- GSSAs are redefining their role as digital integration, airline expectations and varied forwarder preferences create tension between technology-led processes and traditional customer interaction, with AI seen as a route to efficiency while preserving relationship-driven service.
- Market development remains central, with GSSAs balancing differing regional dynamics, diversification strategies and the need to maintain trust between airlines and forwarders while aligning commercial objectives across distinct geographies.
- Long-term resilience depends on broadening services, managing ongoing industry disruption and addressing talent shortages, with renewed focus on structured entry pathways and improving gender diversity in a sector still marked by legacy barriers.
General sales and service agents (GSSAs) have long been a cornerstone of the airfreight industry, bridging the gap between airlines and forwarders in markets where carriers lack their own dedicated presence. Once viewed primarily as outsourced sales representatives, GSSAs today are being forced to redefine their role in a market reshaped by digitalisation, customer expectations, and the lingering impact of global disruption.
At the heart of this change is the tension between tradition and innovation. Airlines increasingly demand streamlined digital solutions, while freight forwarders remain divided – some embracing online booking platforms, others insisting on the human touch of a phone call or face-to-face meeting.
“Each airline has a different system, and we have our own system too,” Sarah Macfarlane, Vice President of Cargo Sales and Services at AIA Cargo, explained. “Trying to get systems to talk is difficult – some do, some don’t. For a GSA, I think it’s more challenging. We were probably a bit of a testbed for our system on the GSA side of things, but it’s evolving.”
The prospect of artificial intelligence in booking platforms is more than a technical upgrade. Macfarlane believes it can free staff from repetitive tasks and put them back where they are most valuable – dealing with customers. “It takes away some of the more mundane work, and it means they can build those relationships more,” she said.
Yet the march toward automation comes with trade-offs. Airlines have begun to introduce surcharges for bookings not made online, which has unsettled parts of the forwarding community. “Some forwarders love the booking systems, some don’t. If they prefer the email or the phone call, then that’s fine,” she said. ”
The “chicken and egg” dilemma
Beyond technology, the GSSA’s traditional role as a market builder remains essential. Airlines often depend on local partners to provide expertise in regions where they lack direct presence.
Her current focus spans the UK, Ireland and the Netherlands – three close but distinct markets. “The Netherlands is a big market for us with China,” MacFarlane said. “But we don’t want all our eggs in one basket. We’re looking at ways to diversify, whether through direct contracts, interline agreements or new products. There are lots of ways we can connect the world for our customers.”
Ireland, with its close-knit community and strong transatlantic flows, poses different challenges. The UK remains familiar ground for Macfarlane, having previously led operations there. “It’s interesting, because each market works differently,” she reflected. “But there are definitely opportunities already coming onto the horizon.”
What remains constant is the need to maintain trust. Airlines, forwarders and GSSAs must align strategies while respecting the different pressures each faces. “There’s a fine line between what we want to do as a GSA and what the customer needs us to do,” she said. “It’s about finding the balance.”
Disruption, diversification and the talent challenge
The industry has endured its share of turbulence – from pandemic-era volatility to geopolitical shocks. But Macfarlane resists the idea that disruption is uniquely worse today. “It’s been a tough year, yes, but I feel we’re going back to pre-Covid levels. Time will tell, but next year is going to be critical. We need to be one step ahead where we can,” she outlined.
Part of that resilience comes from diversification. “We identified many years ago that we didn’t want all our eggs in one basket,” she said. “That’s why we started products like AIA Mail and AIA Pets, and why we acquired animal reception centres at Gatwick and now Heathrow. We aren’t just a cargo GSA – we’ve expanded as one group.”
But resilience also depends on people. The airfreight sector faces a dual challenge: attracting young talent and improving gender diversity in a historically male-dominated industry. For Macfarlane, who joined the sector at 16, the lack of structured entry routes is a concern.
“When I started, there was a programme called Freight Train. It gave me a good grounding – the basics, but it worked,” she recalled. “I don’t feel there’s anything like that now. Apprenticeships exist, but I think more could be done. If my son, who is 15, wanted to enter the industry, I’m not sure what route I’d recommend.”
On gender, she sees progress but acknowledges barriers remain. “There are still some old-school figures in positions, but there are also strong women who’ve inspired me,” she said. “I do think it’s getting better. The tide is turning. Training is key.”
