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TIACA names Mammen Tharakan as director general

The International Air Cargo Association (TIACA) has appointed Mammen Tharakan as its next director general to lead on growth, innovation, and global engagement. Tharakan will officially assume the role in August, succeeding Glyn Hughes, who has been in the role since 2021 and whose resignation was announced in March. As director general, Tharakan will lead the Association's Secretariat and work closely with the TIACA board of directors to advance its vision of a safe, profitable, and united air cargo industry, representing members across every sector of the global air cargo supply chain. The appointment marks the beginning of a carefully planned leadership transition, with Hughes working closely alongside Tharakan to ensure a seamless handover of responsibilities before assuming his planned retirement. Tharakan's career spans the breadth of the aviation ecosystem; airports, airlines, ground handling, e-commerce, route development, infrastructure, tourism, investment attraction. His interest in air cargo was sparked during his early career with Air France-KLM, and has carried through other senior leadership roles, including at Edmonton International Airport and King Salman International Airport in Riyadh. "After an extensive global search, the Board is delighted to welcome Mammen as TIACA's next Director General," stated Roos Bakker, TIACA chair. "His exceptional leadership experience, deep understanding of the global air cargo ecosystem, and proven ability to build meaningful partnerships make him the ideal person to lead TIACA into its next chapter. "Our industry continues to evolve at pace, creating both exciting opportunities and complex challenges. Mammen brings the strategic vision, commercial acumen, and collaborative leadership that will ensure TIACA continues to grow its influence, deliver value for our members, and unite the global air cargo community." Tharakan added: "It is a tremendous honor to be entrusted with leading TIACA at such an important time for our industry. Air cargo is critical to global trade and economic development, but its greatest impact is human. It improves lives and livelihoods around the world every day. TIACA plays a unique role in bringing together every sector of that ecosystem and championing its people. I step into this role with great respect for what Glyn, the team, and the Board have achieved. The path forward is clear - grow our membership, deepen the value we deliver, and strengthen our visibility globally. "I am excited to work alongside our Board, our members, our industry partners, and the dedicated Secretariat team to foster even greater collaboration across the air cargo value chain. Together, we have a remarkable opportunity to shape the future of our industry. Above all, this industry is powered by passionate people - I am eager to get to work, meet our members, and build together." During Hughes' tenure, the Association expanded its global membership, launched new sustainability initiatives and industry research, enhanced member engagement, and elevated flagship events including the Executive Summit and Air Cargo Forum, alongside strengthening TIACA's financial position and international influence. Hughes said: "Serving as TIACA's Director General over the past five years has been one of the greatest privileges of my career. "Together with our Board, members, partners, and the Secretariat team, we have strengthened TIACA's position as the global voice of air cargo, expanded our programs, grown our events, and reinforced our relevance across every sector of the industry. "I am delighted to hand over the leadership of the Association to Mammen. His experience, energy, and passion for aviation make him exceptionally well suited to build on the strong foundation that has been created. I look forward to watching TIACA continue to thrive under his leadership."

Air cargo in new balancing act as rates ease and fuel costs climb

Air cargo carriers are facing an increasingly challenging market, with spot rates beginning to cool, but amid surging fuel prices, geopolitical disruption, and selective capacity deployment. The latest Baltic Air Freight Index fell 3.1% in the week to 20 July, led by weaker outbound pricing from Asia and Europe. Hong Kong outbound recorded the steepest decline, down 6.3% week on week, while Frankfurt fell 5.2%, Shanghai slipped 1.1%, and Singapore eased 0.6%. Nevertheless, the index is still 17% higher than a year ago overall, with Shanghai up 23.9%, Chicago +29.7% and Singapore +29.8%, suggesting the market is cooling from the exceptionally strong first half, rather than entering a widespread downturn. TAC Index lane data to mid-July shows softer pricing across many of the key Asia-Europe and Asia-US tradelanes. China-Europe rates fell 5.8% week on week, China-US slipped 3.9%, Hong Kong-Europe declined 4.8%, and Hong Kong-US eased 3.6%. Vietnam recorded some of the sharpest falls, with rates to Europe down 8.8% and to the US down 13.3%. But not every market is moving in the same direction. India continues to outperform, with Europe-bound rates broadly unchanged while India-US rose 6.5%. Europe-US also bucked the wider trend, rising 7.1% week on week, while Europe-UAE edged higher and remains almost double its level of a year ago, as geopolitics distorts parts of the market. Capacity data paints an equally mixed picture. According to Rotate, global freighter capacity increased just 1% week on week to 23 July, suggesting airlines are becoming increasingly selective about where to deploy it. Some of the sharpest reductions were on Middle East-linked routes, including Hong Kong-Dubai, Dubai-Liège, Hong Kong-Bahrain, and Bahrain-Liège, reflecting continuing regional instability. Forwarder Forto said: "Despite increased global capacity, available cargo space continued to vary considerably by route. Airport bottlenecks and airspace restrictions, resulting from tensions in the Middle East, limited capacity on some routes, forcing airlines to reroute services and reallocate aircraft." Christopher Braun, Forto's director freight, added: "The modest increase in global capacity should not obscure the fact that cargo space remains very unevenly distributed. "For shippers, the global average is less important than whether sufficient capacity with the required service level is available on the specific tradelane they need, at the right time. Early bookings and flexible routing remain the best protection against capacity shortages and sudden price spikes." Airlines are shifting capacity: Etihad Cargo this week announced a second weekly freighter service to Paris Charles de Gaulle, citing continued demand for pharmaceuticals, perishables, and specialist cargo, while Cathay Pacific postponed the planned resumption of its Riyadh freighter service, as the Iran crisis deepens. Chinese airlines were among the week's biggest capacity gainers, with China Airlines, EVA Air, China Cargo Airlines, and SF Airlines all increasing freighter activity, while Europe and North America also recorded modest gains. At the same time, airlines are facing renewed cost pressures. Cathay Pacific announced higher cargo fuel surcharges from 1 August after jet fuel prices surged. The latest IATA jet fuel monitor, covering the week ending 17 July, showed the global average jet fuel price jumped 17.6% week on week, to $149.40 per barrel. Despite short-term headwinds, the annual Farnborough International Airshow demonstrated continued confidence in the longer-term outlook. MSC Air Cargo placed an order for five 777-8 freighters, while Alaska Airlines confirmed plans to effectively double its dedicated freighter fleet capacity next year with four additional 737-800 converted freighters. Elsewhere, DSV expanded its dedicated air network with a new scheduled Rockford-Incheon freighter service, with Chennai due to follow later this year. In Latin America, Azul announced four more A321 passenger-to-freighter conversions to expand its regional services, while UAE-based SolitAir secured UK regulatory approval as it prepares to grow internationally. The week's developments suggest an industry balancing competing forces. Spot rates are easing from elevated levels on some tradelanes, fuel costs are rising again, and airlines are redeploying capacity as geopolitical tensions continue to influence network planning. But carriers are still ordering freighters, opening routes, and investing in long-term growth, suggesting that demand for air cargo will remain strong, despite the increasingly volatile operating environment.

China maritime code change could trigger legal scramble for carriers and NVOCCs

China's revised Maritime Code may have been in force since 1 May, but its implications are only now beginning to sink in for carriers and freight forwarders. Indeed, FIATA has warned its members to review contracts, operational processes, and liability exposure. The first comprehensive overhaul of China's maritime legislation in more than 30 years introduced mandatory legal provisions for international sea cargo contracts involving a Chinese load or discharge port, regardless of any foreign governing law clause. One industry source told The Loadstar the operational consequences could prove significant, adding: "I think some legal departments will be busy in the headquarters of big carriers and NVOCCs." Among the most contentious changes is a narrowing of the traditional fire defence. Under the revised code, carriers can only rely on the exemption where a fire occurs on the vessel, potentially excluding incidents at terminals, container yards, or inland transport facilities. The source believes the change is closely linked to the surge in exports of Chinese electric vehicles and lithium batteries, which has heightened industry concerns over fire risks. Another change likely to create operational challenges concerns cargo carried on deck. Carriers now have to specify, on the bill of lading, if cargo is stowed on deck rather than below, or could lose important legal protection. In practice, the requirement could demand major changes to carriers' documentation processes. "It will not be easy at all for a carrier or an NVOCC to discriminate, when issuing bills of lading, between containers stowed under deck and those stowed on deck," the source said. "The data process between port agencies and stevedores doesn't work this way. "It looks like a small detail, but internally it's a huge job in terms of processes for carriers - if they decide to comply." FIATA meanwhile highlighted significant implications for non-vessel operating common carriers (NVOCCs) issuing their own FIATA multimodal bills of lading. Depending on the role they assume, under the code, forwarders may be regarded as shippers or multimodal transport operators, exposing them to additional liabilities for unclaimed cargo, liens, and claims. FIATA advised forwarders to clearly define their contractual role, review standard terms, and preserve evidence identifying where loss or damage occurs during multimodal transport. China's updated code also extends the period before unclaimed cargo may be auctioned. Where goods remain unclaimed for 60 days after vessel arrival, carriers may apply to the court for sale, compared with much shorter commercial times often seen elsewhere. According to The Loadstar's source, that provision could be welcomed by many exporters. "The 60-day acceptable delay may please a lot of non-Chinese shippers that are more used to a three-month standard," the source said, and argued that, overall, the revised legislation offered several advantages from the cargo owner's perspective. "Globally, it's quite a 'sexy' offer from the shipper's side, at the end of the day," the source said. "It is not only a pure common carrier story, but also an NVOCC story under FIATA multimodal bills of lading, when the NVO is acting as a shipper - and this is a very common practice indeed," the source warned.