The new wave: Convenience carriers and e-commerce disruptors are changing Southeast Asia’s shipping landscape
- GSA Global Group is positioned as a strategic enabler for smart regional carriers, e-commerce players and freight forwarders in Southeast Asia, providing regional expertise, organizational flexibility, and agile execution to navigate fragmented infrastructure and complex markets.
- E-commerce is driving demand for fast, scalable and trackable logistics services, driving GSA to invest in express services and digitally enabled forecasting and booking tools, ensuring partners can respond to dynamic volumes without sacrificing reliability.
- Beyond the cargo space, Global GSA leverages technology platforms such as CargoAi, SkyPallet and Livecapacity for route optimization, load planning and real-time analytics, combining regional flexibility with digital decision-making to support specific segments and strategic development.
In Southeast Asia, the rules for air freight development are being rewritten—not by incumbents, but by a new generation of regional carriers, e-commerce players, and logistics disruptors. As these drivers gain ground, the Global GSA Group is positioning itself not just as a traditional GSSA, but as a strategic enabler of rapid, structured and data-informed growth.
The landscape changed. While market expansion to Southeast Asia was once dominated by large international airlines, today the momentum comes from smaller, nimble players: regional airlines, specialist cargo operators, and digital-first logistics providers responding to growing business and e-commerce flows in Asia.
“Absolutely. We are seeing increased interest from regional and specialty carriers looking to tap into the high growth potential of Southeast Asia,” said Aitken Sarai, CEO of GSA Global Group. “Beyond traditional airline partners, we are also working with a new generation of logistics providers – such as e-commerce providers and freight forwarders – who prioritize speed, responsiveness and personalized service.”
These players move quickly, but this speed brings great danger. Crumbling infrastructure, complex regulations, and changing demand in markets like Vietnam, the Philippines, and Indonesia require more than just cargo space—it requires coordination, visibility, and local fluidity.
Global GSA Group’s approach is to integrate itself into this value chain. “These players are moving fast and expect deep market intelligence, organizational fluency and fast execution,” noted Sarai. “Our dedicated teams and strong regional presence allow us to respond quickly and strategically, helping these carriers to revitalize and expand into Southeast Asia’s complex markets with confidence.”
Support e-commerce ordering at speed
and size
Of all the sectors causing disruption, e-commerce remains a force to be reckoned with. Southeast Asia’s digital economy is growing faster than almost any other region globally, with air freight under the greatest pressure for fast, trackable delivery.
“E-commerce is a key growth driver for our partners in Southeast Asia,” Sarai said. “Demands for fast, trackable and scalable logistics solutions have fundamentally changed expectations from the B2C and B2B sectors.”
For carriers, this means tight schedules, last-mile coordination, and dynamic spikes in volume that can’t be handled using static planning models. In response, GSA Global Group has invested in express freight services and digitally enabled forecasting and booking tools that reflect the sector’s agility.
“CargoTech tools like CargoAi give us dynamic booking capabilities, while our training programs ensure teams can handle the speed and sensitivity of this sector.” Sarai said. “For us, e-commerce is not just a market trend – it is a strategic sector in which we continue to invest deeply.”
What sets Global GSA Support apart is not just the technology, but also the implementation. While entering the market faces real-world conflicts by launching roads or expanding urban infrastructure, the company plays a practical role in bridging the gap between aspirations and reality.
“Entering Southeast Asia often means navigating fragmented infrastructure, regulatory complexity and high volatility in demand,” Sarai said. “We are meeting these challenges head-on through a combination of regional expertise, real-time analytics and strategic alignment with regulators, customers and airport authorities.”
This format is built into the process, not installed. GSA teams develop standard operating procedures, manage compliance frameworks and maintain active dialogue with customs and ground handlers – ensuring that speed does not compromise reliability or risk.
“Our ability to combine regional resilience with global stability is one of our greatest strengths,” Sarai added.
Beyond cargo space: Technology as a driver of decision-making
New market entrants in Southeast Asia aren’t just looking for sales support, they need tools to help them understand what’s next, what capacity to allocate, and how to stay profitable while doing so. This is where the Global GSA technology stack, through CargoTech, becomes a strategic differentiator.
Platforms such as Rotate’s Live Capacity and Wiremind’s SkyPallet are used to assess route capacity, optimize payments, and respond to rapid changes in supply and demand. “We’re helping carriers navigate this transformation through our collaboration with CargoTech, which provides access to advanced tools like SkyPallet for better load planning, live capabilities for real-time market insights, and AI-based forecasting that captures regional demand patterns as they evolve,” Sarai explained.
These tools allow GSA to speak the language of a new generation of telcos – where decision-making is digital, detailed and real-time.
As more specialist operators enter Southeast Asia, the GSSA model has redefined itself. For GSA Global Group, that means expanding beyond traditional representation into vertical expertise, technology-enabled decision support, and even route planning advice.
“Our roadmap includes buildings focused on three key areas: digital transformation, specialized shipping segments, and geographic expansion,” Sarai said. “We are deploying advanced forecasting tools and expanding our training programs in pharmaceuticals and high-value cargo to offer the full capabilities of the logistics chain – from business to operations and technology.”
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