Page 12 - AAA NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2022 Online Magazine

continue. “It (22%) sounds like a big number We expect that things will start getting better from March, just
and quite dramatic but it isn’t too unreason- after the Chinese New Year,” said Sanjeev Gadhia, chief execu-
able given the very strong increases we have tive, Astral Aviation. “We remain very optimist that we will have
seen in recent years,” he says. a great 2023.
An increase of 3.5 per cent in cargo demand “What we are experiencing now is kind of a return to normalcy,”
in October compared to the previous month said Gabriel Oliva, CEO Avianca Cargo. “I will not be so stressed.
gives Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General, We will face short term headwinds but in the medium and long
cause for optimism. “This indicates that the term, I am very positive. I think after the Chinese New Year,
year-end will still bring a traditional peak-sea- there is a good chance that the market will become better, and
son boost despite economic uncertainties,” the situation will ease up. Over the last two years, it was very
he says. difficult for us to serve customers around the world, but it is
already getting a little better.”
Cautious Optimism “We are living in quite turbulent times,” said Audrone Keinyte,

Many industry players do not share Walsh’s CEO Bluebird Nordic. “Since 2020, aviation has been changing.
optimistic view about the short-term pros- For some industry players, it is an opportunity, but for others, it
pects of the industry but remain confident can be a crisis. But there are always opportunities; ecommerce
that the sector will continue to witness growth is still growing. That gives us a lot of optimism.”
over this decade and beyond. At a discussion
on the current business climate during the Air Investing in Technology, Aircraft
Cargo Forum in Miami in November, CEOs of
many leading companies in the sector were Notwithstanding the temporary headwinds, many companies in
cautiously optimistic about the long-term the sector are already thinking ahead. Amerijet International,
future of the sector but admitted that they which was one of the companies in the air cargo sector that
were bracing themselves for another tough chose to invest in technology during the pandemic, is planning
year. to do more of the same in the coming days.
There was consensus among the executives “Technology is the differentiator at this point,” says Strauss.
that the industry will experience headwinds in “We are a 48-year-old company. We had very many old systems
the immediate future, but opinion remained that didn’t allow us to operate as we need to. In the middle of
divided on when the situation would go back the pandemic, we renewed our IP systems. Whether we like it or
to normal. “Those who operate aircraft not, we are all in the IT industry at this point. If you do not offer
around the world say 2025; hopefully it is a that as key product, I think you are missing an opportunity.”
little bit better than that,” said Tim Strauss, For Avianca cargo, digitalization is as crucial for progress as
chief executive, Amerijet International, “You adding new aircraft, improving customer service levels, and
just have to adjust to the market. There are investing in its warehouses around the network. “We totally
pickets of goodness, and we just have to find revamped our IT eco system; digitalization makes interaction
those and keep going in the meantime.” with our customers easier,” says Oliva. “We are also adding four

Capacity and demand will depend on how the A330s starting next year.”
ongoing Russian aggression on Ukraine and
other global tensions impact the global econ- © AIRBUS
omy, said Tobias König, global chief executive,
Rhenus Air & Ocean. “What will happen world-
wide with the wars we have at the moment,
how it will affect the global economy; if we
put these factors out of the discussion, the
global economy will continue to grow and in
the long term I think there will be more cargo
for airfreight.”
König believes the current downturn in vol-
umes is temporary and that the situation
could improve in the first quarter of next year.
“It is very difficult to predict when this will
normalise again,” he said. “At the moment,
we will definitely have a further downturn for
the next couple of months then we need to
see in February-March if it will go up again.”

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