As the afterglow of an honest-to-goodness peak season in 2014 lingers in the winter air, many businesses in the air cargo supply chain are experiencing something they’ve rarely felt over the past five years – confidence. Perhaps it’s time for the industry to start asking: Could this return to modest, steady growth be the “new normal”?
In early January, a survey of IATA-member air cargo execs and airfreight CFOs found that 71 percent said they expected to see increased cargo demand for the next 12 months. An even larger group – 78 percent of those surveyed – said they expected an increase in profitability over the same time period, partially due to the historic drop in fuel prices. It’s a refreshing change after the long years of stagnating volume, rising fuel prices and excess capacity.
Change is, indeed, happening everywhere – even here at Air Cargo World. Alert readers have no doubt noticed our new graphic look since we joined Royal Media Group last year. Now we are adding some new faces to the magazine, including my own. With more than a quarter-century of magazine editing experience, covering such business topics as insurance, Lean Six Sigma, entrepreneurism and solid waste management (yes, really), I joined this talented ACW team in September and am excited to take on a new challenge, just as the industry appears to be on an upswing.
I’d also like to introduce another addition to the ACW team, Linda Ball, our new associate editor. Linda joined Royal Media in December, bringing 13 years of solid reporting experience to our permanent staff of writers. We’re thrilled to have her on board. Over the next few months and beyond, Linda and I hope to meet a lot of ACW readers at various industry events this year – specifically at AirCargo 2015 in New Orleans, the IATA World Cargo Symposium, as well as our Air Cargo Excellence Awards Dinner, in Shanghai, and the CNS Partnership Conference in Orlando, Fla.
Of course, without our loyal readers, this magazine could not exist. Air Cargo World is as much your magazine as it is ours, so I invite you to join the dialog. If you have any comments, questions or story ideas – or if you just want to chat about air cargo – please contact me at [email protected].
Our aim is to continuously improve this magazine as the number-one source for airfreight logistics information. We can only do that with your feedback. Together, let’s make 2015 a year to remember.
Randy Woods
Editor, Air Cargo World