aerobd.news : The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and the World Customs Organization (WCO) join TIACA in show of unity on the opening day of the 28th Air Cargo Forum (ACF) in Paris, Air cargo leaders and regulators from across the globe pledged to work more closely together to ensure a more efficient, safer air cargo supply chain on the opening day of TIACA’s Air Cargo Forum (ACF) in Paris, France today.

The air cargo community must work towards a paperless environment to ensure the industry maintains and develops its competitiveness, especially in expanding e-commerce markets. The development of advanced screening technologies was also earmarked as essential to ensure a secure and efficient air cargo network, delegates at the Plenary session of the ACF heard.

Doug Brittin, Secretary General of TIACA, was joined this morning by Dr Fang Liu, Secretary General of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), and Sergio Mujica, Deputy Secretary General of the World Customs Organization (WCO), with all three organizations pledging to continue close cooperation in order to secure a bright future for the industry.

“We are living in a period of great transition for our industry, and collaboration among all members of the air cargo community has never been more important,” said Brittin.

“Together we can work towards a common goal to ensure that new legislation does not impact air cargo flows, as well as to find solutions to ongoing challenges such as cargo delays, restrictions on the transport of lithium batteries and the impact of Big Data on our industry.”

The Plenary session was the first of 15 practical workshops and panel discussions over the three-day event, which will look at issues including the Cargo Hub of the Future, New Manufacturing Trends such as 3D printing, and Disruptive Innovation, as well as masterclasses reporting on the latest security and Customs regulations.

During the Forum, ICAO and TIACA will release a Joint Communique outlining their continued plans to work together on a series of initiatives aimed at improving the industry. This includes the development of a new technology platform to support Pre-Loading Advance Cargo Information (PLACI) systems, as well as a new Cargo Service Quality Index for measuring cargo performance at the airport level. The collaborative effort further builds on previous agreements between ICAO and TIACA signed at the Association’s two previous ACFs in Seoul, South Korea, and Atlanta, USA.

Hundreds of exhibitors from leading companies, including Heathrow Airport, Chapman Freeborn, Emirates SkyCargo, and Le Groupe La Poste, are set to welcome thousands of delegates over the next three days. The ACF takes place at the Porte de Versailles in Paris, France. Entrance to the exhibition is free. More at aircargoforum.org