IATA stresses priorities for growth of global air cargo sector

THE International Air Transport Association (IATA) has identified three priorities to meet the demand that air freight maximise the socioeconomic benefits of aviation, reports Creamer Media Engineering News of Johanesburg. To this end, IATA has called on governments and the air cargo industry to focus on accelerating the rate of process modernisation, implementing and enforcing global standards and keeping borders open for trade.

The association's viewpoint was put forward at the recent (13th) World Cargo Symposium, in Singapore, by IATA director-general and CEO Alexandre de Juniac. The theme of the symposium was Enabling Global Trade.

'I call aviation the Business of Freedom,' he said. 'That is a big statement. And it is absolutely true. We bring people together, deliver 35 per cent of global trade by value, foster commerce and make the world a smaller and more accessible place.'

IATA is urging the air cargo industry to modernise its processes, which will be essential to meet the growth of demand - predicted to reach 100 per cent over the next 20 years. Already, customers in the industry's most promising growth markets are calling for such modernisation.

These rapidly growing markets are e-commerce, and the transport of time- and temperature-sensitive cargo, such as perishables and pharmaceuticals. Consequently, the association is pushing for the more rapid digitalisation of supply chains.

'The e-commerce world is looking for fully automated high-rack warehouses, with autonomous green vehicles navigating through the facility, and employees equipped with artificial intelligence and augmented reality tools,' he said.

'The problem is not technology. The problem is speed to market, It's tough to drive change in a global industry. But it is not mission impossible. I challenge stakeholders to find ways to drive critical change at the speed our customers expect.'

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