ACAAI convention to focus on infrastructure
The 41st convention will examine how some of legacies can be dispelled and a new cargo vision and action plan is put in place. Sunil Arora, Convention Chairman, ACAAI said that focus will be on external and internal resources and what problems Indian indu
ACAAI, the only national Association of International Airfreight Forwarders is holding its 41st annual convention.
The discussion will focus on the new and emerging markets. Indian industry continues to face increasing pressure from transnational competition in trade and services. Costs are rising, prices are down, and margins are slim while profitability and cash flows are a challenge.
In the agenda the members will focus on the external and internal resources, the relationships and the responses that the forwarder must gain to succeed in his initiatives for delivering a world-class airfreight product.
As the dynamics of the environment unfold, the airfreight forwarder continues to struggle with old bureaucracies, ill-conceived new legislations and regulations, the replacement of old government monopolies by new private sector ones, and a complete lack of both the vision and a structured, integrated approach to cargo – the perpetually poor second cousin of passenger handling.
The convention will examine how some of these legacies can be dispelled, and a new cargo vision and action plan is put in place.
In deregulated sectors new legislation is being enacted and new regulatory authorities have established. The relevant ones include the competition law, service tax, the Airports Economic Regulatory Authority, the governments new Air Cargo Policy and proposals such as Regulated Agents that are incorrectly assumed to effectively ensure aviation security.
A special business session will be devoted to examine how each of these will help or hamper greater effectiveness in operating services that deliver a world-class airfreight product. The members will also focus attention on infrastructure on specific aspects that are basic and critical – Customs EDI and procedures, forwarders’ bonded terminals and other airport infrastructure, a master cargo plan for all airports, and rationalised and standardised processes that establish clear accountability at the right places.The long-awaited improvements and enhancements in cargo infrastructure continue to elude us. Airports continue to focus on and invest in passenger facilities extending the thoughtless exclusion of cargo. The role that technology can play will be discussed in greater detail.