Rather than relying solely on scale, the GSSA sector is moving towards a model where the ability to redirect resources, interpret market signals and deploy commercial solutions quickly is becoming a key differentiator. For ECS Group, this shift is being reflected most strongly in Asia-Pacific, where changing production patterns and consumer demand are creating new opportunities across emerging trade lanes.
“Asia is absolutely booming,” Adrien Thominet, Chairman of ECS Group, stated. “Historically, our international group relied heavily on Europe, but over the past year Asia has become our main growth driver. China remains extremely dynamic, while Vietnam, Singapore and Thailand continue to create significant opportunities.”
Asia’s manufacturing shift reshapes cargo flows
The expansion of manufacturing capacity across Southeast Asia is creating a more distributed airfreight landscape. While China remains the dominant export market, additional production hubs are changing the direction and composition of international cargo movements.
Vietnam has emerged as a particularly strong growth market, supported by electronics manufacturing and broader supply chain investment, while Thailand, Indonesia and Cambodia represent developing opportunities as companies seek greater manufacturing resilience.
“There is a permanent reshaping of traffic flows,” Thominet said. “If one market suddenly slows because of geopolitical events, an embargo or another disruption, volumes immediately move somewhere else. Our role is to redirect resources and commercial solutions quickly enough to capture those opportunities.”
China remains central as trade lanes diversify
Despite China Plus One manufacturing strategies, China continues to drive global airfreight demand. Chinese e-commerce remains a major growth engine, with export destinations shifting rapidly according to consumer demand and market conditions.
“Europe has become relatively stable,” Thominet noted. “Today we are seeing much stronger opportunities developing towards Central America and South America, and even parts of Africa. That means we must constantly adapt where we deploy our resources.”
The evolution of the GSSA model
The changing structure of global trade is accelerating the transformation of the GSSA model. Airlines increasingly want partners that can provide revenue management, digital solutions, data analysis and market intelligence alongside traditional sales representation.
“Our customers expect much more than traditional cargo sales,” Thominet said. “They want revenue management, digital tools, commercial intelligence and solutions that can be replicated consistently across different markets. If a commercial strategy, digital solution or revenue management approach proves successful in one market, we can implement it across multiple stations without starting from scratch,” he explained.
Technology as a commercial enabler
Digitalisation is supporting pricing decisions, booking processes and customer engagement, while automation reduces administrative workloads and allows teams to focus on customer relationships and revenue optimisation.
“Technology should enable people to become more valuable, not less,” Thominet said. “When repetitive administrative work is automated, our teams have more time to strengthen customer relationships, improve commercial performance and provide the strategic advice that airlines increasingly expect.”
Adaptability becomes the defining capability
The traditional boundaries between GSSA, technology provider and commercial consultant are becoming increasingly blurred as airlines seek broader support across international markets. The future of the sector will depend on combining global commercial expertise with digital capability, revenue management and the ability to respond quickly to market disruption.
“This industry is changing permanently,” Thominet concluded. “We do not want simply to follow that change; we want to help accelerate it. By combining GSSA expertise with technology, revenue management and new service models, we believe we can create greater value for airlines and customers alike.”
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Author: Ajinkya Gurav
