The International Air Cargo Association (TIACA) launched a tsunami of press releases last week, in the wake of its media web-conference on 04MAR26. While the press conference detailed a great many points from member growth, through to white papers on e-commerce or food & farm for health, its sustainability survey, and an overview of recent and upcoming events, the emphasis on the following initiatives showed a clear focus on learning from and preserving experience so as to pass it on to future generations, as well as promoting the ideas and inspiration from the air cargo industry’s new talent. Here’s a summary.
Two completely new knowledge-sharing initiatives were unveiled: the TIACA Reading Room and TIACA Future Thinkers are planned to go live in the second quarter of this year. Both platforms will be hosted on the association’s website, reinforcing TIACA’s mission to promote education, innovation, and cross-generational collaboration within the global air cargo community.
The Reading Room
The TIACA Reading Room will act as a digital library, referencing books and thought leadership from industry figures, academics, and researchers. It will showcase curated titles covering all kinds of background information on air cargo, sustainability, digitization, and logistics, along with detailed author profiles and information on how to access each publication. TIACA invites industry authors to submit their works, so as to create what it describes as a ‘living library’ of sector expertise and insight. TIACA explains that the motivation to set up the Reading Room is ‘the belief that knowledge shared becomes wisdom gained’.
Future Thinkers
The TIACA Future Thinkers platform will feature graduate and postgraduate research related to aviation and logistics, offering visibility to students and recent graduates whose projects explore innovative or emerging industry themes. The initiative aims to connect academic talent with cargo businesses seeking new ideas and potential collaborators.
Roos Bakker, TIACA Chair, explained: “These two initiatives reflect what TIACA stands for at its core, bringing our industry together not only to do business, but to share knowledge and cultivate future leadership. The Reading Room honors the experience and insight that have shaped air cargo over decades, while Future Thinkers ensures we are listening to the new voices that will define what comes next. Strong industries are built on both legacy and fresh perspective.”
Glyn Hughes, TIACA Director General, added: “Our industry thrives when ideas move freely across generations and geographies. With the Reading Room, we are creating a home for industry intelligence and thought leadership. Through Future Thinkers, we are opening the door for emerging talent to step into the global conversation. These initiatives strengthen the bridge between academia and industry and help ensure that innovation remains at the heart of air cargo’s evolution.”
New sponsor for Inspirational Leader Award
Cargo Service Center India has stepped up to serve as the official sponsor of the TIACA Inspirational Leader Award from 2026 to 2028. As part of TIACA’s broader Air Cargo Leadership Awards program, the Inspirational Leader Award highlights those working in airlines, airports, freight forwarding, ground handling, technology providers and other industry stakeholders, who drive progress, support digital transformation, and inspire future generations within the sector. Nominations for the 2026 edition are open until 08APR26, and the winner will be recognized during TIACA’s Executive Summit 2026, in Warsaw, Poland, from 01-03JUN26.
Roos Bakker commented: “Strong leadership is essential to ensuring the continued resilience and evolution of our industry. The Inspirational Leader Award recognizes individuals who motivate others, drive innovation, and help shape the future of global air cargo.”
Tushar Jani, Chairman, Cargo Service Center Group, underlined: “CSC believes in the individual leadership and collective spirit of people, companies and communities. We are proud to be associated with this very special recognition which reflects our values of a People-First approach and purposeful inspirational leadership.”
Glyn Hughes added: “Recognizing inspirational leadership helps foster a culture of innovation and collaboration across the air cargo ecosystem. We are delighted to welcome Cargo Service Center India as sponsor of this important industry award.”
Rising Star Award
The Executive Summit in Poland will also honor a Rising Star in the industry and TIACA’s Rising Star Award is now being sponsored by Hong Kong Air Cargo Terminals Ltd. (HACTL) through to 2029. This award celebrates young professionals under the age of 35 who demonstrate excellence, innovation, inspiration and outstanding contributions to the air cargo and logistics community, and nominations here are also possible until 08APR26.
Roos Bakker said: “We are delighted to partner with HACTL in fostering the next generation of leaders in air cargo. This collaboration highlights the importance of nurturing young talent and supporting innovation that will shape the future of our industry.”
Michelle Choi, Acting Chief, Hong Kong Air Cargo Terminals (HACTL), stated: “Nurturing the leaders of the future is vital in any industry. It’s a commitment to ongoing success and that’s why HACTL is delighted to take on the long-term sponsorship of TIACA’s Rising Star Award. For the last half century we have designed, developed and implemented training programs which enable us to grow our own future management, so it is only fitting that we become the sponsor of this award.” Glyn Hughes announced: “We are deeply grateful to HACTL for their generous and continued support of the association by sponsoring the Rising Star Award for the next three years. This long-term partnership reflects a shared commitment to investing in people and ensuring our industry’s future is shaped by talented, passionate professionals. HACTL’s dedication to recognizing and empowering emerging leaders sends a powerful message about the importance of developing the next generation of air cargo leaders.”
Who will be TIACA’s new Director General?
While it is difficult to imagine TIACA with Glyn Hughes who has held the Director General position since 2021 – 5 years that, he said, “have flown by tremendously fast” – (pun may or may not have been intended – one of his many skills), he announced that he will be leaving, though left the precise date open-ended, since it depends upon a smooth transition to the next Director General. He confirmed that he will stay on for as long as it takes to on-board his successor and announced that applications are now open for the position. “As Chief Executive Officer of the Association, the Director General operates under the direction of the Board and is responsible for supervising the affairs of the Association, ensuring both financial and operational success,” the release explained, going on to add other responsibilities such as: leading the execution of TIACA’s vision and strategy, being accountable for delivering agreed projects and programs while providing robust operational and financial reporting, being TIACA’s primary representative and spokesperson, maintaining strong relationships with members, partners, media, and industry stakeholders worldwide, and developing and implementing a commercial action plan to ensure TIACA remains relevant, attractive, and financially sustainable.
Roos Bakker emphasized: “The Director General plays a critical role in shaping the future of TIACA and ensuring we deliver measurable results for our members and the broader air cargo community. We are seeking a visionary yet practical leader who can execute our strategy with discipline, strengthen our global partnerships, and drive sustainable growth. This is a unique opportunity to guide a respected international association at a time of significant industry transformation.” Glyn Hughes concluded: “Serving as Director General since 2021 has been an honor. Together with our Board, members, and team, we have reinforced TIACA’s global presence and strengthened our value proposition. The next Director General will inherit a strong platform and an engaged global community, and I am confident they will continue to advance TIACA’s mission with energy and purpose.”
