Cargo Not Riding In Coach Anymore

     “A lot of my time is mining the intelligence and energy that already exists in air cargo.”
     Aleksander Popovich, the first Global Head of Cargo for The International Air Transport Association (IATA) recalls the initial thing he did after joining the governing body that creates regulation for international air transport.
     “After I was given an office here, I sat down and looked at the desk and telephone, and decided to go take a coffee.”
     That was April 2005 in Geneva after Mr. Popovich departed British Airways moving to IATA where he accepted the challenge of addressing a broad agenda including immediately formulating a plan of action.
     From the sound and look of things, even before that coffee kicked in, Aleks was on his way.
     His first move was to gather support for air cargo to adopt the IATA passenger-driven paperless initiative and general overall mission statement to simplify process.
     The mandate to drive paper dependency out of the air cargo supply chain along with other well-publicized targets such as 100% passenger e-ticket by the end of 2007 was given by IATA’s Board of Governors, which consists of top airline CEOs.
     Although cargo has until the end of 2010 to achieve its objective, the board is expecting to see early advocates make significant progress in freeing their processes from paper in air cargo by the end of 2007 as well.
     Now, a year plus after he came upon the scene, and a little more than a year and a half until he better deliver, air cargo is thinking e-freight.
     How well Mr. Popovich is faring and how many times a day this young executive must think about e-freight, can be measured by some comments made early in a speech delivered by Giovanni Bisignani IATA Secretary General at the AGM in Paris earlier this year.
     “We are sinking in a sea of paperwork. E-freight is a big challenge. Unlike E-ticketing, it is not entirely within our control. Thirty-five percent of the value of goods traded internationally fly on our aircraft. Government inaction—not IT—is holding back enormous progress in trade efficiency.”
     Aleks Popovich:“The air cargo industry could fill 39 Boeing 747 freighters each year with paper wasted on documentation.
     “In 33 years the average time for an air cargo shipment has only been reduced from 6.5 days to 6 days.
     “Paperless cargo processing could save the industry $1.2 billion each year and reduce shipping time by at least 25%
     “I spend a lot of time on the road meeting with airlines and forwarders, attending events and giving speeches.
     “My job is to recognize roadblocks to success, and steer around them.
     “But I am always struck by the comment:
     “You are the first person we have ever seen from IATA.
     “That brings everything in perspective.
     “We have a big job to do.”
popovicha@iata.org
(Geoffrey)