From geopolitical tensions to rapid shifts in consumer demand—the need for precise, timely, and transparent air cargo data has never been more critical. Addressing this, a new data tool is being launched to help stakeholders across the industry—from airlines to freight forwarders—make better-informed decisions: WorldACD’s volumetric load factor, a metric that supplements the widely used kilogram load factor to provide a more nuanced view of cargo space utilisation.

“We have been providing already the kilogram load factor for a while,” said Rogier Blocq, Head of Product Development at WorldACD. “And we did collect also volumetric data, but we did not really make a product out of it, basically. So now, next to the kilogram load factor, we also have the volumetric load factor, and we are asking more and more airlines to provide that data.”

This expansion marks a shift toward deeper operational intelligence. As Blocq explained, market data—focused on demand—has traditionally dominated the industry, covering aspects like chargeable weight from one origin to another. But flight data, which includes operational figures like load factors for specific routes, is becoming increasingly valuable.

“Flight data is different. In general, market data is used the most, but flight data is also becoming more and more important,” Blocq noted. “For that reason, we got also more requests to have the volumetric data. So it’s a really nice add-on to what we already have and makes our proposition more complete.” For WorldACD this is primary source data, so it is more than capacity data, but also include weight and load factor figures as reported to us by airlines, which in turn provides an edge to our customers.

Expanding the toolkit

While the volumetric load factor is already making waves since its April launch, two upcoming tools are poised to further reshape how cargo data is interpreted and used: the rate spread and forecasting tools.

The rate spread feature aims to provide richer context around average rates by presenting a range of rates observed in a given market. This gives users insight into pricing dynamics, which is essential for negotiation and strategic planning.

“Airlines, also forwarders, will be able to see not only a fixed rate number but also the range of the rates around that number,” Blocq explained. “We can give different kinds of intervals, and that really will help them in their negotiations and pricing strategy. It’s really focused on pricing.”

Blocq believes this innovation could be an industry first. “As far as we understand from speaking with our customers, that will be quite a big thing for them.”

Also in the pipeline is a forecasting tool, which Blocq says has been in development for over a year. Unlike other tools that look backward, this one will look ahead—delivering air cargo outlooks based on weight data.

“That will be also very exciting, because no one knows what the future looks like,” Blocq admitted. “But we have a rich history in our database since we have been in business for over 20 years. Most of our customers came to us like, ‘You are the one that has so much data—if you cannot produce a good forecast, who can?’”

Although traditionally hesitant to delve into forecasting—opting instead to “stick to the facts and figures”—WorldACD is responding to growing demand for outlook-based data products. “The world is changing. There’s a lot of demand for it,” he said. “More and more companies are doing that without the rich data that we have. So we felt like this is the right moment to—not be the first—but let’s say, be more accurate.”

Real-time insight

With geopolitical events like the closure of Russian airspace, instability in the Middle East, and shifting trade tariffs, the pressure on supply chains to adapt quickly is intense. Blocq sees this as a driving force behind the demand for real-time or near-real-time insights.

“With increased volatility, there’s even more demand for real-time—or at least as accurate as possible—recent data,” he said. “We see clearly also an increase in the number of people who are using our weekly publications for commercial planning and decision making.”

This is where the rate spread tool again proves its worth, by offering clarity in chaotic markets. “It helps them with at least having an idea about the bandwidth of the prices,” Blocq said. “So then you know, okay, is my number an outlier or is it still within an acceptable range.”

Standardisation, neutrality, and trust

Blocq emphasises that trust and neutrality are foundational to making all of this work. In a field where proprietary data from multiple global carriers must be aggregated and standardised, ensuring data integrity and impartiality is critical.

“We are a neutral party in the sense that we collect the market input data and make the market data set. We don’t do any consultancy, or any special portage for one of our customers,” Blocq explained. “That would jeopardise this model.”

He also highlighted the company’s rigorous quality controls: “We have all our data assurances, qualities in place. We cannot run any risk of exposing data of one party. That is not allowed.”

This rigorous approach extends to customer onboarding as well. “Each new customer goes through a detailed process,” he said.

“People don’t give bad quality data to get good quality data back—that would ruin or pollute our database. Like no other company, we know that data are never perfect, but we aim to make our figures as accurate as possible.”