AFRAA’s Berthe to speak on collaboration at TIACA executive summit

August 30, 2019: Abderahmane Berthe, secretary general of the African Airlines Association (AFRAA) will discuss the power of collaboration during the International Air Cargo Association (TIACA) executive summit (ES) and annual general meeting (AGM) held from November 20 - 22, 2019, in Budapest, Hungary.

Partnership and collaboration will take centre stage at the ES, with a panel of industry leaders from across different organisations coming together for a discussion to set the tone of the event. 

Glyn Hughes, global head of cargo for the International Air Transport Association (IATA); Silvia Gehrer, regional director of the European and North Atlantic (EUR/NAT) office of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO); Robert  A Voltmann, secretary general of the International Federation of Freight Forwarders (FIATA); and Ana Hinojosa, director compliance and facilitation, World Customs Organisation (WCO),will also join the session, chaired by TIACA secretary general Vladimir Zubkov. 

TIACA and AFRAA have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in 2017 as part of TIACA's ongoing global outreach to help facilitate cooperation for a robust air cargo future. 

The panel takes place on the first day of TIACA's two-day flagship ES event, which this year focuses on cross-company industry collaboration, and will also provide the backdrop to the association's first Sustainability Award, part of its new sustainability programme, which aims to recognise companies addressing challenges in environmental, social, and economic fields. 

Celine Hourcade will join TIACA as the project manager from September 2019, supporting the association's transformation programme. The first two priorities for Hourcade will be the development of TIACA's sustainability programme, including the first sustainability award, and the delivery of the cargo service quality (CSQ) objectives for the tool, which went live in February 2019.

Written entries need to be submitted online on the TIACA website at www.tiaca.org by September 30, 2019, and will be reviewed by an independent panel of judges, which will include representatives from the TIACA board of directors and chairmans council, as well as the sponsor of the sustainability award, strategic partners of the programme, and industry experts. 

A shortlist of no more than three finalists will then be given the opportunity to present their case during a 15-minute address at the ES.  Sessions at the ES will also look at emerging technologies, drones, and volatility in international trade. 

Other topics discussed at the ES will include an update of TIACA's on-line rating tool, the CSQ project, as well as e-commerce, drone corridors and volatility in trade lanes.