Agent-based simulation of digital interoperability thresholds in fragmented air cargo systems : evidence from a developing country

Background: This study investigates how varying levels of digital interoperability affect coordination and performance in Indonesia's decentralized air cargo system, reflecting the inefficiencies typical of fragmented digital infrastructures in developing economies. Methods: An Agent-Based Model (ABM) was developed to simulate interactions among shippers, freight forwarders, airlines, ground handlers, and customs agents along the CGK-SIN/HKG export corridor. Six simulation scenarios combined varying levels of digital adoption, operational friction, and behavioral adaptivity to capture emergent coordination patterns and threshold dynamics. Results: The simulation identified a distinct interoperability threshold at approximately 60%, beyond which performance improvements became non-linear. Once this threshold was surpassed, clearance times decreased by more than 40%, and capacity utilization exceeded 85%, particularly when adaptive decision rules were implemented among agents. Conclusions: Digital transformation in fragmented logistics systems requires both technological connectivity and behavioral adaptivity. The proposed hybrid framework-integrating Autonomous Supply Chains (ASC), Graph-Based Digital Twins (GBDT), and interoperability thresholds-provides a simulation-based decision-support tool to determine when digitalization yields system-wide benefits. The study contributes theoretically by linking behavioral adaptivity and digital interoperability within a unified modeling approach, and practically by offering a quantitative benchmark for policymakers and practitioners seeking to develop efficient and resilient logistics ecosystems.