Speakers line up for Farnborough Airshow cargo conference

The future of air cargo and cargo technology will be the themes of a two-day airfreight conference to be hosted within the cargo village at the UK’s Farnborough International Airshow 2018 (FIA18) which takes place between 16-18 July.
The 1,000 sq m Cargo Village will serve as an important hub for anyone connected with the industry. Sponsored by Volga Dnepr and CargoLogicAir, it brings together exhibitors, including airports, charter brokers, logistics specialists and security services under one roof, with a static display that provides a rare opportunity for visitors to get close to giant freighter aircraft.
Running alongside the Cargo Village will be a dedicated conference programme curated by IATA.
Industry experts and thought leaders are set to discuss and explore many of the issues affecting this fast-growing industry, from the use of UAVs through to delivering to remote locations. 
The two half-day conference programme starts on Tuesday July 17 at 09.30 for registration and coffee.
Day one will look a the future of air cargo, with an introduction by Glyn Hughes, global head of cargo at IATA, followed by an opening address from David Kerr, chief executive of CargoLogicAir.
Randy Tinseth, VP marketing, the Boeing Company, will talk on the compelling future of air cargo. There will then be a panel discussion involving:  

• Henk Venema, senior VP of network carrier management, DHL Global Forwarding
• Marco Bloeman, managing director, Seabury Consulting
• Abdulla Shadid, managing director, cargo and logistics services, Etihad Airways

After the coffee break there will be a panel discussion: spotlight on special cargo, with contributions from Robert van de Weg of Volga Dnepr and a representative from Panalpina (invited).
Nick Platts, head of cargo, Heathrow Airport, will talk on capitalising on UK cargo growth.
The final morning session and end of the first day of the conference will feature a panel discussion on a vision of the future of air cargo. The panel will include: 

• Vladimir Zubkov, secretary general of TIACA
• Jason Breakwell, vice chairman, TAPA EMEA
• A representative from CEVA Logistics

There will then follow an aircraft tour and flying display.
Day two of the conference will focus on cargo technology.
A panel discussion on new routes to market, the future of unmanned aircraft, will feature contributions from: 

• Alexey Matyushev, founder, Natilus
• Svilen Rangelov, co-founder, Dronamics
• Pau Martinez Prat, UAV development engineer, Falcon Drones Technology (invited)

There will then be an address on UAVs and real life applications, followed by a discussion on developing cargo aircraft by Rafi Matalon, VP marketing, Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) Bedek Group (invited).
A speaker from Hybrid Air Vehicles (invited) will address the topic: going remote – delivering cargo to inaccessible regions, followed by the chairman’s closing remarks, bringing the conference to an end.
Simon Ford, head of sales and sponsorship for Farnborough International, said: “It’s clear that the cargo industry is undergoing a major period of transition; from unprecedented growth and emerging technologies, through to increasing need for freighter aircraft.
"The Farnborough International Airshow has an unrivalled global attendance; there is nowhere more appropriate to exhibit to a target audience, or to have the much-needed discussions about the issues affecting the cargo industry and its future.”
Glyn Hughes said: “The Farnborough International Airshow is an important opportunity to focus on air cargo; it is fundamental to successful trade which means the industry makes a valuable contribution to the global economy.
“I am delighted that IATA is shaping a conference programme which ensures the right speakers and panellists are having insightful discussions about this fast-growing and highly innovative industry.”
As in 2016, the cargo village will be situated by the business aircraft park, and the closest access point will be gate F.
Shuttle buses will be dropping off at the cargo village and the gate F entrance will be used by trade visitors arriving by shuttle bus from Queens Parade and Farnborough main railway station.