An aircraft’s cargo hold may be below the passenger cabin, but its commercial potential deserves attention at the top table. Turning that space into dependable revenue takes sales talent, operational discipline, digital intelligence and specialist knowledge. AERION brings these capabilities together, giving airlines a single commercial gateway to a group built around making cargo work harder.
Adrien Thominet, Chairman of the holding company behind ECS Group, Global GSA Group, TCE, CargoTech, Mail and More and HealthC’Air and Founder of AERION sees the brand as the expression of a strategy developed over several years.
“The next phase of air cargo growth will reward businesses that connect expertise across markets, anticipate customer needs and turn reliable data into decisive action. AERION brings that thinking together. Our role is to help airlines build stronger cargo businesses with the specialist skills, technology and commercial reach growth demands.”
That ambition starts with understanding how the constituent businesses complement one another. Each addresses a different challenge; together, they connect the commercial promise with the practical work required to deliver it.
Thominet said: “For several years, our group has had one clear goal: to become a fully integrated commercial partner for airlines, with services that cover the whole cargo value chain.”
ECS Group provides the historical foundation. Its general sales and service agency expertise connects airline capacity with freight forwarder demand, combining local market relationships with international reach. Its network has grown through acquisitions and market development, bringing established businesses and their customer knowledge into a broader organisation. For airlines, that means access to commercial expertise without building an extensive overseas sales infrastructure themselves.
Global GSA Group brings another substantial layer of airline representation. Founded in Amsterdam in 1995, it combines local commercial relationships with centrally coordinated support. Its teams bring dedicated expertise in specialist cargo segments including live animals, healthcare, e-commerce and express, and perishables. Its services extend beyond sales into marketing, administration, operations and the management of ground handling and road feeder suppliers. Crucially, its approach preserves each airline’s identity while supplying the expertise needed to develop business across markets.
For airlines seeking broader outsourcing, TCE plays a central role in the group’s Total Cargo Management capabilities. Its teams can take responsibility for network operations, quality, safety, security, interline management, marketing, revenue optimization, claims and charter activity. This broader responsibility is supported by specialist operational expertise covering areas such as audits, risk assessments, operating standards, ground handling oversight, customs reporting and trucking arrangements. On-site supervision also gives airlines an informed presence where cargo is handled. Thominet says the group currently manages complete cargo activities for more than ten airlines, demonstrating the depth of responsibility it can assume.
Technology supplies another essential connection. Following investment in digital capabilities since 2018, CargoTech brings together complementary businesses tackling different commercial tasks. CargoAI supports digital airfreight procurement. Wiremind Cargo addresses inventory, reservations, capacity, pricing and revenue optimisation. Rotate combines market data, analytics and software to improve commercial decisions. Aerios focuses on bringing charter operations and communications into a coordinated digital workflow.
HealthC’Air addresses a market where precision carries particular weight: pharmaceutical and temperature-sensitive cargo. Its services include consultancy, auditing, training, process alignment, certification support and shipment management. Led by Global Director Pharma Yulia Celetaria, it offers different levels of support so airlines can develop capabilities appropriate to their ambitions. The opportunity involves building a credible product with the operational discipline to support it.
Mail and More brings dedicated postal expertise to mail and e-commerce. Its offer combines commercial representation, product development and electronic data exchange capabilities, supported by a team familiar with the segment’s networks and technical requirements. It helps airlines approach these traffic flows with a service designed around their specific demands.
Squair tackles the paperwork that keeps revenue moving. Its back-office services include air waybill verification, data capture, sales report checks and invoicing. Centralising these activities can reduce administrative costs, billing disputes and correction work, freeing commercial teams to spend more time developing business.
Marketing and promotion complete the picture, helping airline partners make their capabilities visible and commercially persuasive.
Thominet said: “All these capabilities now come together under AERION, the commercial brand of our Group holding.”
For airline management, the attraction is access to a wider range of expertise through one coordinated relationship. A new market, a pharma product or a charter opportunity can draw on the relevant specialists.
Thominet said: “AERION gives airlines one single platform to access all of our expertise. It goes well beyond cargo sales and representation to offer a complete, connected approach to cargo performance.”
