2010 has been a recovery year for air freight, but as we look forward to 2011, it is still difficult to predict at what pace this recovery will continue. Until people are back to work and feeling secure, their willingness to expand their discretionary spending will be limited.
Regardless of market demand and economic recovery, the overarching issue for air cargo 2011 will be cargo security. The two bombs that originated in Yemen and were carried on all-cargo aircraft certainly highlight the problem we must address: How do we balance the requirement to ensure a secure flight and not restrict commerce through overly cumbersome or ineffective security procedures? Many issues must be solved, including how to coordinate consistent screening procedures among many different countries, and which methods or technologies are best to accomplish the screening.
The solution must also consider a more comprehensive program that isn’t simply based on checking the cargo before it is loaded onto an airplane. We must consider the entire supply chain and evaluate solutions that can ensure a complete safe chain of control of the cargo. This must start with the shipper, continue with the forwarder, and then end at the airline. This comprehensive approach will prove to be more reliable and more effective than anything that is based only on screening at the last point at the airport.
Industry groups such as the Airforwarders Association advocate this approach, and other industry groups and airlines also should to ensure we maintain a safe shipping environment. It is only through close cooperation and consistency among all the agencies and groups that we can achieve our goals.