On Air with Air Cargo Next

Within the next 28 years, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) will be carbon-neutral — or at least that’s the goal. Other airfreight stakeholders have set their own targets and deadlines for carbon offsets or carbon neutrality, but as the industry continues to prioritize sustainability, supply chain members must balance the costs.

In this episode of “On Air with Air Cargo World,” Associate Editor Ashley Mowreader speaks with Soham Chokshi, Shipsy’s co-founder and chief executive, about the key players in sustainability initiatives, the solutions available and where the supply chain is moving in terms of sustainability.

Shipsy, an India-based logistics management platform, helps supply chain stakeholders best optimize cargo movements and reduce carbon emissions in a cost-effective way. The company offers solutions for all aspects of the supply chain, from freight procurement and route planning to last-mile delivery.

Listen as Chokshi provides insight into supply chain sustainability development and the power of digitalization.

Digitalization has come slowly to the airfreight market as stakeholders in recent years have taken steps to digitalize booking and move to paperless environments.  

In this episode of “On Air with Air Cargo World,” Simon Watson, co-founder of booking platform CharterSync, speaks with Air Cargo World columnist Cathy Morrow Roberson, president of Logistics Trends & Insights about the digitalization of the cargo charter sector.  

When it first launched in July 2019, the platform’s founders did not foresee they would be navigating global challenges like Brexit and the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, the London-based charter broker offers cargo charter services to freight forwarders in an effort to provide rate transparency and a faster way to book charters.  

Listen as Watson discusses the origins of CharterSync, global challenges and digitalization in the charter market. 

Supply chain stakeholders in the past two years have seen myriad global challenges, ranging from the war in Ukraine, COVID-19, inflation and reduced capacity. As the supply chain has shifted, the industry has looked to adopt new solutions like digitalization and data analytics.  

In this episode of “On Air with Air Cargo World,” Manouj Tahiliani, general manager of master data management and 360 applications at software development company Informatica, speaks to Air Cargo World about the need for data transparency to create a more efficient and resilient supply chain.

Informatica focuses on data management, offering technology solutions powered by artificial intelligence, automation and the cloud. As the airfreight market continues to digitalize, data transparency has become a hot-button issue as stakeholders streamline operations.  

Listen as Tahiliani provides insight into the future of technology and the supply chain. 

Global disruptions and the threat of cyberattacks present new challenges for airfreight stakeholders, specifically for freight forwarders looking to protect their clients’ cargo and their own business. Insurance brokers have seen rising costs alongside coverage exceptions amid international conflict, leaving cargo vulnerable.  

Airforwarders Association board member Amanda Barlow also serves as regional vice president, western region for Roanoke Insurance. In this episode of “On Air with Air Cargo World,” she and Associate Editor Ashley Mowreader take on new attitudes about insurance and the habits of U.S. forwarders during the war in Ukraine, as well as how forwarders can protect themselves against cyberattacks.  

Join Air Cargo World for this important podcast with Barlow on what forwarders need to know now about insurance.  

The pandemic has helped put technology into focus for the airfreight industry, accelerating the pace of digitization for processes and operations. The Air Cargo Tech Summit, presented by Air Cargo World next week, will address the latest tech innovations in the airfreight sector. 

The inaugural event, to be held live in Miami June 6-7, will cover a variety of industry topics, including sustainability, drone operations, digital records, digital booking and more.

View the ACTS agenda.  

In this episode of “On Air with Air Cargo World,” Associate Editor Kelly Stroh speaks with columnist Cathy Roberson, president of Logistics Trends & Insights and an Air Cargo World columnist, about what to expect at the Air Cargo Tech Summit next week.

 The Air Cargo Tech Summit, the new airfreight logistics event presented by Air Cargo World, will take place LIVE in Miami from June 6-7. Learn more and register here.

In this episode of “On Air with Air Cargo World,” Editor Caryn Livingston speaks with Steve Magirias, CEO of cargo drone developer and operator Drone Delivery Canada (DDC), about his plans for the company in his new role, the upcoming launches of the Canary and Condor drones and the regulatory landscape for drone operations.

DDC’s completed and expected 2022 milestones include the launch of dangerous goods (DG) transportation in Ontario for DSV Canada, the planned Q2 launch of its Canary drone and the expected second-half launch of the long-range, heavy-lift Condor drone. 

In this episode of “On Air with Air Cargo World,” Editor Caryn Livingston speaks with Cathy Morrow Roberson, founder of Logistics Trends & Insights and Air Cargo World columnist, about the most recent earnings results from FedEx, UPS and other logistics companies, as well as this week’s announcement of the departure of Fred Smith as FedEx’s CEO.

High airfreight rates once again supported revenues for express and airfreight during the most recent quarter, but headwinds are emerging with the Ukraine-Russia war and another spike in fuel prices. Meanwhile, the cyberattack that affected freight forwarder Expeditors in February is another warning to logistics providers of the threat, and the need to prioritize cybersecurity and plan for those attacks that can’t be prevented.

Charter services have been in high demand since the start of the pandemic and have continued to be used to help mitigate capacity issues caused by supply chain disruptions and rising sea-to-air conversions. In turn, charter companies, freighter and passenger freighter operators, and freight forwarders with own-controlled networks have had to remain flexible to navigate the ever-changing market, especially as airfreight rates continue to fluctuate and COVID-19 outbreaks among cargo crews cause operational delays. 

In this episode of “On Air with Air Cargo World,” Associate Editor Kelly Stroh speaks with Jack Burt, vice president of U.S. freight at Air Partner, about 2022’s charter outlook, rising rates and changing air transport regulations, among other topics. 

Listen as Burt discusses these topics in this Air Cargo World podcast.  

The 2021 holiday season has passed, but with global supply chains still struggling due to capacity issues and the omicron variant, volumes have spilled into the first quarter of 2022. Nevertheless, logistics providers took the hard-won lessons of 2020 to heart and avoided some of the delays and issues that plagued 2020’s holiday peak.

In this On Logistics episode of “On Air with Air Cargo World,” Cathy Morrow Roberson speaks with Nate Skiver, founder of LPF Spend Management. LPF Spend Management works with e-commerce and parcel shippers to locate shippers and services aligning with their shipping strategy and negotiate more favorable contracts. 

Listen as Roberson and Skiver review the 2021 peak season and discuss what may be coming soon for express and last-mile providers in this Air Cargo World podcast.

The pandemic has fueled modernization efforts as airfreight stakeholders reimagine and optimize day-to-day operations using automation and digitization. Digital booking developments have especially been on the rise over the past year, with carriers launching their own application programming interfaces (APIs) or joining digital booking platforms like Germany-based cargo.one.

In addition to e-booking becoming a helpful tool for small and medium-sized freight forwarders to more easily access cargo capacity, the option for instant rates, dynamic pricing features and data insights have enabled freight forwarders to better navigate the volatile market landscape.

In this episode of “On Air with Air Cargo World,” Associate Editor Kelly Stroh speaks with Moritz Claussen, co-founder and managing director of cargo.one, about digitization efforts within the industry, the progression of digital booking, cargo.one’s growth and market expectations for 2022. 

Listen as Claussen discusses these topics in this Air Cargo World podcast. 

2021 was yet another turbulent year, to say the least. However, despite COVID-19 outbreaks at major airports, ongoing capacity struggles and numerous supply chain disruptions, the airfreight industry has remained resilient and flexible through innovative solutions and changes to typical operations. Freight forwarders launched own-controlled networks, industry operators adopted new technologies to provide greater transparency throughout the supply chain, and industry acquisitions were on the rise.

In this episode of “On Air with Air Cargo World,” Associate Editor Kelly Stroh speaks with Cathy Roberson, president of Logistics Trends & Insight and an Air Cargo World columnist, about digitalization efforts across the airfreight industry, risk management, this year’s acquisition market and what forwarders and shippers might expect in the year to come.

The capacity shortage caused by COVID-19 has pushed airfreight operators to pursue creative solutions like the implementation of passenger freighters. The demand imbalance has also seen new entrants dip their toes into the airfreight market, as with the decisions from major players in ocean shipping including CMA CGM and Maersk to pursue own-controlled air capacity. 

In this On Logistics episode of “On Air with Air Cargo World,” Cathy Morrow Roberson speaks with Brandon Fried, executive director of the Airforwarders Association and a quarterly contributor to Air Cargo World, about how some of the changes could factor into future air cargo operations, and what airfreight logistics providers want ocean freight operators to understand about the historical airfreight market.

Listen as Air Cargo World contributors Cathy Morrow Roberson and Brandon Fried cover modal changes, the role of freight forwarders and how operational changes today stand to affect airfreight in the years ahead.

In this episode of “On Air with Air Cargo World,” Editor Caryn Livingston speaks with Cathy Morrow Roberson, founder of Logistics Trends & Insights, about third-quarter foreshadowing of the 2021 peak season expectations. 

Q3 brought more strong earnings reports from major integrators benefitting from the hot e-commerce market. Freight forwarders also extended their prior solid performance, as the early Q3 avoided the typical summer slump due to global supply chain disruptions encouraging modal shifts to air. Combination carriers also saw some relief in Q3 earnings, as travel restrictions loosened and additional passenger flights — and bellyspace — returned to the market.

October saw the return of the International Air Transport Association’s World Cargo Symposium, rescheduled from March 2020 and relocated from Istanbul to Dublin, where around 800 delegates gathered to discuss priorities for airfreight.

In this On Logistics episode of “On Air with Air Cargo World,” Cathy Morrow Roberson speaks with Air Cargo World Editor Caryn Livingston about announcements made during WCS and the three themes of this year’s event: Digitalization, Sustainability, and Safety and Security. For coverage of WCS and the Daily Report, produced by Air Cargo World each day of the event on IATA’s behalf, visit the WCS section of our site at https://aircargoworld.com/2021-iata-world-cargo-symposium/. 

Listen as Roberson and Livingston review the highlights from the 2021 WCS in this Air Cargo World podcast.  

With the fourth quarter beginning this week, retailers are bracing for a flood of e-commerce orders — many of which will end up in the networks of UPS and FedEx on their way to holiday shoppers later this year. Express providers are also getting an early start, with peak surcharges, typically reserved for the holidays, in place throughout the pandemic and rising further for the traditional peak. 

In this On Logistics episode of “On Air with Air Cargo World,” Cathy Morrow Roberson speaks with Nate Skiver, founder of LPF Spend Management. LPF Spend Management works with e-commerce and parcel shippers to locate shippers and services aligning with their shipping strategy and negotiate more favorable contracts. The discussion covers peak season surcharges, transportation capacity for parcels, and options for retailers struggling to secure capacity with big express carriers.

Washington-based logistics company Expeditors this month opened its Opportunity Knocks internship program to other companies hoping to launch their own version of the program. In cooperation with non-governmental organizations, the program supports interns just starting their careers, introducing them to Expeditors, logistics and the professional world more broadly. More than 90 of the program’s former interns went on to full employment with Expeditors. Now, Expeditors has made the program available to other interested companies.

In this episode of “On Air with Air Cargo World,” Editor Caryn Livingston speaks with Lenora Turner, director, Opportunity Knocks, and Jose Ubeda, senior vice president, Digital Solutions, at Expeditors, about the program’s objectives, track record and Expeditors’ move to share the program with other companies. Interested companies can find more information on the program here.

Throughout the past year, carriers and freight forwarders have partnered on sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) initiatives to help reduce carbon emissions within the airfreight industry. While aviation currently accounts for roughly 12% of all carbon dioxide emissions from transport sources, according to the Air Transport Action Group (ATAG), airfreight stakeholders recognize that cargo growth comes with the responsibility to reduce its carbon emissions.

In this episode of “On Air with Air Cargo World,” Associate Editor Kelly Stroh speaks with Asok Kumar, executive vice president and global head of airfreight at DB Schenker, about SAF, sustainability initiatives and the current push to decarbonize the airfreight industry.

For more on SAF and sustainability, see our full feature in the latest online issue of Air Cargo World.

The supply chain upheaval that began with the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 is persisting through 2021 and has been recently exacerbated by the port and airport closures in China in recent months. Manufacturers and other shippers who may have previously relied on as-needed updates from their logistics partners are now taking a more active role to avoid transportation pitfalls and keep their products on shelves. 

In this episode of “On Logistics with Air Cargo World,” Cathy Morrow Roberson speaks with Audrey Ross, in-house logistics and customs specialist at Orchard Custom Beauty, a cosmetics and personal and home care product manufacturer. The two discuss the changes in in-house supply chain management for major shippers, how to mitigate some impacts of the reductions in ocean, air and road capacity, and vulnerabilities in sourcing that will likely take years of planning and investment to correct.

Listen as Roberson and Ross take a deep dive into these topics in this Air Cargo World podcast.

The On Logistics with Air Cargo World podcast segment explores air cargo logistics with analysis from regular Air Cargo World columnist Cathy Roberson of Logistics Trends & Insights. The podcast analyzes major trends affecting global logistics, including topics such as sustainability, e-commerce growth and M&A strategies, and changes in the global express market. On Logistics with Air Cargo World is brought to you by Air Cargo World, the leading air cargo magazine. 

In this episode of “On Air with Air Cargo World,” Editor Caryn Livingston speaks with Cathy Roberson, founder of Logistics Trends & Insights, about the second-quarter results of major airfreight industry stakeholders announced in recent weeks.  With more earnings presentations to come through early August, the benefits of the current high rate, low-capacity market are clear as integrators continue to blow past records set in previous pandemic quarters. 

Not all operators are avoiding some of the pitfalls of pandemic operations, however.

Roberson, a weekly columnist at Air Cargo World and the host of the On Logistics podcast, discusses how major integrators, combination carriers and freight forwarders are faring so far in 2021, expectations for the remainder of the year, and how the current strategies employed by airfreight operators may continue to evolve as aviation slowly returns to normal.

The recent surge in e-commerce amid the pandemic, alongside technology improvements for logistics, is driving demand for warehouse space in markets around the world, but availability varies widely by market. 

In this episode of “On Logistics with Air Cargo World,” Cathy Morrow Roberson speaks with Melissa Alexander, vice president of the Industrial Services team at real estate company Foundry Commercial, about the high demand for warehousing space, the factors behind shortages in U.S. commercial real estate markets, and Alexander’s outlook on future demand and development in the space.

While some growing metros are more development-friendly from a policy and geography standpoint, others may be constrained by local regulation, geography or less land available for development. Advancements in warehousing technology are also driving up customer expectations for warehouse features and capabilities, making some existing properties outdated by today’s standards. Combined, these factors are pushing warehousing prices up significantly from even five years ago.

Listen as Roberson takes a deep dive into these topics in this Air Cargo World podcast.

The On Logistics with Air Cargo World podcast segment explores air cargo logistics with analysis from regular Air Cargo World columnist Cathy Roberson of Logistics Trends & Insights. The podcast analyzes major trends affecting global logistics, including topics such as sustainability, e-commerce growth and M&A strategies, and changes in the global express market. On Logistics with Air Cargo World is brought to you by Air Cargo World, the leading air cargo magazine.