2023 was a good year for aviation safety. According to IATA’s Annual Safety Report, there were no fatal accidents or hull losses for jet aircraft over the year.

‘As safety and security professionals, we understand that these positive outcomes are not merely a matter of luck,’ said Tim Wong, General Manager Cargo Service Delivery for Cathay Cargo, in his keynote session at the World Cargo Symposium 2024’s Safety and Security stream. ‘They are the result of countless hours of dedication and hard work invested by individuals and organisations throughout the aviation community.’

Wong pointed out that air cargo generates its own specific safety concerns. These include mis-declared or improperly packed dangerous goods, loading errors and improperly secured cargo – and the big live issue of the transportation of lithium-ion batteries. Wong outlined some of the mitigations that have enabled Cathay Cargo to keep flying lithium-ion battery shipments, including fire resistant containers (FRCs) and fire containment bags (FCBs), its accreditation for CEIV Lithium Batteries, as well as training programmes and indemnity schemes to help agents avoid making misdeclarations for dangerous goods shipments. The Cathay Dangerous Goods shipment solution itself will be refreshed this year.

‘Cathay Cargo recognises the importance of preventing, detecting and mitigating these risks, ensuring the safety of our operations, along with the wellbeing of our people and customers,’ said Wong. ‘Safety and security are ingrained in our DNA. We’re committed to delivering excellence in safety and security through collaboration, partnerships, and continuous improvement.’

The safety risks from climate change

Safety was at play in the Sustainability stream as well. As the industry works towards carbon neutrality by 2050, it can be easy sometimes to forget the very real dangers we are working to avoid.

‘When we talk about sustainability in aviation, climate change is an issue that is not widely discussed but is important to plan for – what its physical impact will be, and the risks to our hubs and operations,’ said Grace Cheung, General Manager Sustainability at Cathay, in a panel discussion.

To get ready for 2050, and its own individual commitment to use 10 per cent of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) in its flight operations by 2030, Cathay has worked to accelerate the development and deployment of SAF in the region. These include its Corporate SAF Programme, which has now signed up three global forwarders (Dimerco Express Group, Kintetsu World Express and Yusen Logistics). These efforts have, according to IATA.

Working with SAF and employing carbon offsets through Cathay’s Fly Greener programme is critical – but Chris Bowden, Head of Cargo Global Partnerships at Cathay, outlined how innovation and a new mindset are equally crucial. ‘Sustainability is the most exciting area of our business,’ he told the audience in his panel session. ’It’s a sector for thinkers, entrepreneurs, those prepared to challenge the status quo and think big.’

After collecting IEnvA accreditation for the Cathay Cargo Terminal, its Chief Operating Officer Mark Watts highlighted a ‘circularity’ strategy that will see the terminal use plastic cargo cover sheets made up of a minimum of 50 per cent recycled content – recycled from used sheets arriving in the Cathay Cargo Terminal.

‘We believe that sustainability “takes a village”,’ he said, ‘it's a joint effort with companies, their people, their suppliers and their customers. We're happy to share the details of our new sheets so we can work towards making a minimum of 50 per cent-recycled content in all new sheets the industry standard.’

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