7 minute read
Sanj eev Gadhia, Vice Chairman, TIACA
sanjeev gad hia
According to you, how is the air cargo industry reacting and responding to the COVID-19 pandemic? This crisis is profoundly affecting our industry but also demonstrates the vital importance of air cargo. Firstly, I would like to pay tribute to the commitment of every single stakeholder in the chain, who have all proven they are up to the task and have helped to provide coun tries around the world with essential goods. The medium- and long-term con sequences remain uncertain, especially the economic consequences, but like the most visible aspect of our industry (air lines), the air cargo industry has reacted positively in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Freighter airlines have increased the number of flights especially for the airfreight of PPEs and ventilators from China to Eu r op e, USA, S o ut h America and Africa. Most of the freighter airlines have mobilised extra crews to avoid crew quar
antine restrictions. In some cases, freighter op erators have re-commissioned freighters from storage to meet the de mand for charters, while some operators have restarted freighter opera tions after having suspended their operations. Low fuel prices have Since the outbreak of COVID-19 worldwide, industry airline associations and governing bodies are leaving no stone unturned to support the global economy and ensuring the air cargo industry emerges as a winner in this global pandemic.
Sanjeev Gadhia, Vice Chair man, The Inter nat ional Air Car go Assoc iat ion
(TIA CA) in a tête-àtête with Ritika Arora Bhola, talks about the urgent need to re-evaluate risk management policies, the importance of digitalisation, and TIACA’s strategies for ensuring expedited global cargo operations.
enabled older generation freighters to be mobilised which offers a unique oppor tunity for such freighters to resume commercial operations.
B747F remains very popular for freighter operators due to its high pay load and volume while having a lower operating cost due to low fuel prices.
Passenger airlines have adopted a strategy to convert a part of their fleet into passenger freighters to meet the growing demand for charters from China.
Currently, there are over 1000 passenger freighters that have entered for service of cargo and the B777-300ER is the most popular aircraft for in the segment.
Do you feel it’s high time that the air cargo industry globally should re-evaluate its risk management policies and come up with effective strategies to deal with crisis like COVID-19 and be future-ready? We need to learn lessons from what we are currently experiencing and need to implement new procedures within our industry to prepare ourselves for poten tial crises in the future. So yes, the air cargo industry has to re-evaluate its risk management strategies as the pandemic has disrupted the entire aviation sector on a global scale and has jolted every sector of the economy and global trade.
The pandemic was never factored in any risk-management strategies and will now feature prominently in every stake holder board-room with different models on how to remain operational during the pandemic and the need to resume preCOVID schedules after the pandemic.
It is also important that procedures regarding the health and safety of em ployees are made a permanent feature. Emergency plans must be created and modeled ahead of time before a crisis occurs in order to respond as quickly as possible, limiting the risk of being over whelmed by the need for urgent action. Lots of companies have learned this the hard way during this crisis, and from this viewpoint, things have continued – and will continue – to develop. This will involve the implementation of clear processes and training in particular. Talking about TIACA, this must also be fully incorporated into our agenda, and our role will of course be at the very least to share the best practices that emerge from this. How have cargo operations changed as a result of COVID-19? All the air cargo stakeholders have learned to be agile and to adapt to a new culture of corporate communica tions by working remotely while maintaining effectiveness and efficiency similar to pre-COVID levels. In terms of operations in strict sense in the field,
Cargo operations should continue to function during the pandemic by adapting a resilient strategy that will enable continuity despite challenges, which will be similar to a military-style of management as it will give a new meaning to ‘Survival of the Quickest’ in addition to the Fittest.
Investment in new technologies is important to carry out successful business operations. This will also be a key in order to anticipate future crises so as to be fully prepared, but above all to increase the speed of recovery.
the biggest priority has been to focus on essentials – vital freight shipments – rather than returning to 100 per cent operational.
I firmly believe there will be changes in the way people work after this crisis. Meanwhile, cargo operations should continue to function during the pan demic by adapting a resilient strategy that will enable continuity despite chal lenges, which will be similar to a military-style of management as it will give a new meaning to ‘Survival of the Quickest’ in addition to the Fittest. Hundred per cent digitalisation of cargo operations is the need of the hour. Do you agree? Do you think the industry is ready to adopt and invest in new technologies to carry out successful business operations?
This crisis has been extremely revealing in terms of the need to digitalise air cargo operations even further. In some roles, typically handling, being physically present is unavoidable and this cannot be replaced by digital solu tions. But in many other roles, we have all seen that digital technology allows people to work in teams from anywhere in the world, as long as we have the right tools. So, I agree with the impor tance of full digitalisation of cargo operations as it’s a priority now more than before for most air cargo stakeholders to invest in new technologies to carry out successful business opera tions. This will also be a key in order to anticipate future crises so as to be fully prepared, but above all, to increase the speed of recovery.
As an autonomous body working for the development of the air cargo industry globally, can you suggest some measures to support the global economy and air cargo sector in terms of capacity building, freight movement and other developments? Coming up with a list of suggested measures to support the global economy and the air cargo sector in terms of strength ening capacity, the flow of goods and other developments isn’t easy, especially because regulations are so different from country to country. However, at the international and local levels, we are fulfiling our role as a representative of air cargo as a whole and rolling out all possible measures to ensure air cargo industry’s voice is heard. That’s what we did at the height of the crisis, including acting as a representative of our mem bers to international bodies and governments (for example, the work conducted with the ICAO and IATA) in order to report the concrete problems experi enced in the field.
What we are hammering home and what official bodies, governments and even the general public have broadly understood that air cargo is fundamen tally important – in our everyday lives and even more so in times of a crisis. It is a crucial part of the world economy and we speak out to ensure that air car go and efforts to facilitate its work are recognised as a priority by ‘hybrid’ aviation stakeholders (those on the pas senger side, e.g. airlines, airports, etc.), as well as by the governments.
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Custom bonded warehouse Import & Export hub Buffer yard & factory stuff Cold storage & cold chain Storage area 28,000 sqmt Direct access to the Naational Highway 4B leading to the JNPT port Ample space for parking of 10000 cargo trucks 24X7 CCTV monitoring CFS owned equipment: 4 top lifters, 80 trailers, 30 forklifts, 2 empty handles, 1 crane Distance from JNCH: 11 Kms Distance from Belapur station: 7 Kms Zero toll, congestion & carting charges in the CFS Zero congestion on the approach road Carting & stuffing dine in covered area Ideal location for Exporters/CHA's/Freight Forwarders
Total Protection from Rains Carting & Stuffing area: Completely Covered.
Prompt carting of cargo Wi-Fi enabled CFS
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