Worldwide Flight Services (WFS), a SATS company, has developed a new digital tool using machine learning algorithms trained on 10 years of operational data to deliver highly accurate forecasts of cargo volumes by flight, truck, and day, providing each warehouse with precise data to align workforce and resources in advance.
The air cargo industry has long struggled with accurate forecasting due to volatile volumes. Labor planning has often relied on manual estimates and historical averages, which can result in a 10-15% gap between staffing levels and actual workload, leading to inefficiencies, reactive operations, and inconsistent service quality.
The Performance Management Platform – Machine Learning Forecast (PMP MLF) helps WFS accurately forecast volumes using intelligence derived from processing over 3 million air waybills and historical flight and truck movement records, incorporating seasonality, holidays, and cargo types.
Currently providing forecasts across 9,842 flights and 6,216 truck movements per week across 75 warehouses in 13 countries, the system produces daily forecasts of tonnage, ULDs, and piece count, broken down by transport mode (freighter, passenger, and Road Feeder Services), flight or truck number, customer, and warehouse location. These forecasts feed directly into station-level planning tools, providing every location with clear, reliable forward-looking data.
Using the PMP MLF tool, WFS can detect and preplan for volume surges early and adjust resources proactively, shifting labour between teams or sites with greater agility. This reduces Service Level Agreement breaches due to understaffing or overloading and avoids unnecessary overtime or idle time.
Data collected shows the tool outperforms other forecasting models with a 92-98% accuracy range, even during irregular demand periods.
Early preparation of workload with accurate data creates operational certainty and means WFS’ operational teams are less reactive and more strategic in meeting customers’ service requirements. Summer 2025 saw the roll-out of phase 2 of the tool, with further digital improvements, including:
- Enhanced dashboards and visual analytics
- Tighter integration with workforce management and rostering tools
- Customer-level forecasting to co-plan volume peaks
“For many years, cargo handlers have relied on manual scheduling, Excel spreadsheets, or basic rolling averages for forecasting – and we know some still do. By leveraging machine learning within a complex operational network, our goal was to replace reactive guesswork with data-driven clarity to optimise workforce allocation, enhance service levels, and reduce operational waste across our global air cargo network – and we are inspired by the results. Predictive planning and precision forecasting mean we have achieved a fundamental transformation in how cargo handlers plan and operate,” said Jimi Daniel Hansen, SVP Operational Excellence.
“All of these benefits are meaningful to our customers. They translate into fewer delays due to staffing issues, improved service consistency, and transparent, data-backed capacity shared in advance. This is the type of digital innovation they want to see,” he added.