Mercator’s SkyChain Implemented for AviancaTaca Holding

February 29, 2012 flight2000it

Mercator, the Dubai-based provider of business technologies to the aviation industry, has announced that Latin America’s second largest airline holding company, AviancaTaca Holding, has now gone live with its’ SkyChain cargo solution. The group’s airlines – TACA, Aerogal, TAMPA Cargo, and Avianca´s international cargo operations will now be able to seamlessly share cargo information across a single system.

AviancaTaca selected Mercator to enable the group to manage its cargo via a single, integrated end-to-end system. This approach is expected to increase productivity levels through more effective management of cargo sales, exporting, importing and transfer activities. In addition, the system will deliver process efficiencies, providing real time flight revenue monitoring, accurate shipment pricing and tracking, optimised flight capacity management and e-freight capabilities. Mercator’s award winning cargo solution, SkyChain, will be used to manage warehouses located across AviancaTaca’s network for bookings and cargo capacity. In addition, SkyChain will help optimize cargo operations and enhance the levels of service currently offered to AviancaTaca’s customers.

In 2010 Mercator was originally involved in the implementation of SkyChain for TACA, a holding of airlines operating in Latin America, when it merged with Avianca, an airline based in Colombia owning TAMPA Cargo. The merger resulted in AviancaTaca Limited S.A. comprising TACA, Avianca, TAMPA Cargo, and Aerogal, among others. During the merger evaluation process, the airlines realized that they could best leverage their technology through Mercator by extending SkyChain to all cargo operations, and through implementing the cargo handler module, SkyChain Handler, at TACA, Avianca and TAMPA Cargo. Avianca and TACA, Mercator customers for eight years and eleven years respectively, chose to migrate to the new generation SkyCargo Airline and Handler solution to manage the transformation of their cargo business.

“Having worked with Mercator for many years we know we have a partner who understands our needs and delivers good service,” said Estuardo Ortiz, Chief Operating Officer for AviancaTaca. “It is important for AviancaTaca to know that SkyChain will be continuously developed to meet the emerging IT needs of the air cargo industry. Having our group on a single cargo system will speed up processes and optimize business performance across each of our subsidiaries.”

“Mercator aims for product innovation; delivering airlines the IT business systems that increase efficiencies and productivity, and thus support long term growth,” said Duncan Alexander, Vice President, Mercator. “The joint AviancaTaca-Mercator team worked tirelessly to ensure the multi-airline operation was successfully implemented.”

With the second largest airline holding company employing SkyChain, Mercator has
experience a significant increase in market share in Latin America representing a demand for high-quality solutions and services aimed at increasing customers’ profitability. Mercator has experienced extensive growth over the last year with numerous airlines choosing SkyChain to help develop their business; thus, reaffirming its position as an industry-leading cargo solution. Current SkyChain customers are located across six continents and total 15 airlines. SkyChain technology is designed for airlines, forwarders and ground handlers to increase productivity levels through more effective management of cargo sales, exporting, importing and transfer activities.

Source: Mercator