By: Air cargo week

The International Air Cargo Association (TIACA) opened the Air Cargo Forum (ACF) 2025 in Abu Dhabi, with a packed plenary session of carriers, airports and logistics providers outlining current demand conditions and infrastructure plans in the region.

“It’s wonderful to see the global air cargo community gathered in a city that perfectly embodied connection, collaboration and innovation,” Stanislas Brun, Chief Cargo Officer at Etihad Airways, said. “Abu Dhabi is a city built on a vision and partnership, a bridge between East and West, where progress meets purpose.

“Our commitment to innovation continues through investment in digital transformation, including our smart tech solution, providing real time visibility, predictive insight and productive management to deliver a smarter customer experience.”

Speaking to the audience, outgoing TIACA Chair Steven Polmans pointed to the addition of Abu Dhabi to its conference locations as a reflection of the strength of the operations in the Middle East: “We made a bold decision to make this a yearly global gathering with two fixed locations, Miami and Abu Dhabi. The Middle East has long been a growth engine for our industry, and will continue to be.

“Our ambition for this event is big. We want the Abu Dhabi forum to grow and stand shoulder to shoulder with our Miami edition as a key platform for collaboration, innovation and leadership in our industry.”

Infrastructure and capacity expansion

With attendees arriving into Abu Dhabi via Terminal A of Zayed International Airport, which opened two years ago, the growth and development of the airport was on show to all before the conference even began. Abu Dhabi Airports was keen to emphasise this progress, as it looks to capitalise on cargo and passenger growth trends.

“We are the key enabler for economic growth and diversification for Abu Dhabi, and we are playing a central role in accelerating the emirate as a global connectivity,” Carsten Norland, Chief Commercial Officer at Abu Dhabi Airports, said. “We have just celebrated that we have transported the last 12 months more than 31 million passengers.

“In 2024, we have grown our cargo business more than 21 percent and we are now above 700,000 tonnes,” he said.

The East Midfield Cargo Terminal, scheduled to open in late 2027, is intended to expand handling capability and support integrated logistics services. “This state of the art terminal will span approximately 90,000 square meters and is being designed to handle up to 1.5 million tonnes of cargo,” Norland explained. “We are creating an ecosystem where airports, airlines and trade partners move as one to unlock all the new demands which we see.”

Collaboration and industry priorities

Long-term sector resilience depends on shared planning approaches and the alignment of operational standards and ongoing changes in sourcing patterns and inventory strategy require coordinated airfreight, warehousing and distribution capacity.

“Your presence here reflect the strength, resilience and power to improve spirit of carbon destiny,” Velora chief executive Jubran Albreiki said. “Collaboration and knowledge sharing is more important than ever,” he said.

“It’s wonderful to see the global air cargo community gathered in a city that perfectly embodied connection, collaboration and innovation,” Brun concluded.