Wally Devereaux, the senior director of cargo and charters for Southwest Airlines, said the company plans to haul cargo on international flights in 2017, according to American Shipper.
The Dallas-based airline, which makes about 4,000 flights a day, is building a new point-of-sales and back office IT system to accommodate international air cargo, since the current system was developed solely for domestic use and cannot communicate with outside systems.
Through the upgrade, Southwest will be able to share electronic airway bills, exchange messages directly with U.S. and international customs authorities and support different currencies, according to the report.
The new system will also let freight forwarders book shipments online. At present, Southwest's customers must travel to one of the airline's warehouses and physically tender the shipments.
The airline hopes to offer more international destinations within the next five to 10 years that could be attractive for cargo, Mr. Devereaux said.
More articles on supply chain:
Novartis restructures research unit, sheds 175 jobs: 4 things to know
Congress pushes for more answers on Mylan's EpiPen profits
Datwyler to build $102M manufacturing plant in Delaware