Between running to interviews, servicing my car and buying furniture, I spent a lot of time this month trying to find my way in Al Quoz and fearing of my life. Would one of those big trucks drive over me? Is that warehouse going to explode? Am I going to die from lung cancer from breathing in this noxious air?

Similar to how Sajith Sarathchandran, CEO of Bin Yousef Cargo Express, describes the Qatar freight forwarding industry, this region has it’s share of highly professionalised companies, but also a great number of organisations which will cut costs at any expense – unqualified workers, inadequate facilities, environmental terrorism.

But, as Sarathchandran says, and the likes of Bill Hill with GAC have reverberated in past issues the market is consolidating. Only those who are certified , standardised and professionalised will survive.

And for those companies who are struggling to do so, LOG.Middle East is here to help. In this issue Scott Sykes and Vicki Wrona, in separate articles, offer advice on managing risks, Casey McFann takes a look  at ISO 28000 certification, as well as fire safety, and Amira El-Gawly explores the world of access control.

If you need a little push to up your ante, you can always move to Dubai Industrial City.

The development tailored to factories, which will feature plenty of warehouses and logsitics providers, is setting it’s standards high, grouping relevant certifications such as the ISOs and OHSAS 18001 under one label it calls the Dubai Quality Mark. In fact, CEO Rashed Al Ansari says DIC has already rejected around 35 per cent of applioants due to thier failure to meet this mark.

If you’re worried about the costs of implementing security, health, safety and environment standards – get over it. As Al Ansari explains, the price of losing your warehouse to fire started by your neighbour is far more than the price of preventing such fires.

Next time any area of the city goes up in flames, I hope I’m living in a container. Rod Dyck with Penguin Container Trading and Repairing Services LLC (PCTRS) says he can outfit a shipping can to be 100 per cent fire proof, sucking out any air to kill the flames (I think you’d have to step out of the container first). Check out our cover story and I think you’ll be quite amazed.

Speaking of PCTRS, they are one of many companies moving to DIC. In the meantime, you can find them in Al Quoz. Please don’t call me for directions, however – I will only get you lost.

Kathryn Semcow
Editor
kathryn.semcow@dvvmedia.com

chances of that? It couldn’t be very high, or coincidental for that matter. Both ships have since been detained, though the Korean ship was just recently released after posting US$60,000 for repairs to the cable.

Between you and me, I bet the Somali pirates had something to do with it. I don’t know if they have submarines on those ‘motherships’ but it wouldn’t surprise me. Those guys are pretty serious, and from what I understand they’re not a big fan of blogs. GPS and satellite phones they’re all for, but Facebook doesn’t serve in their best interest. After all, they’re covert pirates who operate in the dead of night, plundering ships and cutting internet cables, a little anonymity can go a long way. But I digress.

As this month’s LOG issue retains an emphasis on security, I’m reminded of an incident that took place last week at the annual WTA Techno-Mart convention. With major logistics players like JAFZA and Dubai World in attendance, I was eager to see what technological advancements they had planned. I arrived just as the event was starting and made my way to the front booth. The attractive young lady working the forum gate handed me my press credentials, as well as a new leather laptop bag adorned with the Techno-Mart logo, and pointed me to the assembly door. Standing at the entry was a security guard, smiling, greeting people as they came in. As I approached, his mood quickly changed. Gone was his welcoming demeanour and friendly grin. I immediately took notice and wondered what could be wrong. Was I blacklisted? Did I look like a security threat? Impossible, as I was already scheduled to meet Fayez Maarrawi of Dubai Trade to discuss their new platform. Turns out my name badge was unintentionally facing the opposite direction. Carrying my new laptop bag (as well as the one I came with) and cup of coffee, my pass must have inadvertently flipped over. Made no difference to him, as he obviously thought I was trying to pull a fast one, some kid off the street trying to meander his way in.

Needless to say, the potential security breach quickly resolved itself when I put down my bags and flipped over my credentials. For the next two days of the conference, as I came and went through the same doors, spotting the same guard, I intentionally showed the blank side to him and flashed a scheming smile. Without exception I was required to flip it over every time. But I’ll have to say, though the ship they ran was a tight one, the conference was indeed secure.

“In the past 17 years I have not turned off my mobile phone,” says Mahmood Amin, Chief Executive Officer, Group Security & Dubai Security Services, who often receives phone calls in the middle of the night. “But all the time I am smiling when I answer it,” he adds.

Mahmood Mohd. Amin, Chief Exec Officer, Group Security & Dubai Security Services

It’s no surprise Amin receives calls at all hours, considering he heads the security department for over 50 of Dubai’s most important organisations, including DP World, JAFZA, Dubai Maritime City, Tejari, Istithmar, Port Zayed and Dubai Drydocks World.

The UAE national, who started his career as an engineer for Dubai Aluminium, says he never stops thinking about security, even when he is spending time with his three daughters, whose ages range from three months to seven years. “I don’t talk to them about security, but I know how to drive them to do things in a secure way,” he explains. “I tell them, ‘If you walk here, your shoes will be dirty, then I will not let you into the house.’ But my point is security – that the grass is wet, and they might slip.”

Having attended over 970 seminars on the subject, Amin says you can never have too much security. “Security is like gold. Anything you pay for to be more secure is like gold,” he says.

“I’ve come to know that this is the place you can always make changes,” he says. “There are always new policies, new procedures, different activities; instead of a routine job where you sit looking at documents coming in which are always the same. It’s also a good way to help a lot of people, support a lot of people.”

Amin says his organisation wants to set Dubai’s security standards above all others, and is looking into technology such as biometrics, which involves facial recognition and fingerprinting.

“Everything has become electronic,” he says. “Security today is not carrying a gun around in your pocket and running around. Security today is perimeters and systems, which will allow you or stop you depending on whether or not you are authorised.”

He says Dubai’s greatest security challenge is conforming to both European Union and United States standards. “Europe is going one way, and the US is going the other way,” he says. “If they could just bring their policies together, to become one policy and one standard, then security can streamline it’s operations and fully support business."

Amin says Dubai’s greatest danger is not terrorism or nuclear obliteration, but rather traffic accidents. “Our biggest threat is the some of the drivers’ educations,” he says, explaining that his department has worked with Dubai’s Environment, Health and Safety (EHS) department to improve road signage. “We found the solution, that pictures work better than writing,” he says proudly.

He says the emirate is one of the safest places in on earth. “Thank God, the past has been kind with no major incidents," he exclaims. “We want to tell everyone we are working to maintain this security record through becoming even more advanced in our systems and processes.”

management process, and keeping open the lines of communication — a good risk management process is critical in cutting down on surprises, or unexpected project risks.

Step one of the risk management process is to have each person involved in the planning process individually list at least 10 potential risk items. Often with this step, team members will assume that certain project risks are already known, and therefore do not need to be listed.

Step two of the risk management process is to collect the lists of project risks and compile them into a single list with the duplicates removed.

Step three of the risk management process is to assess the probability (or likelihood), the impact (or consequence) and the detectability of each item on the master list. This can be

done by assigning to each item on the list a numerical rating such as on a scale of 1 to 4 or a subjective term such as high, medium, or low.

Step four of the risk management process is to break the planning team into subgroups and to give a portion of the master list to each subgroup. Each subgroup can then identify the triggers (warning signs) for its assigned list of project risks. All triggers should be noted, even minor ones. Normally there will be at least three triggers for each risk.

Step five of the risk management process is for those same subgroups to identify possible preventive actions for the threats and enhancement actions for the opportunities.

Step six of the risk management process is for the subgroups to then create a contingency plan for most but not all project risks – a plan that includes the actions one would take if a trigger or a risk were to occur. This plan will be created for those risks scoring above a certain cut-off point, which is determined after looking at the total scores for all risks.

Step seven, the final step in planning the risk management process, is to determine the owner of each risk on the list. The owner is the person who is responsible for watching out for triggers and then for responding appropriately if the triggers do in fact occur by implementing the pre-approved and now established contingency plan.
Rather than start this risk management process from scratch for every new project, it can be followed once to establish a list of generic project risks and triggers, skipping step three. Then, a team simply has to add project-specific risks and triggers and assess the probability, impact, and detectability for each risk, saving a great amount of time and helping to ingrain a risk mentality into your project culture.

By Viki Wrona
President, Forward Momentum, LLC, a consulting and training company, and an instructor with Westlake Training and Development

With last month’s hijacking of the French luxury yacht Le Ponant, shippers should be reminded that off the coast of East Africa, piracy is alive and well. This isn’t the sort depicted in Hollywood, or glorified in historical accounts, but rather a modern and sophisticated operation, where mobile phones, speedboats, and assault rifles are the tools of the trade.

"We stood facing each other. No one had ever pointed a loaded gun at me before and staring into the barrels, I became weak with fear. I knew I had to maintain some control. The older boy massaged the trigger with his forefinger.

He jabbed the barrel of his rifle into my ribs, silently egging, taunting, challenging. His deep-set eyes, like black glass marbles, drilled into mine with inexplicable anger. I stood before him with my teeth clenched, unflinching, staring into those depthless sockets. He poked my gut, then jabbed harder, testing the tenderness of the meat. Emboldened, he jabbed again as if the barrel of his gun were a bayonet," writes John S. Burnett in his book Dangerous Waters: Modern Piracy and Terror on High Seas.

Most shipping agents and cargo handlers have heard the stories. Notoriously active off the coast of Somalia, piracy hijackings are on the rise as of late. With no effective government since 1991, the pirates have blazingly roamed free, unaccountable to sovereign jurisdiction.

Somali pirates have not been too interested in the theft of cargo, but attracted more to the crew’s personal belongings and contents of the ship’s safe or lock box, which often contains large amounts of cash needed for port fees or payroll. This money is often used to acquire more weapons or advanced technology such as GPS devices or satellite phones. Many are fishermen, as well as trained fighters, and often dress in military fatigues, posing as Somalian navy or coast guard.

Pirates understand the real treasure is in the taking of hostages, while demanding ransom from the vessel owners or shipping companies. Knowing the high value of ships, goods and personnel, pirates correctly calculate the ransoms private owners or corporations of the ships are sure to pay.

“While their ability to seize ships gets a lot of attention, their real strength is organisation,” says Bob Couttie, Founder of the Maritime Accident Casebook.

“Once a ship is seized, a logistics chain ensures that those aboard can hunker down during extended ransom negotiations with supplies of food, water and cigarettes for a long period, and replacement pirates put on board to allow the other pirates some rest and recreation. It’s an expensive business but the rewards of the warlords who finance the operations are high.”

Ships are normally recommended to stay more than 400 kilometres off the Somali coast. Though pirates have responded to this by using ‘motherships,’ or large boats stationed in open waters well off the coastline. With the ability to launch smaller speedboats, ‘motherships’ also act as a refreshing point for returning pirates.

“You can’t do much to a people that have nothing and who are already hurting desperately. Calls not to pay ransom are little more than bluster, and often politically hypocritical. One seafarer, at least, has been executed to make the point, and one wonders how many seafarers’ deaths would be acceptable. Refusal to pay doesn’t work, the kidnappers will simply move on, perhaps after executing the ship’s crew, to another target. Put it like this, if a thug puts a gun to your face and demands your wallet, will he stop robbing people if you refuse to give it over? Of course, not. He’ll shoot you and move on,” says Couttie.

Piracy is seen to be increasing around the world. In 2006, there were 239 attacks globally, 77 crew members were kidnapped and 188 taken hostage, while 15 of the pirate attacks resulted in murder. In 2007, the attacks rose by 10 per cent. Could this be a trend?

“Piracy isn’t going to go away anytime this century,” says Couttie.

If passage through a dangerous strait is necessary, proceed with caution and take the appropriate actions required. “Most importantly,” Couttie says, be watchful of your surroundings.

“When near pirate waters keep a lookout, especially at the pirate’s favourite boarding point, the stern. If unknown vessels approach or behave suspiciously get the crew on deck, show they’re alert, lay out high pressure hoses. And alert the appropriate folk, including the IMB (International Maritime Bureau).

Managing Director George Matthew (front left) and CEO Sajith Sarathchandran (front right) surrounded by their Bin Yousef Team

“Qatar is probably one of the fastest growing economies in the world,” says Sajith Sarathchandran, CEO, of Bin Yousef Cargo Express, based in Doha. “You can see the changes everywhere, every nook and cranny of the country.”

And his company, he says, is keeping up with this growth. “Turnover-wise, we have experienced more than 15-20 per cent growth in business volume in the past year, and consistently over the past three to five years.”

Established in 1985, Bin Yousef Cargo Express is a door-to-door freight forwarder, offering services ranging from air freight and sea freight, to exhibition and live animal handling.

“Our concentration is only on the local market to meet the requirements of clients based in Doha,” says Managing Director George Mathew. “There is good demand. You can see all the construction works going up here, and everything needs to be imported.”

The government of Qatar is handling this change well, according to Sarathchandran. “The approach of Qatar is different from Dubai’s,” he says. “It’s not going for rapid modernisation of infrastructure alone. It’s got a comprehensive approach, in terms of education, health standards and the quality of work it is offering to its expatriates.”

Still, both Sarathchandran and Mathew admit there is plenty of room for improvement, for example with government procedures such as customs and security clearance. “The system, as it is, is very efficient, but the number of imports coming in is weighing down the system,” says Sarathchandran.

“If you go to a country like China or Japan, you will face much longer delays. At the same time we would like to see these little improvements made.”

“Things need to be streamlined,” adds Mathew.

Both say they are looking forward to the new port development. “Doha Port has a lot of problems. It is overloaded, congested. We face no clearance problems with the customs authorities, but still the facilities are inadequate,” says Sarathchandran.

The current Doha International Airport, however, is no problem, says Mathew. “It is not overburdened. Earlier it was, maybe two years back, but now that I can say they are doing a good job controlling the traffic, and a lot of things have been streamlined. We can say the airport is one of the best in the GCC countries.”

“And airport infrastructure will be even better when the New Doha International Airport is ready,” adds Sarathchandran. “The new airport is going to be one of the best in the world three years from now.”

“There will be a lot of air cargo competition coming in. We’ll have better clearance procedures, so it becomes easier for us.”

Sarathchandran describes Doha as a safe place to do business, with excellent security. “They are very nice people to work with, and very matter of fact,” he says. “They are very, very understanding. If you have a problem, you can approach anyone.”

One of the city’s biggest problems, however, is road congestion, he says. “We do have a lot of traffic. It’s increasing day-by-day, because a lot of expats are coming in. Qatar is announcing its presence to the world now.”

“The roads need a lot of improvement. They are doing a lot of work on them now – that could be the explanation for all this congestion.”

Warehouse prices are also going up. “It is hard to get land, and rental charges are exorbitant,” says Mathew. Bin Yousef has around 1,200 sq feet which it uses for transit storage within the city, and Mathew says it hopes to expand on the fringe areas of Qatar.

By the book Sarathchandran says Bin Yousef, which is ISO certified and a member of FIATA, sits in an industry which is becoming more professional. “The market leaders are following high standards, and there are few two or three man operations. There is room for everyone, because the sector is growing, but there will be a consolidation phase. The bigger companies will slowly grab a hold of all the business, because things are turning more professional.”

Still, Qatar freight forwarders are yet to form an official association. “There is no common platform,” says Mathew. “No one has taken a leap for that. The Qatar Chamber of Commerce also has certain standards which need to be met by any association, but they are not in place.”

“Someone should take the lead to initiate the whole thing,” says Sarathchandran. “The question is, ‘Who’s got the time to do that?”

The small Gulf state of Qatar seems fully aware that in order to host the 2016 Olympics, and the millions of people that will come with it, it will need the necessary transport infrastructure. Changes touted by the Qatar Public Works Authority (QPWA) in order to win approval from the International Olympic

Committee (IOC) to host the summer games include a city-wide metro, new international airport and expanded road network.

By train The QPWA has plans for 140 kilometres of metro/LRT network, BRT/tram lines with routes reaching the new international airport and port, hotels, shopping and residential districts, as well as the planned Olympic Village and ‘Media City’.

Construction of the first 85 kilometres of the metro is scheduled to begin in 2009 with completion set for late 2015, leaving just enough time to test the system before the Olympics.

By plane Authorities say phase one of the New Doha International Airport (NDIA) should be open for business by late 2009, catering to 24 million passengers per year. The new airport, which sits only 4 kilometres from the existing Doha International Airport, will cover 22 sq kilometres, half of which will be reclaimed from the sea. At a price of US$9.5 billion, developers say the airport will be the largest in the region, allowing for more than 50 million passengers per year when the final stage is completed. Described as a ‘small city within a city’, the new airport will feature a business park, free trade zone, and courier and mail facilities.

By road The Qatar government’s ambitious plans are perhaps most evident by the amount of road construction taking place in and around Doha. The QPWA is building a number of multilane highways and adding extensions to existing ring roads.

They are also reportedly working on plans to build a bypass running across Doha bay, from The Pearl – Qatar, a multi-billion artificial island development, to Qatar’s newest city, Lusail.

Construction of the Qatar-Bahrain multi-billion dollar Friendship Causeway between Bahrain and Qatar is scheduled to begin in May 2008. The 40-kilometre road is scheduled to be completed sometime in 2011.

There is also talk of a US$13 billion, 65 kilometre, causeway to link Doha to Abu Dhabi, but no date has been set for construction to start.

With the economic boom currently taking place in Doha, Doha Port is grappling with all the traffic it is experiencing. The need for a new port is urgent and since it’s on its way, it will be a welcome relief once it’s ready.

“Doha Port is very, very small for the very quick development happening in Qatar since His Highness the Emir, Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al-Thani took over,” admits Capt. Ahmed Yousef Al Mas, Marine Expert for Qatar’s Customs & Ports General Authority (CPGA).

Located in Doha, the port has a navigation channel of 17 kilometres, and is 160 metres wide and 11 metres deep. Facilities, which include nine general cargo berths, two container terminals and a flour mill, are known to be congested.

But a new port, located north of Mesaieed Port (also known as Umm Sai’d) and Mesaieed Industrial City, and south of Al Wakra City, is on the way, says Al Mas. “That area will be an economic zone, and the port will be at the heart of that economic zone,” he adds.

The new port will boast a navigation channel 500 metres wide, 17 metres deep and 30 kilometres long, “to accommodate the bigger ships,” says Al Mas.

CPGA, however, is yet to come up with an official plan. “We are preparing to make a tender for the engineering, design, and programme management very soon,” he says. “The port could be privately operated, or it could be run by the CPGA itself. This is not finalised yet.”

Al Mas says the first stage of the port should be finished in five years, and the second stage, by 2025. The total US$6 billion investment is expected to allow for a capacity of six million TEUs per year.

After that, he says the port will have plenty of room to expand. “There is no restriction to any expansion in the future.”

Within global supply chains, risk management is often the unspoken variable. Recognized standards for security practices have frequently fallen victim to lack of understanding, poor execution, and unregulated handling of goods. The blame is often difficult to assign, as shipments regularly change hands, accountability becomes diluted. With the implementation of ISO 28000, a benchmark of international standards will be set, seeking to coalesce the individual codes of nations among the various supply chain industries.

The International Standards Organization (ISO) has recently introduced the newest voluntary standard, ISO 28000, requiring exporters to ensure that all consignments are subject to a series of checks prior to the goods being packed and containerized. The global objective seeks to anticipate, reduce, or eliminate any potential risk to shipments prior to departure, as well as minimizing threats throughout the greater supply chain. In September 2007, DP World became the first terminal operator to comply, seeking to establish a new precedent within the industry.

“We are delighted to have achieved this certification,” said DP World Chairman Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem.

“This is the very first time that any global company in our industry has met such a rigorous international standard, and is testament to DP World’s commitment to the highest security management practices. It is impossible to overstate the importance security plays in our business, to our customers and to DP World.”

Though ISO 28000 will remain voluntary, the newly established security standard acknowledges those within the supply chain willing to minimize risk, alleviate fraud, and accelerate transit times. Cost-savings could prove beneficial as well, as the price of insuring cargo is expected to be reduced with ISO 28000 certification.

“The compliance with ISO 28000 requirements, should lower insurance claims. A proper monitoring system in place and better control over the goods should make claims easier and quicker. As well as theft, insurance fraud will become difficult, if not impossible, to stage,” said Jasamin Fichte, Managing Partner of Fichte & Co Legal Consultancy.

However with only voluntary compliance, will it ever gain enough traction to make a significant impact in the industry? “Too early to tell,” says Fichte.

“It is capable of becoming mandatory if the industry allows it and becomes adopted across the board. Being based on all the relevant security initiatives, compliance with such international requirements is already an advantageous starting point for conformity with the new ISO standard. Companies have already invested significant amounts of money and time to ensure compliance with the international legislation.

“It may well be that soon every participant in the supply chain who does not comply with the certification will be left out of the market as 1) there will be higher costs for supplying a substandard service and 2) competition,” says Fichte.

ISO 28000 is applicable to all sizes of organizations wishing to conform to the highest international standard whether they are small or multinational, in manufacturing, service, storage or transportation and at any stage of production or supply. Compliance involves a systematic approach dealing in Security Management Policy, Security Planning, Implementation and Operation, Checking and Corrective Action, Management Review and Continual Improvement

Previous international regulatory requirements have not been as thorough or all-encompassing as ISO 28000, though they are each complemented by the new measure. International Ship and Port Facility Security Code (ISPS), Customs-Trade Protection Against Terrorism (C-TPAT), Technical Asset Protection Association (TAPA), Container Security Initiative (CSI), will all remain in effect, inevitably falling under the umbrella of ISO 28000. As communications and technology improve, so too must the standards that safeguard the industry.

“Modern transport and logistics concepts have ensured that even highly complex national and international transport chains are operating more and more effectively and efficiently. As part of this, it is becoming increasingly crucial that the partners along the supply chain are closely interconnected. If one supplier fails, the whole supply chain may break. This is why risks such as theft, damage, smuggling, terrorism and others require systematic protection,” says Ashraf el Sherbiny, Country Office Manager of UAE for Germanischer Lloyd.

“A specific and certified risk management system based on a uniform security standard is an important step for any company wishing to be considered as a reliable business partner for transporting goods. To ensure that, certification remains a crucial factor,” said el Sherbiny.

Perhaps the hardest task will not be convincing your company how ISO 28000 could be beneficial, but rather persuading other companies to get on board as well.

“It is recommended that companies who wish to get certified according to ISO 28000 include their partners and subcontractors in their supply chain security concept, as this is the only way to guarantee a consistent, unbroken and reliable security concept for the entire transport chain,” said el Sherbiny.

To aspire for a globally secure supply chain, el Sherbiny believes the implications must be far reaching and inclusive to all parties.

“The challenge is not just container security, consolidated shipment security or bulk shipment security, neither is it the sole creation of shipping corridors. It is the ability to engage the world in a global trade, development and security solution that is good for all nations; a solution that does not favour one nation, one port, one vendor or one individual over another. The challenge is to prepare the world for the near future in which development must occur in third world nations as well.”

Giovanni Bisignani, Chairman, IATA

There is yet no acute panic but the airlines are worried about the loss of cargo to the much cheaper container traffic.

Giovani Bisignani, chairman of IATA, the international platform of the big airlines, is sharp in his analysis: “The container traffic has robbed us of our market share by introducing faster ships, lowering prices and by offering new, innovative solutions. We have stood still for the past 30 years and now they have caught up with us on all fronts.”

“Why do we lose market share?” he questions himself in half an hour of monologue. The answer to that question was answered loud and clear earlier in the day by transport users and dispatching agents – additional fuel levies make air cargo less and less attractive as a transport method. IATA refuses even to discuss this burning issue at a cargo symposium and this in spite of the promise that is included in the conference folder that the transport user is central. Witness the slogan, “Focus on the customer: dialogue to deliver simplicity”!

Nothing comes out of the dialogue on the subject of the additional levies. “The fuel additional levies are a bilateral issue between the airline companies and the transport users and IATA has no say in the matter,” says Aleks Popovich, Cargo Chief of IATA. The airline companies have, in view of the ongoing cartel investigation by the American and European competition authorities and of threatening fines, no desire to take part in difficult discussions. “We are not allowed to say anything about this. It is a very sensitive point for our members and dispatching agents,” apologises the Cargo Director later. And with this, the IATA congress avoids the burning issue, in spite of good intentions and with projects such as Cargo 2000 and E-Freight.

Frightened Director Archie DaSilva of Jet-Speed Air Cargo, cannot conceal a smile when as a member of the panel he nevertheless raises the issue of the fuel levy at a freight forum and observes the panic-stricken faces of the IATA officials with a measure of malicious delight. “The levies are a big problem for the airline companies, but apparently this symposium is not allowed to say anything about this. Why is everybody really so scared of lawyers and cartel authorities and fines? One has to address the problems of this industry and there is unfortunately only one organisation and one platform, which can offer a solution and that is IATA. You must take the lead. If you stick your head in the sand, what about us then? Show some guts.”

According to Bisignani the future will, with the threat of overcapacity, credit crisis in the US, low dollar-exchange, pilot shortages, lack of staff in logistic and congestion on the large airports and in airspace, deliver ‘winners and losers’. “Clients want quality, lower prices, faster and reliable service deliveries. This is no rocket science, but still it will not be easy. We will have to take difficult decisions.” And then the IATA chairman homes in on the fuel levy: “The air cargo tariffs are fair and have, over the years, decreased. The transport users concerns are the allowances, but the word itself is taboo.”

First published in Nieuwsblad Transport