On September 6-8, the Second ICAO Air Cargo Development Forum with the theme “Shaping the Future of Air Cargo” was held in Zhengzhou, Henan. The Forum discussed in depth the new trends, models and requirements for the development of air cargo, focusing on the global liberalization of air cargo services, the impact of e-commerce and technological advances on the future of air cargo, the improvement of air cargo connectivity and supply chain, among other cutting-edge topics. Wang Zhiqing, Deputy Administrator of the Civil Aviation Administration of China, Liu Fang, Secretary-General of the International Civil Aviation Organization, and Xu Guang, Vice-Governor of Henan Province, attended the opening ceremony and delivered speeches.

Wang Zhiqing said that at present, air cargo, by virtue of its high speed and flexibility, has become an important support for a region and country to quickly integrate into the global industrial chain, value chain and innovation chain. In recent years, with the transformation of China’s development mode, the optimization of economic structure and the shift of growth impetus, China’s air cargo market has gradually shown three major trends: increased use in logistics and express delivery and expansion of global presence.

Wang put forward three suggestions on how to seize the new opportunities, new trends and new rules of air cargo in the future. The first is to increase openness and cooperation to share the future. The second is to strive for innovation and change to win in the future. The third is to pursue shared benefits through collaboration to shape the future.

Liu Fang said that according to ICAO’s latest data, some 56.1 million tonnes of freight were transported by air in 2017, representing a growth rate of 7.3 per cent compared to 2016. Liu noted that managing this growth effectively would require more collaborative and concerted efforts among the global aviation industry in the three keys areas of modernization of the regulatory framework, infrastructure, and emerging technologies. She encouraged all participants to take full advantage of the forum to share experiences and engage in discussions, so as to help ICAO, States and air cargo companies to define a more efficient future for air cargo operations.

The Forum is a global conference on air cargo organized by ICAO and a high-level international air cargo event held in China. International organizations such as ICAO and International Air Transport Association, civil aviation authorities of some ICAO member States, well-known aircraft manufacturing enterprises, hub airports and air cargo companies in China and abroad, representatives from competent authorities of China, and industry experts and scholars attended this event. During the Forum, participants discussed in depth the ways to maximize the benefits of air cargo to States and other stakeholders and proposed solutions for the growth and full liberalization of air cargo and e-commerce.