Ethiopian Cargo Goes Digital, Joins Freightos Platform for Real-Time Global Booking

EBR_News Mar 11, 2026

By Betegbar Yaregal

Ethiopian Cargo will join the Freightos cargo booking platform at the end of this month, integrating digital rates, quoting, and ebooking capabilities across Africa’s largest air cargo network, according to an announcement made at Mobile World Congress Barcelona.

The integration includes WebCargo Pay for fast digital payments and interlining capabilities, enabling freight forwarders to search, quote, and book airline capacity in seconds rather than hours, the company stated. Ethiopian Cargo operates Africa’s largest air cargo network, serving more than 145 destinations worldwide through dedicated freighters and passenger belly capacity, offering high-speed and priority shipment options.

Pablo Pinillos, CFO and Interim CEO of Freightos, noted that global trade has become far more volatile, and access to speed and reliability matters more than big promises. “With Ethiopian Cargo on our platform, forwarders will be able to unlock practical tools to move freight when capacity, routes, and costs are constantly shifting, resulting in less friction, more optionality, and fewer spreadsheets,” he said.

Dereje Derero, Managing Director of Ethiopian Cargo & Logistics Services, stated that digital transformation is a core part of the company’s growth strategy. “As part of this transformation, we have been integrating various booking and payment solutions into our services to provide our customers with greater efficiency. Through our partnership with Freightos, we are enhancing our cargo services for customers, including freight forwarders worldwide, by offering digital rates, quoting, and ebooking solutions with faster access and reliable service,” he said.

While African air cargo is growing faster than the global market, a significant share of bookings from the region is still handled by non-African carriers. Ethiopian’s integration expands digital supply from one of the continent’s leading airlines, strengthening intra-Africa connectivity while improving forwarders’ access to African-origin capacity on global trade lanes to key destinations including Europe, the United States, China, India, Kenya, and South Africa.

Freight forwarders will gain practical tools to navigate shifting routes and costs, reducing reliance on spreadsheets and manual processes. The platform integration supports Ethiopian’s broader digital transformation under its Vision 2035 strategy, which includes modernizing cargo operations alongside passenger services and infrastructure development.