Airlines slow to embrace change
E-freight challenge to carrier bosses at air cargo symposium
Resistance to change is holding back the air cargo industry, according to speakers and delegates at Iata’s World Cargo Symposium in Vancouver this week.
Aleks Popovich, head of cargo for Iata, in a plea for the industry to embrace the advantages of paperless movements through its e-freight initiative, told delegates: “Some of you have got on the train, but many of you are still standing on the platform, just looking at your ticket.”
In an opening day dominated by talk of the quest for quality, efficiency and security, Iata pushed the e-freight agenda hard.
“As leaders, I’d like to challenge you,” said Popovich.
“The standards for efficiency and quality are all in place – they are your standards, built by you, which belong to you and are used by you.
“But when will you raise your standards across the whole network? The challenge is to scale-up your business. We need your leadership.”
While Popovich suggested airlines were slow to embrace the benefits of e-freight, Ram Menen, divisional senior VP of cargo for Emirates, told IFW: “We are having issues on the forwarder side – they are resistant to change.
“Forwarders perceive that airlines get all the benefits [of e-freight], which is not true. It speeds up the entire process.
“We have to take the lead in pushing it, but it’s an uphill battle. It’s a mindset change that needs to happen.”
Giovanni Bisignani, Iata director general, said business confidence levels had improved sharply in recent months, but added: “There is a lot of hard work ahead.
“This recession has changed global business. Air cargo must improve quality and reduce costs.
“There has been some great work in e-freight, but not enough – we must spread the capability of e-freight even wider.
“The entire air cargo supply chain must work together to increase volumes.”
Aleks Popovich, head of cargo for Iata, in a plea for the industry to embrace the advantages of paperless movements through its e-freight initiative, told delegates: “Some of you have got on the train, but many of you are still standing on the platform, just looking at your ticket.”
In an opening day dominated by talk of the quest for quality, efficiency and security, Iata pushed the e-freight agenda hard.
“As leaders, I’d like to challenge you,” said Popovich.
“The standards for efficiency and quality are all in place – they are your standards, built by you, which belong to you and are used by you.
“But when will you raise your standards across the whole network? The challenge is to scale-up your business. We need your leadership.”
While Popovich suggested airlines were slow to embrace the benefits of e-freight, Ram Menen, divisional senior VP of cargo for Emirates, told IFW: “We are having issues on the forwarder side – they are resistant to change.
“Forwarders perceive that airlines get all the benefits [of e-freight], which is not true. It speeds up the entire process.
“We have to take the lead in pushing it, but it’s an uphill battle. It’s a mindset change that needs to happen.”
Giovanni Bisignani, Iata director general, said business confidence levels had improved sharply in recent months, but added: “There is a lot of hard work ahead.
“This recession has changed global business. Air cargo must improve quality and reduce costs.
“There has been some great work in e-freight, but not enough – we must spread the capability of e-freight even wider.
“The entire air cargo supply chain must work together to increase volumes.”
Click here to email the editor and comment on this story
Receive our FREE news email bulletin click here
