Every transaction has built-in quality controls and automated alerts. In 2024, we logged zero non-compliance cases on over 50,000 international shipments, even in red-flag customs locations. That’s because every milestone is digitally tracked.”

Geographic diversification also underpins resilience. With over 20 countries covered across Latin America and Africa, ECS Group has been able to balance market volatility elsewhere.

“Traffic patterns in Asia and Europe have been unstable, but growth in perishables and e-commerce out of Africa and Latin America has been strong,” says Ceccaldi. “By replicating our digital-plus-local model everywhere, we’ve maintained stable revenues and service levels.”

The key, he argues, is interoperability. “Partners like Squair and TCE are connected to the same digital chain. Local enforcement and central transparency coexist—there’s no disconnect between Casablanca, Paris or São Paulo.”

Competing on value, not price

As consolidation and pricing pressure reshape mature markets, GSSAs are having to prove their worth in new ways. “We don’t compete in price wars—we compete on measurable value,” Ceccaldi insists. “Airlines can pick and choose which modules they want from us, whether that’s sales, compliance, or optimisation. It’s not all or nothing.”

Tools such as SkyPallet, Quantum and CargoCoPilot are at the core of this value proposition. “One client documented a five to ten percent utilisation gain on major trade corridors after deploying these tools. That’s not theory—it’s data-backed ROI,” he says.

This modular approach also allows airlines to reinvest in growth rather than being locked into costly packages. “Flexibility is what helps us and our partners fight margin erosion,” Ceccaldi adds. “When you can demonstrate that your solution directly improves yield or load factor, the discussion moves away from discounts and into strategy.”

For the future, he sees continued balance between digital efficiency and human expertise. “More than ninety percent of our standard transactions are automated. But the ten percent that require specialist handling—pharmaceuticals, regulatory hurdles, sensitive cargo—are managed by expert teams. That’s why we can say with confidence we haven’t missed a critical delivery. It’s not man versus machine, it’s the best of both.”

A hybrid model for a hybrid market

As the GSSA market navigates its digital transition, the message is clear: survival depends on transformation. The role of the GSSA is no longer confined to selling cargo space. It is about ensuring visibility, compliance, optimisation, and resilience in an increasingly complex supply chain.

For Ceccaldi, the hybrid model is the only path forward. “Routine must be digitalised, but complexity must remain human-led. That’s the balance that works. If we can deliver measurable efficiency while safeguarding the expertise needed for exceptions, then GSSAs will not only survive but thrive.”

The sector may face intense pressure, but it is also seizing new opportunities. As Ceccaldi concludes: “Digitalisation isn’t a threat—it’s the chance to redefine what a GSSA can be.”