TCE has been running TUI Airline’s cargo business since JAN19, helping the carrier turn spare capacity on its holiday flights into a commercial freight product. TUI Airline gets to focus on its core product, passenger operations, whilst TCE acts as its outsourced cargo organization, covering business development, customer management, booking coordination, operational support, quality assurance and cargo security for the airline. TCE links sales and marketing with customer service, capacity management and day-to-day execution, ensuring that cargo customers and handling partners have a dedicated contact point and that shipments are flown as planned. Quality and compliance are central to TCE’s model. It manages cargo quality activities, coordinates audits and supports regulatory requirements, including ACC3 validation where needed, so sales opportunities are weighed against safety and security standards.
The setup also lets TUI Airline measure its cargo performance using verified data on volumes, revenue, capacity utilization and service quality, helping it spot further opportunities. TCE’s role is both commercial and organizational: its market relationships extend the airline’s reach among freight customers, while its operational expertise provides structure. The partnership will continue, with TCE remaining the key partner for developing freight activity and making better use of network capacity. “The next phase will build on the structure established since 2019, using TCE’s expertise to connect available capacity with customer demand and support the continuing development of TUI Airline’s cargo offering across its network, backed by coordinated management and consistent standards,” the release states.
Sarah Scheibe, Managing Director of TCE, said: “Aircraft capacity creates an opportunity, but expertise turns it into a business. We bring together the commercial relationships, operational coordination and compliance support that TUI Airline needs to develop its cargo activity. Our role is to make the airline’s capacity accessible to freight customers through a professionally managed service. A successful cargo product depends on every part of the operation working together. Customers need clear communication, handling partners need effective coordination and the airline needs confidence that its requirements are being met. By managing these activities within one organization, we help maintain continuity from the first enquiry through to operational execution. Our partnership with TUI Airline has developed through sustained cooperation and a shared focus on making cargo work within a passenger airline environment. We will continue building on that foundation, identifying commercial opportunities while maintaining the operational discipline, quality assurance and security oversight that support long-term development.”
