Cargo iQ has recognised Air Canada and Kuehne+Nagel with newly introduced awards for operational excellence and collaboration at its recent Quality-Rally (Q-Rally), held in November in Madrid. The initiative reinforces Cargo iQ’s mission to drive continuous quality improvement across the global air cargo industry.
The Q-Rally provides a platform for Cargo iQ members to present real-world projects designed to enhance operational performance in line with the organisation’s quality management framework and industry standards. Participants are encouraged to share both successes and lessons learned, enabling best practices to be disseminated across the wider membership. The most impactful initiatives are recognised through peer-reviewed awards.
Air Canada received the “Team Up” award, which recognises projects that deliver measurable operational improvements through collaboration with internal teams or external partners. The airline was honoured for aligning cross-functional teams across operations, commercial, and IT to improve on-time delivery and data completeness.
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Through a reinforced Quality Management System (QMS) and the deployment of targeted tools for frontline teams, Air Canada achieved a seven per cent improvement in Delivery as Promised (NFD) performance. The initiative also delivered notable gains in data completeness across its network, strengthening operational resilience and improving performance reliability.
Kuehne+Nagel was presented with the “Scale Up” award, which recognises a single organisation’s ability to drive improvement across a chosen focus area by working with multiple partners. The logistics provider was recognised for its efforts to improve air waybill data quality and shipment visibility.
By identifying root causes behind shipments failing to generate valid air waybill route maps, Kuehne+Nagel collaborated closely with airline partners to enhance ENCORE offset management, implement Participant Identification and Messaging Address (PIMA) updates, and align internal processes. These improvements have enabled a higher proportion of shipments to be evaluated against Cargo iQ standards, delivering clearer performance insights for carriers and improved visibility for shippers.
Marie Seco-Koppen, Executive Director of Cargo iQ, said the introduction of the new awards highlights the importance of collaboration and transparency in raising industry standards. “Intentionally sharing the work done and articulating why it matters is part of raising operational quality,” she said. “These two prizes encourage collaboration and recognise the behind-the-scenes efforts that are driving meaningful progress across the air cargo industry.”
The Q-Rally took place alongside Cargo iQ’s Working Group meetings, where members convene to address common challenges and jointly develop practical, data-driven solutions, further strengthening Cargo iQ’s role as a catalyst for continuous improvement in global air cargo operations.
