Glyn Hughes, IATA Global Head of Cargo for nearly the past six years has stabilized that position by being likeable, knowledgeable and someone you can talk to on a wide variety of subjects and come away impressed.
     That is no small feat as IATA Cargo, with a big diverse and at times divided membership, has gone through several years of change at the top.
     But along came Glyn, who had served in other positions at IATA for years, ready, willing and able to hit the mark and move air cargo into the 21st century.
     You may not always agree with what IATA might do or declare, but you never have to doubt that Glyn cares about our business, takes the long view, and listens.
     Here in a brief break from the current whirlwind of the global pandemic from hell, Glyn shares some thoughts from home in Lausanne, Switzerland.

FT:   What is your thought as air cargo around the world has taken grasp of the situation?
GH:   In the words of Sir Winston Churchill, “never was so much owed by so many to so few.” All over the world, front line medical workers put their personal health on the line every day they turn up to a hospital or clinic to treat the sick and infected and the way the air cargo industry has rallied to support those health workers deserves equal merit. Whilst most of us have been confined to the safety of the home working environment these past 6 weeks or so, freight forwarders, truckers, ground handlers, customs officers, together with airline flight and dispatch crews have been on the front line transporting much needed medical equipment, supplies and medicines wherever in the world they are needed. They are all heroes. They represent the best of this industry, coming together to put the needs of others above their own.

FT:    What have you seen, read, or were impressed by in this time?
GH:   The men and women of this industry stand out for their impressive dedication and commitment to the vital role played by them and this industry. But I should also say that the innovative way the airlines have mobilized their grounded passenger fleets for cargo only operations has also been very impressive. Employing new safety risk assessments, operational processes and in some cases installing new global networks in such a short time frame has been remarkable.

FT:    What do you think (hope) air cargo will look like in September 2020?
GH:   I think we have a roller coaster ahead of us for a while. Sadly we can anticipate the need for medical supplies to be present for the next few months as Covid-19 continues to impact various communities around the globe. As the social isolation and lockdown policies will remain in place for a while, we can also expect ecommerce transactions to continue as they have these past months providing a unique connection for people to purchase much needed items during this difficult period. We can also expect that once society returns to a more integrated situation and factories slowly reopen, air cargo will be vital for restocking and supporting production lines, moving components and finished goods.
Unfortunately we can also anticipate that at some point this year the economic contraction will result in slowed activity and workers who have had employment impacted will focus on replenishing savings drawn upon during the lockdown.
This may have a detrimental effect on consumer behavior later in the year.
Geoffrey