Americas – October 21, 2026 -- Air cargo's next digitization phase centers on procurement intelligence, according to Freightos executive Sebastien Podgorski, after a decade focused on digitizing search, dynamic rates and e-bookings.
Podgorski leads commercial operations across the Americas and oversees Freightos' global airline portfolio. He has more than a decade of aviation and air cargo experience, including roles at Air Canada Cargo in revenue management, strategic alliances and digital transformation. He discussed the shift with Judah Levine in a three-part video series in the Freight Thoughts program.
Peak season exposes existing procurement friction, Podgorski says
Peak demand does not create procurement problems, Podgorski says. It exposes operational friction that teams ignore during stable periods.
Forwarders run static procurement in a dynamic air freight market
Many forwarders still manage procurement with static spreadsheets, manual rate checks and siloed communication, even though air freight is a highly dynamic market.
Real-time data decides between contract allocations and spot rates
The challenge is not choosing between long-term allocations and spot rates. Podgorski says it is having the real-time data to know when to use each.
Logistics professionals lose time stitching fragmented data
Highly skilled logistics professionals spend excessive time manually connecting fragmented data sources instead of working on commercial strategy, according to Podgorski.