THE POSTAL HISTORY OF ICAO

ICAO and The International Air Cargo Association

The International Air Cargo Association (TIACA) is the only organization representing all segments of the air freight supply chain. As a not-for-profit association, this Organization supports, informs, and connects companies and organizations of all sizes with the aim of developing an efficient, modern, and unified air cargo industry worldwide; it champions every size of business, and helps shape the policy which affects all of its members, providing a unifying voice for the industry, working for global standards, and raising the profile of air cargo. TIACA was founded in 1990 and its working Secretariat is located in Miami, Florida, USA; however, the roots go back to 1962, when a committee of the Society of Automotive Engineers in the USA launched the first Air Cargo Forum (held in Atlanta, Georgia, USA) to explore the needs of the emerging air cargo industry. TIACA is governed by its Trustee members, who in turn elect the Board of Directors to manage the organization’s affairs and establish its policy. The Board of Directors manage and administer the organization, oversee the committee structure, and exercise executive authority over our events.

TIACA’s Prior Emblem

TIACA’s Current Emblem

TIACA’s members include all major components of the industry: air and surface carriers, forwarders, shippers, vendors, manufacturers, airports, countries, financials institutions and consultants. TIACA also represents regional, national and city air cargo associations, service providers to the industry, and educational institutions and their students involved in air cargo training.

TIACA hosts two major events, the biennial Air Cargo Forum and the biennial Executive Summit, as well as organizing training and career development programs. TIACA aims to inform both the public and its membership about the role and importance of air cargo, industry developments, and technical trends. TIACA is member of the Global Air Cargo Advisory Group (GACAG), working with the International Air Transport Association (IATA), The International Federation of Freight Forwarders Associations (in French: Fédération Internationale des Associations de Transitaires et Assimilés, FIATA), and the Global Shippers’ Forum (GSF).

TIACA is committed to representing and advocating the interests of the air cargo community at meetings of relevant regulatory bodies including the World Customs Organization (WCO), the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), and others that are open to trade observers.

On 17 May 2018, TIACA rolled out a new look with a fresh logo and redesigned websites to underpin its new vision supporting the development of an efficient, modern, and unified air cargo industry. The Association has adopted a logo, which reflects its global membership, whilst building on a proud 24-year history of representing, supporting, connecting, and informing every element of the air freight supply chain. The new logo includes a globe drawn using a 3D version of the kinetic lines in the original version, and the TIACA acronym with the final A drawn as the wing of an airplane.

TIACA and ICAO agreed to enhance their partnership, a move that follows ICAO Secretary General Raymond Benjamin’s participation in TIACA’s 26^th Air Cargo Forum and Exposition, held in Atlanta, Georgia from 2 to 4 October 2012. In addition to cooperating on airfreight security and environmental sustainability, the organizations will work together to strengthen supply chains. TIACA will also boost its participation in relevant ICAO meetings, a partnership that will propel the international airfreight sector tremendously. TIACA and ICAO will adopt “mutually relevant” standards and appoint individuals to serve as liaisons between associations. TIACA will also distribute materials about relevant ICAO policies, as needed, and encourage implementation among its membership.

On 18 April 2013, ICAO and TIACA signed a Declaration of Intent to strengthen their cooperation on technical matters. The declaration was officially signed in Dallas at TIACA’s 2013 Executive Summit. Under the terms of the new agreement, ICAO and TIACA will work more closely on air cargo and mail security and facilitation, accelerating the evolution from paper-based to electronic practices, environmental stewardship, the liberalization of market access for air cargo services and air cargo safety. ICAO and TIACA have agreed to consult, confer and cooperate on a continuous basis, over and above attendance at formal meetings. They will keep each other informed of projected activities and programmes of work in the areas identified in the Declaration of Intent. TIACA, which is already on the list of international organizations that may be invited to attend suitable ICAO meetings, has agreed to disseminate information on relevant ICAO standards and recommended practices, policies and technical guidance materials and to promote implementation by its members. Each of the parties will also invite the other to be represented by observers at global and regional conferences or meetings relating to the areas of cooperation.

On 28 October 2016, ICAO and TIACA have taken steps to intensify their cooperation to optimize the efficiency and security of international air cargo, a sector that is forecast to grow at an annual rate of 4.2 per cent through to 2032. Their new agreement is outlined in a communiqué resulting from the 28th International Air Cargo Forum & Exhibition (ACF 2016) that was convened in Paris by TIACA and which took place from 26 to 28 October 2016. It builds on a variety of previous agreements that ICAO has undertaken with international bodies on the challenges faced by the air cargo network as it expands.

TIACA has entered a Corporate Partnership with ICAO’s TRAINAIR PLUS Programme, as a result of an MoU between the two organizations that was signed in Montréal on 20 December 2019. According to the Memorandum of Understanding, TIACA and ICAO will collaborate in course development and implementation consistent with the provisions of the Chicago Convention, the standards and recommended practices in its Annexes, and relevant ICAO guidance material and programmes. The significance of this new partnership is being reflected in the development of a first training course to be launched in 2020. Entitled "Safe Supply Chain Course", the course will cover key aspects of air cargo safety, global market overview, and key drivers in supply chain trends. “Air cargo is already delivering key contributions to global sustainable development, and these contributions are forecast to increase dramatically in tandem with the anticipated growth in the industry,” remarked ICAO Secretary General Dr. Fang Liu. “The importance of TIACA’s accession to the TRAINAIR PLUS Programme will help underpin the safety, security and sustainability of this growth. Given that just a decade remains to achieve the United Nations 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, this is crucial.” The TRAINAIR PLUS Programme is a cooperative network of training organizations and industry partners working together to develop and deliver ICAO-harmonized training packages.

Service cover sent from TIACA Headquarters in Miami to ICAO.

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