The Air Cargo Agents Association of India (ACAAI) is set for its 34th Annual Convention, that begins in three days (November 30) for three days in Chiang Mai, Thailand.
     This time around, the convention has an ambitious agenda to move the member organization even further into the world cargo mainstream as India emerges as a regional cargo hub.
     The Chiang Mai meet—the fifth consecutive ACAAI convention on foreign shores—will be taking up issues that have come up to confront the boom in the air cargo business that India is experiencing.
     According to Sunil Arora, ACAAI’s convention chairman, the theme of this meet is: “World-Class Air Logistics: Team Initiative”.
     The presentations and seminars at the meet will also focus on cooperation among the stakeholders of the industry.
     Why Chiang Mai, we asked?
     Arora was forthright when he pointed out:
     “For about 29 years, ACCAI had been holding the convention in India.
     “However, for the last five years, we have been holding it outside the country.”
     He went on to add:
     “The logistics world is not limited to India and we want to have regional view of the subcontinent apart from the participation of the host country.
     “This Chiang Mai outing will provide good exposure to all our participants. “Incidentally, this is the first year that ACCAI is repeating the country.
     “Our reasoning is simple:
     “The hospitality of the people and the support that we get from Thai Airways.”
     However, Arora also accepted the fact that participation from the Indian government becomes minimal when a national convention is held outside India.
     This time though a host of top industry leaders and officials had expressed their desire to participate in the meet. Arora mentioned that Praful Patel, Minister of Civil Aviation, would inaugurate the convention while top functionaries from the Airports Authority of India, international and Indian airlines, the logistics industry, IT and Human Resources experts will provide insights into the industry to make the meet worthwhile.
     “We have requested the Thailand Transport Minister to grace the occasion and have invited representatives from the Indian embassy, too,” Arora said.
     The convention chairman also outlined the crucial issues that face the cargo industry and said that the aim of ACAAI is to explore how to make the air cargo infrastructure adequate and relevant for the future.
     Among the issues on the discussion agenda is how India can achieve world-class capabilities at airport terminals; maximize speed and cost-effectiveness for cargo transit in air and on road to meet customers’ needs; strike an effective balance between government control and commercial processes.
     Other topics include aviation security, customs procedures, taxations, upgrading of technology to improve efficiency; enhance deliverables and ensure compliance; establish equations and relationships for the future between all players in the industry and, lastly, discuss the evolution of the air cargo agents into freight forwarders and logistics intermediaries.
     Arora expects an attendance of around 350-400 delegates.
     To ensure a working atmosphere from the beginning of the convention:
     “We have shifted the in-house discussion to the morning of inaugural day, which will focus on the evolved role of air cargo and IATA.
     “The convention will have five business sessions covering the entire gamut of the air cargo industry.
     “Some say that maybe saving the best conference in 2006 for the last part of the year will allow 2007 a fast start.
     “We certainly hope that is true.”
Tirthankar Ghosh