Senior air cargo executives have urged a balanced approach toward the booming e-commerce sector, stressing the importance of maintaining relationships with traditional customers. There was agreement among industry leaders at TIACA’s Air Cargo Forum in Miami that long-term growth depended on supporting traditional clients and ensuring capacity remains available for them.

The head of cargo for United Airlines, Jens Krems, said the airline prioritized capacity for its regular customers over e-commerce due to limited capacity. Similarly, Finnair prioritized safety and preferred traditional verticals like pharmaceuticals and perishables. Anna-Maria Kirchner, global sales head at Finnair Cargo, highlighted safety concerns over undeclared items in e-commerce shipments, despite strict EU regulations.

Airfrwarders Association’s executive director, Brandon Fried, cautioned against prioritizing short-term gains from e-commerce. He stressed that traditional shippers still value personal service and expertise. “Shippers still want a personal touch. They still want you to be able to handle complex logistics challenges. And we want the room to be there on the planes.”

Source: The Loadstar