CargoForwarder Global’s ‘Spotlight On…’ series highlights the very varied job areas within the air cargo industry. It is unthinkable, these days, to consider air cargo functioning without any kind of digital backbone. Technology plays a significant role in our industry – one that is constantly adapting to changing market requirements and regulations. Luis Leon, Senior Relationship Officer – Portfolio Management eCargo, at CHAMP Cargosystems S.A., talks about his role, experiences and the challenges the industry faces.
CFG: What is your current function and company? And what are your responsibilities?
LL: As a Senior Relationship Officer at CHAMP, I manage the e-cargo portfolio of the reputable Traxon Global customs, security, and e-commerce products known as TGC, TGS, and TGE. Part of the product management strategy team, I play a pivotal role in building strong relationships that bring lasting partnerships.
CFG: What does a normal day look like for you?
LL: I am not sure there is such a thing as a normal day [he laughs]. This is mainly due to the ever-changing daily challenges air cargo operations can bring, so some days are smooth as silk and others are long and challenging. Overall, I deal with customs authorities or customers who are inquiring if our products are connected to specific countries. I play a liaison role internally to bring marketing up to speed with what and where we are offering our services, and commercial teams who need knowledge support to secure a deal.
CFG: How long have you been in the air cargo industry, and what brought you to it?
LL: I left a 15-year passenger operation role 5 years ago for the cargo industry in search of what and how things move around the world. I was always really fascinated by the supply chain and found the chance to join and participate.
CFG: What do you enjoy most about your job?
LL: I really like the relationship-building aspect, because although all these pallets and containers and items move the world, there are people behind each and every one of those shipments, who need to still feel human and to know there is someone they can reach out to get some help. I also like being the internal point of contact for our marketing and commercial teams. I love helping them understand what we do and how we do it.
CFG: What do you see as the greatest challenges in our industry?
LL: I think that modernization will be key to securing clean information, and what I mean by that, is moving away from old cargo messages such as CIMP and moving forward to more digital information that is clean and clear to all stakeholders. As an example, the move to the IATA initiative, ONE Record due to go live in January 2026, will be a game changer. Getting rid of paper air waybills and securing the information exchange to interested parties will be changed by this new initiative. Also more and more countries will be moving into requiring pre-load security clearance to ensure they know what is being loaded on the planes and what is coming into the country before it arrives. Using old CIMP messages is not really the right vehicle for the future since it is limited in how much information can actually be sent on them – we are talking about a 50-year-old message after all, that just does not make sense for how we are moving forward to gather and share all the necessary information.
CFG: What advice would you give to people looking to enter into the air cargo industry? Any particular training they should aim for?
LL: I guess it just depends on what part of the business you want to work in: there is operations, there is commercial, there is flying the planes, and the IT side too. Really, it’s a big world out there, and I would really say: focus on getting exposure to different areas and then focusing on where you want to go after seeing which part interests you the most. Understanding the industry is essential to understanding where you want to work. Then, ultimately, it’s the training for that part that will help take your career off in the right direction.
CFG: If the air cargo industry were a film/book, what would its title be?
LL: I would want to say it would be a Marvel movie with a big superhero, Cargoman, as the main character [he smiles], who can cause havoc on the world if he does not stop the bad guys or a global pandemic, who are trying to block or sabotage the supply chain.
Many thanks, Luis!
If you would like to share your personal air cargo story with our CargoForwarder Global readers, feel free to send your answers to the above questions to cargoforwarderglobal@kopfpilot.at We look forward to shining a spotlight on your job area, views, and experiences.
