Global Air Cargo Industry Urges Unified Action on Safety, Digitalization and Sustainability

Air Cargo

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has issued a sweeping call for governments and aviation stakeholders to prioritize safety, accelerate digital transformation, and scale sustainable practices to fortify air cargo’s role as a linchpin of global supply chains.

Speaking at the 18th World Cargo Symposium in Dubai, IATA Global Head of Cargo Brendan Sullivan underscored the sector’s critical function in sustaining trade, e-commerce, and humanitarian aid, even as geopolitical tensions and environmental pressures mount.

Sullivan emphasized zero tolerance for “rogue shippers” mishandling lithium batteries, which pose escalating risks as global shipments surge. He urged stricter enforcement of dangerous goods regulations under ICAO’s Chicago Convention Annex 18, stressing that industry investments in training and technology must be matched by governmental oversight. Recent security breaches involving concealed incendiary devices further highlighted the need for harmonized, intelligence-driven protocols. “Fragmented measures undermine safety,” Sullivan warned, advocating for aligned implementation of Annex 17 standards and real-time threat intelligence sharing between states and operators.

IATA doubled down on its ONE Record initiative, a data-sharing standard aimed at replacing fragmented legacy systems with seamless digital workflows by 2026. While 72% of airlines by air waybill volume and over 10,000 freight forwarders have adopted the framework, Sullivan pressed governments to formally recognize it in regulatory filings and urged developers to build interoperable platforms. “This isn’t just efficiency it’s about trust and transparency across the supply chain,” he said, noting digitization’s role in curbing delays and compliance costs.

Despite progress in reducing waste and phasing out single-use plastics, Sullivan delivered a stark assessment of the industry’s net-zero ambitions. While IATA’s new SAF Registry aims to streamline sustainable fuel accounting, production remains “disappointingly” low, with major energy firms delaying investments. He criticized governments for subsidizing fossil fuels while paying lip service to decarbonization and called for policies mirroring renewable energy incentives. “Airlines are determined, but we need manufacturers and fuel suppliers to move faster,” he said, citing slowed development of hydrogen-powered aircraft as another setback.

Amid escalating protectionism, Sullivan reaffirmed air cargo’s role as a buffer against trade disruptions. “Restrictions hurt economies, but demand for rapid logistics won’t fade,” he said, alluding to ongoing U.S.-China tariff disputes and EU carbon border taxes. IATA data shows air cargo demand grew 11% year-on-year in early 2025, driven by pharmaceutical and high-value manufacturing sectors.

The symposium’s debates reflect air cargo’s dual reality: its irreplaceability in a volatile global economy, and its struggle to modernize amid regulatory inertia and competing priorities. While ONE Record adoption signals progress, gaps in SAF production and lithium battery enforcement reveal systemic vulnerabilities. For governments, the challenge lies in balancing security mandates with trade facilitation a tension exacerbated by uneven intelligence sharing.

Industry analysts note that air cargo’s post-pandemic resurgence has masked deeper structural risks. As e-commerce giants and pharmaceutical firms demand faster, greener logistics, the sector’s ability to meet these expectations hinges on unprecedented collaboration. “This isn’t just about moving boxes it’s about sustaining globalization itself,” said one Dubai-based logistics executive. With climate deadlines looming and trade wars simmering, IATA’s plea for unity may determine whether air cargo evolves as a solution or becomes a casualty of fragmented ambitions.

Send your news stories to newsghana101@gmail.com
Follow News Ghana on Google News



_{Images are for reference only.Images and contents gathered automatic from google or 3rd party sources.All rights on the images and contents are with their legal original owners.}