Choosing to leverage each other’s strengths. Image: Qatar Airways Cargo/MASkargo
Qatar Airways Cargo and MASkargo have agreed to join forces and benefit from each other’s cargo strengths as laid out in their recently signed Memorandum of Understanding. On the passenger side, the two airlines already signed a codeshare agreement back in 2004, which was expanded in 2022 to a total of 62 destinations. They have long been partners under the oneworld umbrella. The latest MoU will see their cargo carriers achieve operational synergies and improve connectivity through each other’s international networks operating out of their respective hubs: Hamad International Airport in Doha, Qatar, and Malaysia’s Kuala Lumpur International Airport. While MASkargo customers will have access to Qatar Airways Cargo’s global network and benefit from the cargo airline’s growing handling capabilities at its expanded Cargo Terminal, Qatar Airways Cargo customers will benefit from greater capacity opportunities and new destinations in the APAC market. On the fleet side, too, both airlines are set for growth. Qatar Airways Cargo is the launch customer of the Boeing 777-8 freighter, and will take delivery of 34 aircraft. Malaysian Airlines purchased 20 new A330neo aircraft for its passenger flights, and will offer their bellies for cargo. Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, Engr. Badr Mohammed Al-Meer, explained: “Our new MoU with Malaysia Aviation Group is testament to our deepening relations with Malaysia and the integral APAC market. This strategic cooperation with our oneworld partner will serve to link our freighter and belly-hold networks with our cargo product offering and capacity, allowing us to further cement our relationship and foster the close links between our airlines.” Group Managing Director of Malaysia Aviation Group, Captain Izham Ismail, added: “Expanding our partnership with Qatar Airways Cargo marks a significant milestone for MASkargo. This collaboration will not only enhance our product offering and operational capabilities but also solidify our position in the global cargo market. By leveraging each other’s strengths, we are poised to deliver unparalleled service to our customers and achieve remarkable growth together.”
Digitally enhanced sales through Rotate’s Sales Cockpit. Image: Lemon Queen
Air Canada is the second airline after Etihad to soon benefit from Rotate’s digitally enhanced sales processes, and there will be more to follow as the tech company plans to deliver its CargoTech solution to more airlines in future. Rotate’s Sales Cockpit is designed to support an airline’s sales teams in all sales aspects from uncovering sales opportunities, to monitoring agreements/quotes and tracking their performance. The web-based software, which is integrated in Air Canada Cargo’s own CRM tool, continuously analyzes the airline’s data to automatically identify and open customer-specific potentials. All information required is stored in one place, equipping sales teams with everything they need to carry out customer communication and discussion. The implementation of the Sales Cockpit is part of Air Canada Cargo’s broader digitalization strategy, aimed at enhancing the overall customer experience. Matthieu Casey, Managing Director – Commercial at Air Canada Cargo, commented: “This partnership with Rotate and the roll-out of the Sales Cockpit will enable our Sales teams to provide more personalized and timely service to our customers while maintaining a consistent approach globally. This consistent approach allows us to work collaboratively and proactively as our customers’ needs change.” Ryan Keyrouse, CEO at Rotate, stated: “We are thrilled to support Air Canada Cargo in its digitalization journey. Our collaboration has enhanced the Sales Cockpit, making it a more effective tool for their sales teams. The feedback from Air Canada Cargo has been important in refining the solution to better meet the needs of the industry.”
Cargojet to operate at least three weekly flights between YVR and HGH. Image: Cargojet
Flights already began on 22MAY24, between Hangzhou, China to Vancouver, Canada, and back, but news of the three-year agreement between Cargojet and Great Vision HK Express was published on 10JUN24. Cargojet will deploy a Boeing 767-300 freighter and operate at least three scheduled charter flights per week on behalf of China-based Great Vision HK. The regular routing caters to China’s e-commerce business and is expected to generate more than CAD $160 million (around EUR 109 million) over the course of the agreement. While Cargojet secures the airport-to-airport segment for Great Vision HK, the Chinese end-to-end integrated logistics solutions provider covers the rest on both ends of the route: pick up, pre-sorting, international air freight, customs clearance, distribution, last-mile delivery and after-sales services. Jamie B. Porteous, Co-Chief Executive Officer, said: “Leveraging Cargojet’s industry-leading record of on-time performance and reliability, together with the connection opportunities from Vancouver to fifteen other cities in Canada, will allow Great Vision HK to provide enhanced services for China-based e- Commerce service providers, to their customers across Canada.” Pauline Dhillon, Co-Chief Executive Officer, stated: “We continue to explore opportunities to maximize asset and aircraft utilization and look forward to a strong partnership with Great Vision HK.” Christine Cheng, Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer at Great Vision HK, added: “This is an important milestone for Great Vision HK, and we’ve partnered with Cargojet, another industry-leader in Canada, to provide top-quality transportation services to our customers in Asia. International air freight is a key part of this logistical chain, and we believe through this strategic partnership with Cargojet that we can offer extremely reliable and efficient services to our customers, while continuing to promote trade between the two countries.”
Following a decade of absence, Virgin Atlantic will resume air services to Canada. From the upcoming summer flight season onwards, beginning 30MAR25, the UK carrier will add the route London Heathrow – Toronto Pearson to its transatlantic network. Although the decision is mainly based on passenger demand the go-ahead for the daily services has also consequences for the cargo business, including Virgin’s cooperation with WestJet.
Virgin returns to Toronto, deepening its cargo collaboration with WestJet – courtesy Virgin Atlantic Airways
Virgin Atlantic will operate the route with an Airbus A330neo. According to Airbus, this variant can accommodate up to 33 LD3 containers underfloor or 9 pallets plus 5 LD3. But Virgin points out that other aircraft might be deployed on the London – Toronto sector as well, depending on passenger demand. Official travel data show that 1.1 million passengers booked this route in 2023 flying either on board Air Canada jetliners or British Airways long haul aircraft.
New horizons In addition to the route announcement, Virgin Atlantic and WestJet plan to expand their collaboration enabling transit passengers seamless travel options through their respective hubs Calgary and London Heathrow to beyond destinations. In the case of Virgin these include predominantly the Indian destinations Bangalore, Delhi and Mumbai, in Africa Cape Town, Johannesburg and Lagos and Dubai in the UAE. Conversely, WestJet offers Virgin clients commuting flights to key domestic Canadian destinations and abundant cross border connections to and from the States.
Sharing belly capacity The capacity provided by Virgin Atlantic’s upcoming Toronto flight strengthens the cargo partnership existing between the UK carrier and its Canadian associate, emphasizes WestJet Cargo when asked by CargoForwarder Global. “WS and VS already use each other’s cargo belly network via LHR today. With this closer collaboration we are reviewing more lanes to cooperate i.e. India and Southeast Asia,” reads the statement delivered by WS management.
However, the collaboration does not include a sales agreement enabling WestJet Cargo selling Virgin lower deck capacity actively and vice versa on the YYZ > < LHR sector and beyond.
Deepened WS-AF ties Up to now, it is a confined partnership based on an interline agreement but with upgradable prospects, explains WestJet management.
Currently, WestJet offers services to seven European destinations. Only three weeks ago, the carrier announced year-round flights between Calgary and Paris CDG, complementing its year-round services on the Calgary-London Heathrow sector. The Paris flights deepen WestJet’s longstanding codeshare partnership with Air France, including its cargo division.
Elon Musk owned Space Exploration Technologies, dubbed SpaceX, will launch Turkey’s first domestically built satellite on board a Falcon Heavy rocket into orbit, Turkish operator Turksat said on Tuesday (11JUN24). Last week, the space capsule was flown from Ankara to Florida on board an Antonov Airlines operated AN-124-100 freighter, with charter broker Proair managing the demanding mission.
The designers estimate the service life of Türksat 6A to be at least 15 years – courtesy: construction consortium
With the construction of Türksat 6A, Turkey joins the club of almost a dozen countries worldwide that have proven their technical ability to produce communication satellites on their own. Provided all goes well, the space capsule will be positioned at a geocentric position 35,786 km above earth. It will cover an area stretching from the British Isles in the west, Scandinavia in the north, Pakistan in the east and the northern part of Africa, including the Arabian Peninsula. It will significantly improve the supply of information in these regions, as it offers excellent voice quality and high data transfer rates.
Challenging mission The operating time of Türksat 6A is estimated to be 15 years. It was constructed by a consortium headed be the Tübitak Space Technologies Research Institute in close cooperation with Turkish Aerospace Industries, Aselsan A.Ş. and CTech Bilisim Teknolojileri A.Ş.
The satellite was fixed in a special container and pulledby hydraulic winches through an external ramp into the big freighter aircraft, supported by cranes. The entire project took 39 hours, including the transcontinental flight. Asked about operational specifics, the Turkish office of broker Proair denied providing information. The responsible state authorities in Ankara have not yet published any specifics on this project like the costs of the charter or the exact launching date of the satellite, Proair’s Turkish office told CargoForwarder Global.
High flying ambitions In a press meeting held at Ankara prior to the AN-124 freighter’s takeoff to Florida, Turkish Industry and Technology Minister Mehmet Fatih Kacır proudly announced further strengthening the national production program for low-orbit satellites. “We will support public, academic and private sector projects in this field. And we are determined to ensure that Türkiye is among the countries that have a say in this field.” In addition to this he announced that his government has decided to erect and establish a Space Technology Development Zone in Ankara. But Turkey’s space ambitions go much further than low orbit, where Turksat A6 will soon be positioned.
At the same meeting, Abdulkadir Uraloğlu, Minister of Transport and Infrastructure, said that the satellite will not only improve communication, but also perform important security tasks by monitoring Turkey’s territory and that of the neighboring areas. The project, which has cost USD 250 million to date, represents an important step for Turkey’s extraterrestrial ambitions, the politician emphasized.
Next stop – the moon? His cabinet colleague, Mehmet Fatih Kacır, announced that Türkiye’s space ecosystem will further grow, based on two decades of technological advancements coupled with research centers that have been set up supported by industrial efforts. The official said that plans for developing launch rockets are on the government’s table as is spaceport based on international cooperation to be introduced by 2030. This is coupled with an ambitious national Moon Program whose centerpiece is a spacecraft with a propulsion system, developed, designed and produced by Turkish scientists and engineers. Until then, the country’s satellite ambitions will advance with the support of Musk’s Space X. “I think, we’ll start off with Falcon Heavy missions and do great work there and then potentially move on to the next vehicle,” SpaceX’s President and Chief Operating Officer Gwynne Shotwell told Anadolu Agency.
CargoForwarder Global’s ‘Spotlight On…’ series highlights the many and very different jobs in the air cargo industry by asking individuals in those functions a set of seven questions. While airports around the world provide physical hubs for airlines and forwarders to arrange the physical transportation of air cargo, booking platforms such as WebCargo offer a digital business hub, bringing air capacity offers to those seeking the space. That is why, this week, Sebastien Podgorski (SP), Vice President Airline Solutions at WebCargo by Freightos, has been invited to share his business insights, experience and advice.
“Nothing beats real-life experience.” Image: WebCargo by Freightos
CFG: What is your current function? And what are your responsibilities?
SP: Currently, I serve as the Vice President of Airline Solutions at WebCargo by Freightos, where my focus is on helping airlines harness the power of digitalization. While our initial emphasis was on facilitating digital bookings, we’ve now broadened our scope to collaborate with carriers in developing solutions that bolster their digital journey while enhancing their commercial and operational strategies. My role involves working closely with both internal teams and our customers to translate this vision into reality.
CFG: What does a normal day look like for you? Or is there such a thing?
SP: In this dynamic industry, no two days are alike! Each day presents its unique set of challenges and opportunities. My role revolves around assisting our team and customers in navigating these daily fluctuations while staying aligned with their medium to long-term objectives.
CFG: How long have you been in the air cargo industry, and what brought you to it?
SP: I’ve been in the industry for over five years now, starting out at Air Canada where I led the digital strategy that brought the carrier online during the COVID-19 pandemic. My journey into air cargo was partly accidental and partly destined – both my mother and grandfather worked in the industry. Although I initially aimed to join the airline sector, I spent seven years in finance and technology before an opportunity in airline cargo came my way. Five years later, I can safely say I’ve fallen in love with the industry and plan to spend the rest of my career here. What makes it so fascinating is the sheer variety and depth. Just when you finish a major project, there are a hundred more challenges and opportunities waiting. Plus, I get to make a real impact on an industry that’s critical to the global economy.
CFG: What do you enjoy most about your job?
SP: I find plenty of joy in my work. Working alongside the talented folk at Freightos is a big part of it. The collaborative vibe and innovative mindset here make every day exciting. Plus, getting down in the trenches with our airline partners, really getting what makes them tick and crafting solutions that fit like a glove – now that’s the stuff that keeps me on my toes and helps us all grow together.
CFG: Where do you see the greatest challenges in our industry?
SP: One of the biggest challenges in our industry is getting everyone in the supply chain to work together smoothly. It’s not always easy to make sure airlines, freight forwarders, shippers, and regulatory bodies are on the same page, especially when each has its own priorities and systems. That’s where we come in. At WebCargo, we’re all about creating innovative solutions that bring these stakeholders together. Our goal is to make collaboration easier and processes more efficient, ultimately boosting overall performance.
CFG: What advice would you give to people looking to get into the air cargo industry? Any particular training they should aim for?
SP: The air cargo industry is truly one of the best places to work. It’s always exciting, with endless challenges and opportunities to explore. You can build a fulfilling career here with countless chances for advancement. Plus, since it’s a global industry, you’ll get to travel the world, meet people from diverse backgrounds, and experience new cultures.
The industry is always on the lookout for people with different experiences, so don’t be shy about applying. Once you’re in, make it a point to learn as much as you can. Be brave and ask to be part of various projects and initiatives. While there are plenty of training programs, nothing beats real-life experience. Take every chance to gain hands-on knowledge and dive into the dynamic environment of this industry.
CFG: If the air cargo industry were a film/book, what would its title be?
SP: If the air cargo industry were a film, it would be “Inception.” Just like the movie, our industry is incredibly complex, with many layers and intricate processes. But despite the challenges, there’s a real sense of achievement and fulfillment at the end. Just as “Inception” leaves viewers with a thought-provoking and satisfying conclusion, the air cargo industry offers rewarding outcomes for those who successfully navigate its intricacies.
Thank you for your views, Sebastien.
If you would like to share your personal air cargo story with our CargoForwarder Global readers, feel free to send your answers to the above questions to cargoforwarderglobal@kopfpilot.at We look forward to shining a spotlight on your job area, views, and experiences.
The European frame maker has put its sixth Beluga XL into service. This completes the replacement of the predecessor model, the Beluga ST. The XL variant, which is significantly larger in comparison, is intended to transport components between the individual Airbus production sites. Customers can also lease the XL fleet from operator Airbus Transport International (ATI) to conduct charter missions.
In addition to this, Airbus and partner Zero Avia have signed Memorandums of Understanding (MoU) with three Canadian airports to investigate and test the use of hydrogen.
The sixth Beluga XL has been in service as a test aircraft since 2018 and has now been integrated into the fleet of Airbus company transporters – photos: Airbus
Its size is impressive, and the bubble-shaped XL is an eye catcher for spotters and aviation afficionados.
With a hull length of 63.10 m, the “White Whale” is seven meters longer than its predecessor, the ST. Its fuselage is also larger, measuring 8.80 m in diameter vs. 7.71 m of its ST forerunner. This results in an increase in transport capacity of around 30%. The Beluga XL has a nonstop range of 4,000 km and can uplift a maximum of 51 tons per take-off. In contrast to the ST variant, it can accommodate two wings of an A350 per flight on its main deck, making it more economical in comparison.
Shuttle services Due to the planned production ramp-up at Airbus, there is no alternative to using the six Beluga XL freighters to conduct the shuttle services required to supply the different Airbus sites with aircraft parts and equipment. These are Toulouse in France, Hamburg in Germany, Filton and Broughton in the UK, and Puerto Real, Illescas, and Getafe in Spain. This site diversity was not based on commercial considerations when production processes were decided but is the result of the multinational ownership structure at Airbus. Reversing it is unlikely to happen because political egoism would prevent this.
The hydrogen aircraft planned by Airbus could be a beneficiary of the cooperation between the aircraft manufacturer and Canadian airports, once built and put into service.
Canada embarks on the H2 highway While presenting the sixth Beluga XL to the public, the aircraft manufacturer announced the launch of a program titled ‘Hydrogen Hub at Airports’. Its main aim is to step up research on infrastructure requirements and low-carbon airport operations across the value chain. To date, agreements have been inked with partners and airports in ten countries, including France, Germany, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, Singapore, South Korea, Sweden, and the United Kingdom.
Now Canada has joined the club. A move applauded by Val Miftakhov, Founder and CEO of ZeroAvia, a developer of hydro-electric engines for commercial aviation.“We are bringing together Canada’s largest airports, the world’s largest aircraft manufacturer, and the leading innovator in decarbonized propulsion technology, in order to progress the transition to hydrogen aviation. ZeroAvia flight testing demonstrates that hydrogen-powered commercial aviation is a prospect ahead of 2030, so we need to start working hard to prepare for the hydrogen infrastructure needed to support the aviation industry and airports as they step into a new golden age of clean flight.”
Forward-looking solution Tamara Vrooman, President and CEO at Vancouver Airport, added: “We know when it comes to climate change, aviation isn’t the enemy, carbon is. Looking into the feasibility of airports as Hydrogen Hubs is an important step on the journey to net zero carbon emissions. The collaboration between Airbus, ZeroAvia, and the three biggest airports in Canada, will help identify the changes required in our industry and supporting ecosystem to meet carbon reduction goals.”
Deborah Flint, President and CEO of Toronto Pearson, delivered a similar statement: “The future of airports and their aviation partners will be built with innovative infrastructure that minimizes environmental impact.”
Lastly, Yves Beauchamp, President and CEO of ADM Aéroports de Montréal, said: “The use of hydrogen as a fuel for aircraft is a forward-looking solution that fits perfectly with these goals. This partnership will allow our organization not only to better prepare for the introduction of this alternative in our airport operations, but above all to adequately plan the infrastructure required to offer it at YUL as early as 2035. As Montréal is the world’s civil aviation capital, we are all the more proud that our city is playing a leading role in this sustainable innovation project.”
Natural advantages Canada is best fitted for pushing an H2 ecosystem up front. Due to its natural resources, it has enormous potential to become a dominant player in hydrogen production based on renewable energy sources. “These first Canadian hydrogen partnerships enable us to cover the country from coast to coast. Hydrogen stands out as a key enabler as we pioneer a sustainable aviation future,” commented Karine Guenan, VP ZEROe Ecosystems of Airbus.
Not a day goes by without the mention of AI in connection to some part of daily life – whether it be medical, maintenance, marketing, or – in our case – movement. So, it is no surprise that one of the first press releases to come out of the recent Multimodal at the NEC Birmingham, last week, lauded progress in the AI field. Yet, many people are still largely skeptical about the direction AI is taking and the effect this will have on livelihoods and society in general.
James Coombes, CEO and Co-founder, Raft at Multimodal 2024. Image: Raft
“The demand for AI-integrated software solutions is rapidly increasing, and so is its market capitalization. The world has witnessed an enormous increase in AI software development, and the market for AI technologies stands at 200 billion U.S. dollars in 2023. It is expected to grow to over 1.8 trillion U.S. dollars by 2030,” is one of the opening paragraphs in a piece by Vivek Sadh, published by Jellyfish Technologies last year. Without a doubt, the application opportunities are enormous, and we are still very much just at the start of the AI adventure.
USD 10 billion in freight invoices processed Raft, which by its own proclamation is “the world’s largest AI-powered logistics platform, used by more than 50 logistics providers – companies that together help run 80% of the Global 1000 supply chains,” announced last week, that its AI is being trained by more than 5 billion data points and documents, and that Raft AI has now processed over USD 10 billion in freight invoices. “Each year, more than 10,000 users manage over 5 million shipments on the platform, representing every commodity, transit mode, and trade lane.” Impressive figures that cover one crucial point in AI: it needs to learn from verified, good quality data, so as to be able to function correctly and reliably. The better and greater the data, the more effective the system. In such a fragmented industry as air cargo, with its many stakeholders all at different stages of their digital journey and with varying quality input and a myriad of formats, this is not an easy endeavor.
Blend, Configure, and Automate “Raft’s proprietary platform has multiple innovation layers that blend the data extraction capabilities of AI with a suite of business applications, collaboration tools and integration flexibility. Customers are able to configure shipments, flows, processes, events, and tasks and then intelligently interact with different systems of record, such as TMS, CRM, and ERP. AI is embedded throughout the Raft platform, which learns from high volumes of transactional activities across all customers. As the LLMs get smarter, they become more proficient at automating workflows and processing transactions at a rate of thousands of times per second. This frees human operations teams to focus on delivering value to customers,” the release promises. The company suite of business applications addresses logistics’ financial, customs, and operations processes, automating and speeding up administration and providing intelligent information for improved customer service and more efficient use of human resources. “Commercial invoices, bills of lading, bookings, packing lists, and shipment status alerts are the kinds of unstructured documents that AI has transformed from an analog burden to digital advantage for Raft customers,” it gives as examples.
On a mission to unleash the power of AI James Coombes, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Co-Founder of Raft, illustrated: “After decades of effort and hundreds of billions of dollars of investment, the logistics industry is still reliant on emails, PDFs, and spreadsheets to keep goods moving. We are on a mission to unleash the power of AI on global logistics and put an end to manual, disconnected processes once and for all. The transactional scale on the Raft platform along with our active customer base demonstrates we are well on our way to achieving that goal. The AI freight train has left the station and there’s a lot of excitement and hope about where things are headed. Raft is the leader and the ever-increasing level of engagement scale we’re experiencing shows that we are well positioned to bring AI into the supply chains of the world.”
Skepticism and fear Those on the programming side of AI are far more relaxed than those facing IT developments that appear anxiety-inducing in their capabilities, as a LinkedIn mini-poll recently showed. Particularly people whose jobs are directly ‘at risk’ of being replaced by AI, are skeptical: a) because they can see the errors still being made and the limitations of a system not steered by emotional understanding, and b) because they fear redundancy. In a recent Canva event focused on AI, the positive message to the latter point, was that 60% of today’s jobs did not exist in the 1950s. Many of them not even 20 years ago. We are constantly adapting and growing through the opportunities that tech and innovation present to us.
Yet, cybersecurity and cyber-manipulation are also serious issues that require proper regulation. In a world, where it is now possible to manipulate videos in such a way that language, mouth-shapes and dialect can be modified to suit the occasion, or where AI can create images, songs, paintings or information completely digitally, borders between reality and virtual reality become blurred beyond recognition.
In as much as we work to provide AI solutions to facilitate everyday life, we must also work on strategies to educate, regulate, and safeguard our society. The computer may not always be right, after all.
From 19-21JUN24, TIACA is hosting its first regional conference in Central Asia – in this case in Astana, Kazakhstan. Due to the economic upswing in the entire region, alongside rail and road, air freight, too, is playing an increasingly important role in the transcontinental movement of goods. In the run-up to the event, CargoForwarder Global (CFG) spoke to Glyn Hughes (GH), Director General, TIACA, about the importance of the regional conference and whether the topic of multimodal logistics should also be given greater prominence within his organization.
Glyn Hughes and TIACA will broaden their range of topics and give greater consideration to multimodal transportation – photo: courtesy TIACA
CFG: Glyn, thanks to the regional conferences introduced by TIACA a while ago, Central Asia is now moving into the thematic focus. Better late than never?
GH: Indeed, this is our 5th regional event and we have found each one extremely valuable in helping us understand the unique issues and challenges being faced by the different regions. Kazakhstan and the Central Asia region is seeking to develop its non-oil and natural resource-based economy and, in order to be successful, they have identified the need to create a stronger focus on air cargo and logistics and subsequently the establishment of air cargo hubs.
CFG: As you indicate, this change of development priorities leads to new supply chains. What role does air freight play in this situation?
GH: As mentioned above, the region has a great vision and plan for economic growth. With a population of nearly 80 million and an economy which has grown over the last two decades at an average rate more than 6.2%, the Central Asian states are ideally positioned to enhance their non-oil and gas and natural resource-based economy. With highly rated educational and literacy assessments and a low unit workforce costing 40% less than China, the region actively seeks foreign direct investment. With Special Economic Zones and Industrial Zones, governments have introduced Investment Contracts to create attractive incentives for foreign companies to establish themselves in the region.
With planned economic expansion, enabling access to global markets is crucial for economic success. The region already has well developed rail-based links between Far Asia and Europe, but air-based logistics will need to develop significantly to create vital fast, efficient and effective air cargo connections to support today’s high value cargo.
CFG: Multimodality is immensely important for Kazakhstan and the neighboring landlocked countries. Does this also require an extension of topics covered by TIACA?
GH: Yes. 70% of the land-based transit cargo between China and Europe passes through the Kazakhstan Rail network, and the Western Europe – Western China Transcontinental Auto Expressway provides another vital connection. And even though Kazakhstan is landlocked, there is an active port at Aktau to support trans-Caspian Sea transits, ensuring land-based connectivity is viable. As to air cargo, there are 24 airports in Kazakhstan providing global connectivity, although freighter connectivity has quite an opportunity for growth. TIACA will look forward to increasing our activity in multi modal logistics.
CFG: When looking at the conference program, which three thematic highlights stand out from TIACA’s point of view – and why?
GH: I would say the three key areas for me will be 1) looking at what it means to create a world class air cargo hub – and we have some great experts in this area to look at what Kazakhstan needs to do next. This will also incorporate focus on industry trends and digitalization. 2) We will also look at the regulatory aspects, as efficient and effective air cargo movements and hubs must ensure that regulations addressing safety, security and compliance are practicable and effective. And 3) the role that e-commerce can play in regional growth. With a growing population with increasing GDP per capita, the region presents an opportunity for transit as well as O/D cargo. Supporting all of this will be sessions looking at how the industry is currently performing and how sustainability will feature into future growth, including how Kazakhstan can play an increasing role in the global need for sustainable aviation fuel.
CFG: TIACA and some Kazakh airports will sign Memorandums of Understanding. What does this step mean for the practical work of your organization?
GH: Firstly, we are very honored that so many organizations specifically proposed signing MoUs with TIACA, as it re-enforces that TIACA is the leading global voice representing the entire air cargo industry. It also supports the Board objective to increase our specific understanding and support for all regions.
CFG: And lastly: are there plans to involve representatives of Central Asian airlines and their cargo divisions in the TIACA committees, to give the region a strong voice within your club?
GH: Over recent years, TIACA’s membership has continued to grow and it is critical that all regions and all industry sectors are represented within the Board and within overall TIACA activity. We have an open approach to Board seats and invite all Trustee representatives to consider nominating themselves when vacancies arise.
Ten years ago, Hassan El-Houry was named Young [aviation] Global Leader at the World Economic Forum in Davos. Now, from 01JUL24, he will succeed Atilla Korkmazoğlu as the World Aviation Services Association (ASA)’s new Chairman of a board he has served as a member since 2022. He will “play a pivotal leadership role, guiding the strategic direction and operational effectiveness of the association,” the release states, lauding his “blend of leadership, innovation, and strategic vision”. As Executive Chairman of Menzies Aviation, and previously CEO of National Aviation Services (NAS), El-Houry has proved his business acumen having put Kuwaiti ground handling and cargo company on the map, and steered the acquisition of Menzies Aviation by Agility and its integration with NAS to create “the world’s largest aviation services company by number of airports and countries served.”
Hassan El-Houry, new ASA Chairman, from 01JUL24. Image: ASA
Hassan El-Houry commented: “It is an honor and privilege to be elected by my peers as the next World Aviation Services Association (ASA) Chairman. I am extremely excited to head up a new chapter in ASA history and take this opportunity to build momentum and position ASA as the leading advocate for aviation services. I look forward to building and strengthening industry partnerships and collaborating with regulators to enhance standards and improve the passenger experience. I am committed to advancing the ASA’s aims and working with members and partners around the world to make this happen.” One sincerely hopes that cargo, too, is given a solid platform.
His predecessor, Atilla Korkmazoğlu, President of Ground Handling and Cargo at Çelebi, completed four successful years as Chairman, from 2020-2024: a period marked by the most difficult circumstances ever experienced by the aviation industry. Yet, “under his guidance, ASA nearly doubled its membership and expanded significantly the Secretariat. Additionally, he was instrumental in spearheading a Memorandum of Understanding with ACI World, achieving formal recognition of ASA by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) as a trusted partner, and launching the now renowned ASA Leadership Forum (ALF).”
ASA’s Director General, Fabio Gamba expressed his gratitude to Korkmazoğlu: “Atilla has engaged with the association at an unprecedented level. He has been a true beacon for the team. We are profoundly grateful for his steadfast leadership, commitment, and long-lasting legacy,” and welcomed El-Houry: “Hassan’s extensive experience and visionary approach are invaluable assets that will bring ASA to new heights. His skills and credentials will play a pivotal role in advancing our mission globally and serve as a strong voice for the sector.”
