Emirates SkyCargo launches eQuote to enhance digital capabilities

Emirates SkyCargo, the air cargo arm of the Emirates, has enhanced its digital capabilities with the launch of eQuote. This new feature provides customers with real-time data and a seamless booking experience, marking an important step in the airline's commitment to digitisation. The initiative underscores Emirates SkyCargo's focus on improving customer service, optimising operations, and boosting efficiency, according to an official release from Emirates SkyCargo.

Accessible on e-SkyCargo, eQuote serves as a 24/7 digital self-service platform, allowing customers to request and manage spot quotations with ease. The solution will gradually be introduced worldwide, covering a wide range of products, including sensitive shipments like the Life Sciences and Healthcare portfolio and high-value transfers such as Emirates Wheels. With eQuote, customers gain enhanced choice, control, and flexibility to access Emirates SkyCargo's premium products and services.

“Accelerating digital transformation is a key pillar of our strategic roadmap, which will ensure we remain one of the leading partners for the world’s rapidly evolving supply chains. Integrating intuitive and reliable digital tools into our customer journey is essential, as more customers become accustomed to a swift and seamless experience, empowered with real-time data to streamline their daily operations. The launch of eQuote is a natural enhancement to our digital offering, further enriching the exceptional customer service that Emirates SkyCargo is renowned for," says, Matthew Scott, Vice President of Pricing and Interline, Emirates SkyCargo.

Emirates SkyCargo has seen a significant uptick in digital adoption, now accounting for more than 60% of all bookings. General cargo remains the number one commodity booked digitally, closely followed by perishable and pharmaceutical shipments, indicating the maturity of the digital landscape given the complex requirements for temperature-sensitive freight, mentions the official release.

To meet increasing demand, Emirates SkyCargo has expanded its reach by joining three major digital marketplaces, WebCargo, cargo.one, and CargoAi, alongside the leading Transport Management System, CargoWise, widely used by freight forwarders globally. This strategic move ensures that customers can access Emirates SkyCargo services on their preferred booking platforms. Benefits include direct booking capabilities, schedule visibility, access to tariff and contract rates, and real-time capacity updates, enabling seamless 24/7 bookings.

At launch, Emirates SkyCargo made five core products available on digital marketplaces, allowing for the transport of perishables, general cargo, and urgent shipments, this has now been expanded to more specialty products, including pharmaceuticals. The airline also increased the weight break limitation to three tonnes, allowing more shipments to be booked digitally.

Building on the early results of air freight aggregators, Emirates SkyCargo worked with key global customers, Kuehne+Nagel and DB Schenker to initiate direct host-to-host connections, building the airline’s available capacity, schedules, and rates into these customers’ internal booking engines, the release added.