Why Air Cargo Digital Transformation Is Finally Working
The promise of air cargo digital transformation has long been overshadowed by delays, outdated systems, and consultants who’ve never set foot in a cargo terminal, despite the industry's repeated claims about automation and air cargo digital transformation. But in Southeast Asia, something different is taking shape — led not by outside vendors, but by engineers with firsthand experience running airline cargo operations.
Belli, a Singapore-based startup founded by former airline cargo professionals, is proving that real change is possible. Their mission: eliminate paper, spreadsheets, and manual processes that still plague commercial, ground operations, and finance teams across the industry.
Built by Operators, Not Consultants
What sets Belli apart isn’t just the code — it’s who writes it. The company’s implementation team consists of cargo product engineers with firsthand experience in airline operations. This dual expertise is critical.
"The unique thing that we do differently is that we have cargo product engineers do the on-the-ground implementation." — Foon Qiao Hui, Product Engineer at Belli
Unlike legacy vendors who rely on generalist consultants, Belli’s team speaks the language of cargo ops. Foon Qiao Hui, formerly with AirAsia’s Teleport cargo unit, knows the pain points firsthand.
"Our biggest frustration was working with providers who had never worked at an airline and couldn’t code. Simple problems would take weeks to solve." — Foon Qiao Hui, Product Engineer at Belli
From Legacy Delays to Three-Week Rollouts
Traditional cargo system integrations can take months or even years. Belli flips that model — deploying full-scale cargo management systems in as little as three weeks.
This speed comes from building modern architecture from scratch. The frontend runs on Vercel, a high-performance platform favored in cutting-edge tech circles. That gives Belli a sharp edge over vendors still relying on deprecated infrastructure.
The results are real. Belli recently placed second at the Vercel AI Accelerator in San Francisco, beating nearly 900 venture-backed startups worldwide.
"Belli placed second at the Vercel AI Accelerator in San Francisco this July, beating out nearly 900 other venture-backed software startups from around the world." — Primary source
Fix the Basics First
Despite the hype around AI, Belli’s most impactful feature is surprisingly simple: a modern booking portal for freight forwarders.
"The easiest thing an airline can do is give their freight forwarders a booking portal." — Foon Qiao Hui, Product Engineer at Belli
That’s not just theory. According to Belli, a functional portal can:
| Impact | Improvement |
|---|---|
| Booking time | Reduced by at least 20% |
| Conversion rates | Up to 5% |
| Customer service queries | Eliminated up to 70% |
"Imagine if a passenger airline didn’t let you search or book flights online, and made you go through a travel agent. That’s still the reality for most cargo operations today." — Foon Qiao Hui, Product Engineer at Belli
Their philosophy is clear:
"forget chasing advanced AI features until the basics are fixed." — Belli
AI That Works — Not Just Demos
Belli uses AI in production, not just in pitch decks, driving air cargo digital transformation with practical, on-the-ground solutions. Internally, they’ve restructured engineering hiring to prioritize AI tool proficiency over traditional coding tests. Engineers are evaluated on their command of AI tools and the quality of daily prompts.
Externally, AI already replaces manual spreadsheet work. The company sees it soon tackling weight and balance optimization and dynamic capacity planning — complex problems that have long resisted automation.
Remote Cargo Tech Jobs Are Growing in Southeast Asia
As Belli scales, they’re creating new opportunities for remote cargo technology jobs for software engineers — especially those with aviation domain knowledge. The rise of startups like Belli signals a shift: tech careers in logistics are no longer tied to legacy roles.
Freelance aviation software engineers can now access high-impact remote roles in systems implementation thanks to this trend. The region’s growing digital infrastructure makes Southeast Asia a hotspot for remote cargo tech jobs 2026.
Belli's rapid deployment of digital cargo systems in just three weeks highlights how deeply practical experience is embedded in their engineering approach — a key driver in the broader air cargo digital transformation. With team members like Foon Qiao Hui, who brings direct experience from AirAsia’s Teleport cargo unit, Belli connects software development with real-world cargo operations. This blend of skills enables them to address inefficiencies in commercial, ground handling, and finance teams more effectively than legacy vendors reliant on consultants without aviation backgrounds. This fusion of technical and operational expertise allows them to target inefficiencies in commercial, ground handling, and finance teams more effectively. They outperform legacy vendors that rely on consultants without aviation backgrounds. By building tools informed by actual cargo workflows, Belli is not only accelerating air cargo digital transformation but also setting a new standard for who gets to shape the technology powering it.
Change Was Never the Problem
Foon Qiao Hui says the idea that cargo teams resist change is a myth: "Airline cargo departments do want to change."
"Airline cargo departments do want to change. They’ve just never had qualified software partners to work with until now." — Foon Qiao Hui, Product Engineer at Belli
This insight comes from experience — the team helped one carrier replace seven ERP systems in seven months. Now, they’re building the tools they once wished existed.