The 15th IATA World Cargo Symposium (WCS), which will be held in London from September 27–29, 2022, will put a special emphasis on developing resilience to improve the prospects for air cargo after the pandemic.
The air cargo industry’s resilience was put to the test by COVID-19. Despite difficult circumstances, air freight kept global supply networks open and transported vital medical supplies and vaccinations around the world. As the number of passengers fell, air cargo became a critical source of income for many airlines. A record $204 billion in air freight revenues—more than double what they were in 2019 and over 40 per cent of all airline income in 2021—was generated in that year.
“Air cargo proved its resilience during the pandemic, and it is emerging stronger. The challenge now is to retain the momentum achieved in digitalization and other customer-centric efficiency gains. There is good reason to be optimistic. Air cargo is maintaining its strength even as economic and geo-political uncertainty grows. And this year’s WCS will focus on how the industry can capitalize on this resilience to build an even more promising and sustainable future for global air cargo,” said Brendan Sullivan, IATA’s Global Head of Cargo.
Sullivan, and David Shepherd, Managing Director, IAG Cargo will be speaking at the event, which is taking place in London, UK, from 27 to 29 September. Other speakers include:
- Marie Owens Thomsen, IATA Chief Economist
- Dorothea Von Boxberg CEO of Lufthansa Cargo
- Turhan Ozen, Chief Cargo Officer at Turkish Cargo
Session tracks will cover several key aspects of resilience:
- Digitalization
- Sustainability
- Air cargo safety
- Attracting and retaining talent
- E-commerce
- Air cargo market dynamics
- Digital distribution and booking
- Digital Cargo and ONE Record
The WCS program will be complemented by a series of workshops, including:
- A first-time workshop focused on improving the efficiency of billing settlements between airlines and freight forwarders (using the new CASSLINK (the Cargo Accounts Settlement System).
- A workshop focused on improving performance on key market segments using IATA CEIV programs (CEIV Pharma, CEIV Live Animals, CEIV Lithium Batteries and CEIV Fresh).
- The Future Air Cargo Executives Summit (FACES) a forum for future air cargo executives to network and share insights on career development.
IATA Cargo Claims and Loss Prevention Conference
Immediately following WCS, at the same venue from 29 September to 1 October, IATA will be hosting the Cargo Claims and Loss Prevention Conference. This event brings together experienced professionals to provide insights on claims and loss prevention practices around the world.
