Speaker
Description
Freight forwarders play a pivotal role in the air cargo supply chain, acting as key intermediaries between shippers and airlines. Their selection of airline partners significantly influences carriers’ commercial performance, market competitiveness, and cargo volumes. Despite the strategic importance of these decisions, the factors driving carrier selection remain insufficiently understood in both academic literature and industry practice. This study aims to identify and analyze the key parameters influencing freight forwarders’ airline choice and to develop a structured decision support framework for carrier selection.
The research was conducted in collaboration with Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS) and adopted a mixed-methods approach. The study combined a comprehensive literature review with industry interviews, expert workshops, and a global survey involving more than 200 freight forwarders. The exploratory phase identified over twenty decision criteria that influence airline selection, including freight rates, capacity availability, service quality, network coverage, brand perception, operational reliability, and shipper preferences.
Building on these findings, a Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) framework was developed to systematically evaluate airline alternatives based on the identified criteria. The framework enables a structured assessment of trade-offs between economic, operational, and customer-related factors that influence freight forwarders’ decisions. To ensure practical relevance and applicability, the model is currently being validated using real contract and pricing data provided by SWISS. Various decision scenarios are being tested to refine the weighting of selection criteria and improve the framework’s predictive accuracy.
The study contributes to both theory and practice by enhancing the understanding of carrier selection behavior and providing airlines with a data-driven tool to support strategic decision-making and customer acquisition efforts.
| Keywords | Freight Forwarders, Air Cargo Supply Chain, Carrier Selection, Airline Partners, Commercial Performance, Decision Parameters, Price, Capacity Availability, Service Quality, Network Coverage, Brand Perception, Shipper Preferences, Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM), Decision Support Framework, Decision Criteria Weighting, Industry Survey, Contract Data, Pricing Data, Decision Scenarios, Validation, Air Cargo Transportation, Airline Choice, Freight Forwarding, Logistics Decision-Making, Airline Cargo Services, Supply Chain Management, Carrier Selection Criteria, Air Freight Logistics, Cargo Transportation, Freight Forwarder Decision-Making, Airline Selection Framework, Logistics Performance, Cargo Service Quality, Air Cargo Network, Freight Market Analysis, Transportation Management. |
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| Participation in the SNSF Early-Stage Researcher Support and Award Scheme | I am submitting a regular presentation but do not wish to participate in the scheme. |