FIATA
International Federation of
Freight Forwarders Associations
The global voice of freight logistics

Air Cargo Growth, ICS2 Expansion & FIATA Events – Stay Informed!

FIATA e-flash
10 March 2025

2025 FIATA HQ Meeting: Last Chance to Secure Your Spot – Register by 10 March!

Time is running out! The 2025 FIATA HQ Meeting is just 1 WEEK away, taking place 17-20 March in Geneva, Switzerland. This is your last opportunity to secure your place at the heart of global logistics discussions.

Join industry leaders, experts, and key stakeholders in Geneva for an event that will share knowledge, strengthen networks, and drive the future of freight forwarding. With an agenda packed with insightful sessions and discussions on a range of topics, from multimodal transport issues, to cyber resilience, digitalisation, sustainability and more.

Don't forget to read the FIATA Review March 2025 issue as it will help you prepare for the discussions! 

🗺️ Addressing Major Issues in Multimodal Transport Logistics
Moderated by 

  • Bethanie Castelnuovo, Chief Financial Officer, SCB Group
  • Roel Janssens, Secretary to the Working Party on Transport Trends and Economics (WP.5), UNECE
  • Aleksandr Kuzmenko, Secretary General, Intergovernmental Organisation for International Carriage by Rail (OTIF)
  • Oriane Minger, Carbon Finance Manager, SCB Group

To prepare for the discussion please see p. 28-29 of the FIATA Review March 2025 issue.

✈️ Building a Modern Air Freight Logistics Future
Moderated by 

  • Andrew Farrelly, CEO and Co-Founder, CT Strategies
  • Markus Muecke, Chair of the European Air Cargo Programme Joint Council (EACP-JC)

To prepare for the discussion please see p. 23-25 of the FIATA Review March 2025 issue.

🔒 Building Cyber Resilience with the World Economic Forum (WEF)
Moderated by 

  • Filipe Beato, Lead, Centre for Cybersecurity, WEF
  • Natasa Perucica, Lead for Capacity Building, Centre for Cybersecurity, WEF
  • Luna Rohland, Specialist, Cyber Resilience, Centre for Cybersecurity, WEF

To prepare for the discussion please see p. 8-9 of the FIATA Review March 2025 issue.

🤝 Fostering collaboration for the future of freight forwarding

  • Global Sustainability Supply Chain Student Competition winning team: Allie Place, James Celli, Kort Wise, and Quintan Boyle from the University of South Carolina, USA

More moderators to come!


To prepare for the discussion please see p. 10-11 of the FIATA Review March 2025 issue.

🛃 Implementing the WCO Shenzhen Action Plan on AEO Programmes
Moderated by

  • Philippe Isler, Director, Global Alliance for Trade Facilitation & Executive Committee Member, WEF
  • Nuno Mendes dos Santos, Private Sector Development Specialist, World Bank Group
  • Gordon Wright, Executive Director of European Operations, CT Strategies

To prepare for the discussion please see p. 20-21 of the FIATA Review March 2025 issue.

↔️ Optimising Key Multimodal Transport Corridors with the International Transport Forum, UN ESCAP and UN/CEFACT
Moderated by

  • Guineng Chen, SIPA Transport Programme Lead International Transport Forum at the OECD
  • Nurbek Maksutov, Vice-Chair, UN/CEFACT

More moderators to come!

To prepare for the discussion please see p. 26-27 of the FIATA Review March 2025 issue.

🌍 Leveraging Regional Free Trade Agreements
Moderated by 

  • Anna Jankowska-Ericksson, Market Analyst, Trade and Market Intelligence International Trade Centre (ITC)

More moderators to come!

To prepare for the discussion please see p. 22-23 of the FIATA Review March 2025 issue.

🌐 Data Ownership and Trusted Networks in Practice
Moderated by 

  • James Hookham, Director, Global Shippers Forum
  • Pamela Mar, Managing Director, ICC Digital Standards Initiative (DSI)

To prepare for the discussion please see p. 17-19 of the FIATA Review March 2025 issue.

💻 Everything You Need to Know to Start Using the eFBL
Moderated by 

  • Murat Seitnepesov, CEO, Caspian Container Company CCCSA

More moderators to come!
 

To prepare for the discussion please see p. 16-17 of the FIATA Review March 2025 issue.

🛡️ Practical Aspects to Insure Freight Forwarders' Risks
Moderated by 

  • Daniel de Burca, Head of Policy and Regulatory Affairs, International Credit Insurance and Surety Association (ICISA)
  • Eleni Lykoudi, Head of Central and Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa (CEEMEA) & Head of Risk & Broking CEEMEA, Willis Towers Watson
  • Katerina Pouli, Senior Account Executive, Willis Towers Watson

To prepare for the discussion please see p. 14-15 of the FIATA Review March 2025 issue.

📅 Registration closes on 10 March – don’t delay!

Secure your spot now and be part of the conversation shaping the industry’s future.

Register now!

As part of the promotion of the 2025 FIATA HQ Meeting and its collaboration with the Swiss Press Club, FIATA Director General, Stéphane Graber, will join Ambassador Erwin Bollinger, Head of the Bilateral Economic Relations Division and Delegate of the Federal Council for Trade Agreements, State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO), Switzerland for a discussion on the evolving landscape of global trade.

The conversation will highlight FIATA’s pivotal role in logistics, its active engagement with international organisations, and ongoing efforts to strengthen collaboration for trade facilitation. The discussion will be in French.

📅 13 March 2025, 12:15 CET
📍 Swiss Press Club (Geneva) + Online
👉 Info & registration: Register here

Safety and Security: The EU ICS2 Release 3 Is Expanding To Rail and Road Transport—Act Now! 

From 1 April 2025, the European Union (EU) Import Control System 2 (ICS2) will extend to rail and road transport, requiring economic operators to comply with new pre-arrival customs requirements. Full compliance becomes mandatory from 1 September 2025.

Who is affected?

  • Rail and road carriers transporting goods into or through the EU
  • Postal and express operators using rail or road networks
  • Logistics providers and freight forwarders handling road or rail shipments
  • Certain final consignees established in the EU

Key actions to take:

  • Submit an Entry Summary Declaration (ENS) before goods arrive in the EU
  • Request a deployment window as soon as possible from your National Customs Authority if not yet ready
  • Update IT systems to ensure ICS2 compatibility
  • Train staff and business partners on compliance requirements

Failure to comply may result in cargo delays, penalties, or non-clearance of goods.


To read more, consult the FIATA Communication here.

Market Trends: Air Cargo Industry Shows Resilience with 18 Consecutive Months of Growth

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has released data for January 2025, indicating a 3.2% year-over-year increase in global air cargo demand, as measured in cargo tonne-kilometers (CTKs). This growth reflects the industry's resilience amid ongoing economic challenges and marks 18 consecutive months of growth for air cargo.

Regional Performance:

  • Asia-Pacific Airlines: saw 7.5% year-on-year demand growth for air cargo in January. Capacity increased by 10.9% year-on-year.
  • North American Carriers: reported 5.3% year-on-year demand growth for air cargo in January. Capacity increased by 7.5% year-on-year.
  • European Airlines: saw 1.3% year-on-year demand growth for air cargo in January. Capacity increased 3.5% year-on-year.
  • Middle Eastern Carriers: saw 8.4% year-on-year demand decrease for air cargo in January, the slowest among the regions. Capacity decreased by 1.2% year-on-year.
  • Latin American Airlines: saw an 11.2% year-on-year increase in demand growth for air cargo in January, the strongest growth among the regions. Capacity increased 10.6% year-on-year.
  • African Airlines: experienced a 3.4% year-on-year decrease in demand for air cargo in January. Capacity increased by 5.4% year-on-year. 

Global capacity, measured in available cargo tonne-kilometers (ACTKs), grew by 6.8% year-over-year in January 2025.

IATA's Director General, Willie Walsh, commented on the results: "The air cargo industry continues to demonstrate resilience, navigating through economic headwinds and geopolitical challenges.While external factors such as trade growth, declining fuel costs and expanding e-commerce remain positive for air cargo, it is important to closely watch the evolution of market conditions at this time. In particular, the wild card is the potential for tariff-driven trade policies from the US Trump Administration. Fortunately, the air cargo industry is well practiced at dealing with shifts in the operating environment"

As the industry moves forward, stakeholders are closely monitoring factors such as global economic performance, trade policies, and capacity management to ensure sustained growth and stability in the air cargo sector.

For more detailed information, please refer to IATA's official press release here.

FIATA Events: FIATA and FEDESPEDI Strengthen Preparations for the 2026 FWC in Milan

FIATA’s preparations for the 2026 FIATA World Congress (FWC) in Milan took a major step forward with a site visit from 3rd to 5th March 2024, in collaboration with its host association, FEDESPEDI (Federazione Nazionale delle Imprese di Spedizioni Internazionali). This milestone reinforced the strong partnership between FIATA and FEDESPEDI, laying the groundwork for an exceptional Congress celebrating FIATA’s 100th anniversary.

During the visit, FIATA’s Director General, Dr Stéphane Graber engaged with FEDESPEDI’s President, Mr Alessandro Pitto, as well as FIATA Region Europe (REU) Chair, Ms Antonella Straulino, and FIATA Vice President, Mr Mauro Da Ros. With Mr Pitto based in Genoa, home to one of Italy’s most significant seaports handling 51.6 million tonnes of cargo annually, the discussion naturally focused on the challenges facing the maritime sector. The exchange highlighted FIATA’s ongoing work with maritime stakeholders, particularly in digitalisation, strengthening industry relationships, and addressing sustainability and decarbonisation challenges. These topics are especially relevant ahead of the upcoming International Maritime Organization (IMO) Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) meeting, where FIATA will represent the voice of freight forwarders in its role as an IMO observer. For more information about FIATA's submission outlining key considerations regarding the implementation of a carbon levy, particularly its potential impact on freight forwarders click here.

The delegation also met with the Professional Congress Organiser (PCO) to ensure a seamless and high-quality event experience for participants from across the global logistics industry.

The agenda centred on inspecting key venues to ensure an exceptional experience for Congress attendees. MiCo – Milano Convention Centre, the main venue for the Congress, was a focal point of the visit. As one of Europe’s largest and most modern congress centres, MiCo will provide a world-class setting for FIATA’s centennial celebration.

Additionally, the delegation visited various locations for networking and social activities, carefully selected to enhance the Congress experience and foster meaningful connections among participants. Discussions focused on ensuring that the event aligns with FIATA’s vision and values, while also showcasing FEDESPEDI’s strong heritage in logistics and its ambitions for the future.

With excellent progress made, a second site visit is planned for September 2025, as preparations accelerate. FIATA looks forward to welcoming the global logistics community to Milan in 2026, for a truly historic and impactful Congress.

Upcoming FIATA Events