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

Member Cybersecurity Alert, Airfreight Strategy Insights, and Industry Engagements

FIATA e-flash
18 April 2025

Cybersecurity: FIATA Members Targeted by Spam Emails – Stay Alert!

FIATA has recently been alerted to a surge in spam and phishing emails targeting its Members. These deceptive messages often appear to come from trusted sources, including FIATA contacts, and may request personal details or urge immediate action. Please take a moment to review the important security steps below to help protect yourself and your organisation:

  1. Verify the Sender’s Email Address
    Always examine the full email address by clicking on the sender’s name or viewing the contact details, particularly in Outlook. Do not rely solely on the display name. It is essential to note that FIATA transitioned from the '@fiata.com' to the '@fiata.org' domain in 2021. Communications from '@fiata.com' should be treated as suspicious, as this domain is no longer in use.
     
  2. Cross-Check with FIATA’s Official Listings
    If you are unsure about the identity of a sender claiming to represent FIATA, consult the Governance section of the FIATA website (Presidency, Extended Board, and HQ Team pages). Be cautious—using the FIATA logo, names, or email signatures does not guarantee authenticity. When in doubt, reach out to legal@fiata.org.
     
  3. Double-Check Emails from Extended Board or Presidency Members
    FIATA Presidency and Extended Board members do not operate from '@fiata.org' addresses. If you receive an email from one of these individuals using an '@fiata.org' domain or any unfamiliar account, verify directly with the FIATA HQ team.
     
  4. Review Payment Information Carefully
    FIATA’s official bank account is based in Switzerland and begins with a ‘CH’ IBAN. If you receive an invoice with bank details outside Switzerland, do not proceed with payment and contact FIATA immediately.
     
  5. Scrutinise the Content and Formatting
    Look out for small red flags—spelling mistakes, unusual colours or logos, unexpected changes to invoice amounts or formats, and unfamiliar contact details may signal a phishing attempt.
     
  6. When in Doubt, Do Not Engage
    If you suspect an email is fraudulent, do not click on links, download attachments, or reply. Instead, forward the message to legal@fiata.org for verification.

FIATA encourages all Members to refer to the FIATA Cybersecurity Essemtials Guide for further best practices and tools to navigate digital threats effectively.

Should your organisation or Member Association be impacted by a cyberattack, it is vital to report the incident to your national cybercrime authorities and inform your members to help prevent the spread of malicious activity.

FIATA would like to remind you of its Membership invoicing and the payment process:

Call for Nominations: FIATA Region Asia-Pacific Chair and Vice Chair

FIATA wishes to kindly remind its Members in the Region Asia-Pacific that nominations remain open for the positions of Chair and Vice Chair of FIATA Region Asia-Pacific (RAP), in preparation for the forthcoming Electoral General Meeting to be held during the 2025 FIATA World Congress. 

In accordance with Article 3 of the FIATA Regional Rules and Procedures, the election of the Regional Chair and Vice Chair candidates is administered by each respective region. The results are subsequently submitted to the FIATA Presidency for its consideration. The FIATA Presidency at its discretion may nominate the candidates elected by the Regional Committee for the Regional Chair and Vice-Chair positions at its discretion for confirmation by the General Meeting and Extended Board respectively (Ref: Article 3(a)-(b), Regional Rules). 

To assist with the organisation of the election process, which will take place on 22 May 2025 during the FIATA-RAP Field Meeting in New Delhi, please find below the key steps and information:  

  1. Candidate eligibility: According to Art. 3(c) and (d) Regional Rules, the eligibility criteria for candidates for election as a Regional Chair and Vice Chair are as follows: 
  • the candidate: (1) must be one of the appointed Member delegates within the Region, and (2) may have in-depth knowledge of the freight forwarding industry in the Region; and 
  • the candidate should have been an active FIATA delegate for at least four (4) consecutive years. 
  1. Submission of nominations: Please complete the FIATA Regional Chairs Nominee form and FIATA Regional Chairs Nominator form by Thursday 24 April 2025. Both forms must be filled in for each nomination to be complete. 
    It should also be noted as per Article 4.6.2 and Article 4.7 of the FIATA Statutes, Association Members whose annual membership (in this case, the 2024 subscription fee) contributions are not fully paid by the official deadline shall not be eligible to nominate any candidate. 
  2. Regional election: 22 May 2025, FIATA-RAP Field Meeting, New Delhi. 

FIATA encourages all eligible members to participate in this important process. Should you have any queries or require further information, please do not hesitate to contact the FIATA Headquarters at regions@fiata.org. 

Airfreight: FIATA Reinforces Forwarder Voice in IATA and Cargo iQ Industry Dialogues

On 13 and 14 April, immediately preceding the World Cargo Symposium in Dubai hosted by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the FIATA Airfreight Institute (AFI) Chair, Mr Dawit Woubishet, and the FIATA Legal Services Director, Ms Andrea Tang, were specially invited to participate in important industry exchanges with the IATA Cargo Services Conference (CSC) and the Cargo iQ Board, on which FIATA is an observer member. 

Discussions with the IATA CSC focused on forwarder perspectives regarding IATA ONE Record, which is planned to become the preferred industry standard from January 2026, at which point a transitional period will begin. FIATA emphasised the shared goals of industry digitalisation, which require close collaboration between IATA and FIATA to ensure that the broader benefits of digitalisation can be realised effectively. Collaboration with FIATA, as the global representative of the freight forwarding industry, is crucial to ensure that the sector can move forward together, taking into account the needs of companies of different sizes and at different stages of the digitalisation journey worldwide. FIATA reiterated the need to ensure alignment between the ONE Record standard and the electronic Negotiable FIATA Multimodal Bill of Lading (eFBL), underlining the importance of industry interoperability. IATA highlighted its support for advancing this joint work. Critically, FIATA stressed the importance of trust, which depends on transparency and clarity regarding data sharing and data governance principles, and referred to its work with the Global Shippers Forum (GSF) on a Data Governance Charter. This was well received, with several airlines reiterating the importance of data governance for all actors—an area that will continue to be addressed in the joint collaboration between IATA and FIATA.

At the Cargo iQ Board, discussions focused on new initiatives to strengthen collaboration with key industry observer members, including FIATA, for mutual benefit. Cargo iQ’s vision is to be a collaborative, multistakeholder supply chain community facilitating the development and implementation of quality and operational performance management standards to continuously improve the value of airfreight for customers. This includes work on the Master Operating Plan, cross-stakeholder business requirements, and support for data-driven improvements and the implementation of member quality roadmaps. FIATA became an observer member of the Cargo iQ Board in 2023 and has since worked to ensure the voice of the global freight forwarder is reflected in Cargo iQ’s work. Notably, FIATA contributed significantly to the Cargo iQ Master Operating Plan through the work of the AFI Taskforce on Safety and Security, and work is ongoing with the AFI Chair on a Cargo iQ pilot.

FIATA will continue to leverage its key industry position to support Cargo iQ’s work on quality and excellence in air cargo operational processes, bringing value to its forwarder member community through collaborative process optimisation.

Logistics Outlook: Navigating Risk in Freight Forwarding - Insights from FIATA’s Director General

In the Spring 2025 edition of Cargo Airports & Airline Services (CAAS) magazine, FIATA Director General, Dr Stéphane Graber, shared a forward-looking perspective on the airfreight industry's role in a year marked by uncertainty. With geopolitical shifts, capacity pressures, and rising regulatory demands shaping the global landscape, Dr Graber outlines how agility, collaboration, and preparedness will define resilience in 2025.

The FIATA Director General highlighted the need for interoperability and interconnectivity as well as how greater alignment in digital systems and governance is essential to avoid fragmentation and unlock the full potential of logistics digitalisation. The article also explores how optimising air cargo operations—through multi-stakeholder cooperation, regulatory harmonisation, and the modernisation of longstanding frameworks—can help the industry adapt to growing complexity and evolving market needs.

Dr Graber underlines FIATA’s longstanding cooperation with the International Air Transport Association (IATA), particularly in the drive to modernise the Cargo Agency Programme. The work towards a modernised Global Air Cargo Programme aims to establish a harmonised framework that reflects today’s operational realities, enhances collaboration between airlines and freight forwarders, and addresses shared challenges including digitalisation, safety, and the growth of e-commerce.

Through initiatives such as the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)–FIATA Dangerous Goods by Air training programme, joint work on the IATA Cargo Handling Manual, and FIATA’s leadership on Pre-Loading Advance Cargo Information (PLACI) implementation, the article reinforces FIATA’s role in building a safer, more connected, and forward-looking airfreight sector..

For a deeper understanding of these pivotal topics, read the full article in the Spring 2025 CAAS issue.

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