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TIACA and ICAO hold Africa conference in June to strengthen ties

THE official opening of Ethiopian Airlines' new air freight terminal will coincide with the air cargo conference in Addis Ababa, Africa, on June 27-29 that is being held by air cargo supply chain association TIACA in collaboration with UN aviation body ICAO.

Air Cargo Development in Africa will be hosted by the Ethiopian Civil Aviation Authority and Ethiopian Airlines.

TIACA's secretary general, Vladimir Zubkov, said that the association will be holding a back-to-back cool chain conference in Addis Ababa to link to the ICAO event, while Ethiopian Airlines will present the first phase of its US$150 million terminal at the event, London's Air Cargo News reported.

The ICAO conference will focus on the implementation of the Lome Declaration on Air Cargo Development in Africa, adopted in Togo in August 2014 by participants from 22 states, international organisations and aviation stakeholders.

The key areas agreed in Togo include: liberalisation of market access and air carrier ownership and control, cooperation throughout the cargo supply chain, security and facilitation, funding for infrastructure and intermodal integration.

TIACA will supplement its push on the continent by building contacts with the African Civil Aviation Commission (AFCAC) and various African trade development organisations.

While Mr Zubkov wants to deepen TIACA's footprint in the Middle East and Asia Pacific regions, he told a briefing in London that Africa and Latin America were key regional targets, adding that TIACA is also hoping to organise a second event with ICAO, to take place in China next year.

In addition to ICAO, TIACA is strengthening relationships with the World Customs Organisation, the World Trade Organisation (WTO), IATA, Airports Council International and SITA, the air transport IT and communications specialist.