BRUcargo to launch Air Cargo Belgium with Polmans as chairman

The BRUcargo community in Brussels is launching a new independent organisation that will work to improve the logistics and cargo operations linked to Brussels Airport.
The new Air Cargo Belgium organisation, which will be launched in February next year, is the next stage of development of BRUcargo’s Strategic Committee.
Brussels Airport head of cargo Steven Polmans has been nominated as its chairman. Polmans told Air Cargo News that having a separate legal entity with paying members would make it easier to hirer staff and subsidise projects.
He said it had yet to be decided how many staff would be hired and whether they would by full-time or part-time.
While Polmans will act as chairman, someone from the local Chamber of Commerce will become vice chairman and the secretary general will be a representative of the airline association. Representatives will be re-elected by members every two years.
BRUcargo will continue with its work on developing cargo operations in the Brussels area while ACB will have a much broader scope and wider membership, including suppliers to the air cargo industry
Polmans said the new organisation was influenced by the work of Air Cargo Netherlands and that 85% of its members would also be members of the Dutch group.
While the new organisation carries Belgium in its name, all work carried by ACB must be to the benefit of Brussels airport.
However, Polmans said the organisation could work with other airports on certain topics, such as e-freight, e-air waybill, or pharma facilities, if doing so will improve Brussel’s logistics chain for stakeholders.
Summarising the ACB in its member newsletter, BRUcargo said: “Early 2016, we will take a next step by forming a new independent organisation taking over these activities and further professionalising them.
“The current members of the committee will be the founding members of the new organisation, but other companies and stakeholders will also be able to join.
“The new organisation will represent the BRUcargo community on all levels and has a clear goal: strengthen BRUcargo, grow the volumes and drive innovation to the benefit of all stakeholders.”