By Glyn Hughes, director general, TIACA

The global economy and consequently the air cargo industry are facing challenges that change daily with geopolitical tensions, supply chain disruptions, air space and maritime shipping lane restrictions all impacting the global trading environment.

Yet, against this backdrop, we must continue to battle forward with sustainable solutions aligned with the premise that we look after our people, the planet and enhance global prosperity.

Whatever challenges we face, its ultimately our people that will help us prevail. This is a true assertion in almost every walk of life and the air cargo and logistics industry is no different.

The workforce challenge

As challenges evolve and mutate so must our thinking to address and overcome. In order to be multi-faceted we need to ensure the workforce is adequately staffed and adequately equipped.

We must ensure, now more than ever, that we can attract, retain and develop a diverse and inclusive workforce to ensure we are fully prepared with diverse approaches to problem solving.

In order for air cargo to fully meet future projected demand we must grow as the aviation industry must grow. However, growth will require an increased workforce. A recent report published by ICAO drew attention to the impending shortfall in licensed aviation professionals.

Looking at the four categories of licensed professionals, pilots, cabin crew, air traffic controllers and maintenance technicians, the projected demand for new employees highlights the scale of what we must attract.

Collectively, the above table illustrates that the aviation industry will need to attract nearly 2.5 million new licensed professionals over the next 20 years. When you consider the need for unlicensed professionals to staff cargo and passenger terminals and facilities and other ground support staff, you could easily anticipate these categories requiring two or three times this many.

A monumental challenge. So how do we attract? Then how do we retain? Firstly, we must change how we present our industry to prospective new recruits. We must focus on the value and benefits that aviation and specifically air cargo brings to the global economy and global community.

We must recognise that the next generation look for different motivators and drivers from previous generations. Working conditions, ongoing development, use of technology, and the sustainability profile of prospective employers, are all new factors that feature into prospective employee decision making and will continue to evolve with time.

Job and skill profiles will also evolve differently and will add to the challenge of ongoing development and retention.

Environmental impact

The second aspect of sustainability that we must continue to focus on is the impact on the environment.

It has been well documented that the aviation industry has collectively committed to achieving a net zero operating environment by the year 2050. There are clear pathways being developed that will lead to the achievement of this target but one thing that is very evident is the reliance on sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) which will probably account for about 65% of the target achievement.

Current levels of SAF that have been produced in just a limited number of locations have been fully consumed, via direct consumption or book and pledge systems. An ICAO meeting, CAAF/3, held prior to COP/29 in Dubai at the end of 2023 had the objective to review the progress of the 2050 Vision for Sustainable Fuel (SAF), including Lower Carbon Aviation Fuel (LCAF) and other cleaner energy sources for aviation. The discussions also helped define an ICAO global framework in line with the No Country Left Behind (NCLB) initiative.

After much discussion, the meeting agreed an interim target to achieve a 5% reduction in carbon emissions by 2030. But even attaining this target will require significant investment in SAF research and refinery capabilities. Governments, the fueling industry together with the investment and research communities will need to make significant strides forward in order to provide what the aviation industry collectively needs.

That addresses what powers aircraft in the air but there is also significant other environmental situations that are getting addressed.

The industry has made big strides in moving away from single use plastics which previously ended up in landfill sites. Bio nature plastic substitutes as well as other alternatives are being embraced by more and more organisations.

Greener ground support vehicles, electric powered and even clean hydrogen powered vehicles are increasingly being seen on ramps around the globe. Freight forwarders and trucking companies are also making investments in green road transport solutions.

Airports are making investments to decrease the impact of noise and many are utilising their real estate and large buildings to house large scale solar energy capture farms.

A better tomorrow

To stand still is to move backwards as the pace of change and expectations accelerates rapidly day-by-day and week-by-week. But the air cargo industry is a vital component of global economic solutions that are crucial for global prosperity in support of the United Nations 17 Sustainable Development Goals. So, we have no choice but to run fast together for a better tomorrow.

DID YOU KNOW…

Aviation Business News (ABN) is highlighting the staffing crisis in aviation this year with our Best Places To Work In Aviation awards which will celebrate those companies that are successfully driving new talent into the sector and retaining valuable skilled staff. Click here to register.