Talking at the IATA World Cargo Symposium in Istanbul, IATA’s Global Head of Cargo, Brendan Sullivan, spoke about the focus areas for the aviation industry in the upcoming years. The event is being held between April 25 and 27, 2023, in Istanbul, Türkiye.
He mentioned that the air cargo industry’s performance declined in 2022 compared to the extraordinary levels of 2021. The demand fell 1.6 per cent below the pre-pandemic levels. However, the initiatives taken by governments worldwide to combat inflation managed to push the demand. Therefore, it will likely provide some respite in the challenging trade environment expected soon.
Sullivan applauded the industry’s efforts in moving critical medicines and supplies across the globe in times of crisis, like the recent series of earthquakes in Turkey and Syria. He highlighted the focus areas for the air cargo industry in the coming years, sustainability, digitalisation, and safety. The industry aims to modernise processes to achieve net zero emissions by 2050, adopt digital technologies to improve efficiency and reduce costs, invest in advanced solutions for safely transporting lithium batteries, and attract top talent.
He pointed out the need to adopt alternative fuels, energy-efficient aircraft, and operational improvements to boost sustainability. In addition, a safer medium to transport lithium batteries is needed as their demand grows globally. He called for a focused effort to showcase the air cargo industry as a dynamic and promising career option for young talent and invest in advanced training and development programmes.
