Reimagining cargo operations with MACH

In today’s cargo landscape, standing still isn’t an option. While global cargo demand saw a boost over the summer months[1], growth is slower than expected. International Air Transport Association (IATA) projects 69 million tonnes of air cargo will be flown in 2025 – a modest +0.6% from 2024 but falling short of earlier growth forecasts[2]. For global businesses like ours, operating at more than 350 airports globally in 65-plus countries, this shifting landscape underscores a critical need for resilience, adaptability, and smart infrastructure.

At Menzies Aviation, we serve some of the most complex and high-volume air freight routes in the world. And like many in our industry, we recognise that legacy systems, while reliable, were beginning to limit our ability to be agile. Our operational complexity and global footprint demanded more, so we decided to take a strategic step back and ask ourselves: what does a truly modern cargo operation look like? The answer wasn’t incremental updates. It was in a fundamental rethink.

So we set out to future-proof our operations and build long-term resilience, by making a bold, strategic decision: building our own cargo handling platform from scratch. The result is Menzies Aviation Cargo Handling (MACH) management system – a proprietary, cloud-based platform developed in partnership with Wipro and specifically for cargo handling at scale. Since it’s first go-live in November 2023, we’ve deployed MACH to 43 stations, with a total of 47 stations projected to go live by end  2025. By the end of our rollout, over 90% of our global cargo tonnage will run through this system.

Why build, not buy?

Our legacy system had served us well for many years, but traditional cargo systems are often airline-centric, with bolt on modules for handlers, like us. That model doesn’t scale with a global business like ours. We needed a platform, not a patchwork of systems, that could scale globally, adapt locally, be agile and deliver visibility end to end.

MACH is more than just a software solution – it’s a comprehensive cargo platform. Every new feature or compliance update is deployed across all locations instantly. Whether we’re live in 38 stations or 50, everyone has access to the same tools, documents, and workflows. That allows for faster deployment, tighter compliance, true standardisation across the network, and a unified way of working that results in a consistent experience for every customer.

We call this our ‘Starbucks model’, whether a customer walks into our shed in Auckland or Heathrow, they get the same standard of service, documentation, and process. It’s a major differentiator in an industry often fragmented by legacy systems.

Today, MACH sits at the centre of a wider digital ecosystem, connecting to real-time BI platform and data lakes, delivering up-to-the-minute insights for both operational and executive teams. It integrates seamlessly with customs through our TGC/CHAMP platform, reducing complexity across diverse regulatory environments. It’s designed to support automation, exceptional handling, and future innovation.

Building our own cargo system was a bold move, but it’s paying off – not just in operational terms, but in the ability to innovate from the inside out. We have a faster, more reliable deployment model, we’ve streamlined compliance, unified operations and training across locations and regions, and we’re building a technology stack we own and control, enabling smarter innovation and deep integrations.

This is just the beginning. MACH gives us the agility to adapt as the cargo industry evolves. Whether volumes rise or fluctuate, MACH puts us in control of our own path forward. The future of cargo handling is already underway. And we’re proud to be a part in building it.

[1] https://www.iata.org/en/publications/economics/reports/air-cargo-market-analysis-july-2025/

[2] https://www.iata.org/en/pressroom/2025-releases/2025-06-02-01/