Innovate to grow

The Clear View summit in Dubai focussed on the need for innovation, e-freight enablement to help benefit cargo Ground Handling Agents.

Regulations are a fact of life for air cargo industry and are nonnegotiable, as it’s a matter of security and life and death. There is a tremendous need for new innovations in the industry, similar to some of the latest initiatives by e-commerce players. While regulations have an impact on the companies in terms of investment and resources, there is a need to strike the right balance between the necessity of having them and the cost of managing. TIACA intends to be a global voice for the air cargo industry to align the regulator and have a more collaborative and dialogue based approach to achieve more effective regulations. Sanjiv Edward Chairman, The International Air Cargo Association (TIACA) e-Freight adoption needs a boost in air cargo industry. There are a number of variations of e-freight depending on whether the destination country is e-freight friendly or the government and regulators need original documents along with the shipment. This creates a lot of confusion among the GHAs, customers and even airlines. The goal for the industry has to be EAW-ECC, with no pouch and no paper based airway bill. Anil Lulla Manager - eAWB Project Lufthansa Cargo In the past decade, there has been a growing dominance of e-commerce in India that will impact the air cargo industry in the near future. Increasing mobile penetration, large scale technology investments, expanding reach in rural market and government initiatives are some of the latest developments in India. These developments pose infrastructure challenges for the air freight industry, be it large facilities investment, automation, delivery speed, operational costs and managing deliveries during peak festive seasons. Ramesh Mamidala CEO, Celebi Delhi Cargo Terminal Management India There are two major aspects related to Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) – the performance indicator and the accountability of the performance. KPI measurement is a step-by-step process and benchmarks play a significant role for comparison purposes. MIAL measures various type of KPIs for operations, infrastructure, delivery/acceptance processes and significantly human capital and skill development. To resolve the stakeholder conflicts, MIAL has formed a core group, comprising of stakeholder associations to measure the performance and impact on terminal operations. Manoj Singh DDP Game Changer, ICA 2016, Sr. VP & Head - Cargo, Mumbai International Airport The Airport Cargo Community platform facilitates digital interactions between airport stakeholders and provides data exchange through a portal. Implementing this platform at a commercial hub such as an airport will have exponential increase in the benefits to various entities connected to the airport. Removing data duplication is a key since more than 50 per cent of the data on commercial invoice/packing list is reused in multiple documents during information exchange. Amar More Director Kale Logistics Solutions The air cargo industry is facing numerous challenges; changing customer demographics, technology advancements and new age business models. The industry needs to cater to multiple customer segments – baby boomers, millennial and even screenagers, who have varied interests and characteristics. Also, the impact of new technologies such as 3D/4D printing and Internet of Things on the industry in terms of speed, cost and design have to be considered. There is a critical need for the modernisation of air cargo industry so that it remains relevant in a growing customer centric world. Sam Okpro Managing Director Pro-Cargo Consulting