The 11th edition of International Air Transport Association's (IATA) World Cargo Symposium (WCS) will be held in Abu Dhabi from March 14 to 16. The event is expected to see the participation of about 1,000 cargo companies comprising airlines, ground handlers, regulators and other stakeholders.
The event will be held at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre where about 40 exhibitors are expected to participate.
"WCS 2017 will feature plenary sessions, specialised tracks, workshops and executive summits, tackling aspects related to Technology & Innovation, Security & Customs, Cargo Operations, and Sustainability," according to an event update by the IATA.
ACL Airshop, the Greenville-based company that specialises in leasing, sale, repair and fleet control of Unit Load Devices ("ULDs") and cargo net/strap manufacturing for the aviation industry, said that it plans to ramp-up its hub investments around the world by adding at least five new hubs after having opened four new ones and upgraded three last year.
"Growing our network is a simple, customer-driven strategy. We are building a larger footprint. It makes us an even better partner for our airline clients. We will expand to a significant majority of the world's Top 100 air cargo airports in the coming years," Tony Morgan, president & CEO of ACL Airshop, was quoted as saying in a media release.
Currently, it caters to about 200 airlines at 37 major airport locations.
Air cargo globally
The value of goods transported by global air carriers was about $6.8 trillion last year, almost accounting for 1 percent of world trade by volume. Further, cargo business accounts for about 9 percent of airline revenues, according to the IATA.
