This will be my last leadership message as I move on to my new role at HAECO, and it’s an opportunity for me to reflect and thank everyone. My time at Cathay Cargo has been tremendous; working with a strong and growing team over the past five years, and meeting and being informed by our customers about their business and how we can meet their needs now and in the future. This has been a dynamic experience that I will miss greatly.

While I’m sad to leave, I hand over a brand and team of which I am very proud. My successor, Dominic Perret has worked with me and the team to develop Cathay Cargo’s next five-year plan. This is an evolution of the existing strategy, and it retains the vision of becoming the world’s best air cargo carrier. So it is the right time to hand over the reins. I feel confident about Cathay Cargo’s continued success.

Thank you to you all and, I extend my very best wishes for the future and I hope to see some of you in my new role – or at the Sevens, where we might bump into each-other again.

Read more: Reflections on my five years at the helm of Cathay Cargo

Another IATA ONE Record innovation

I mention in my interview (above) the very important role of digitalisation in our transformation of the business. I am happy with the work we have done so far to bring more visibility to the shipment journey, including through the links across different stakeholders using IATA One Record protocols. The latest of these came to fruition this month, when Cathay Cargo became the first airline to offer real-time Customs clearance status via IATA ONE Record. It’s another example of our leadership in digitalisation, and the benefits of the more interconnected, efficient and secure air cargo industry that ONE Record is heralding.

Read more: Cathay Cargo is first carrier to offer customers visibility of Customs status

Road and intermodal options  

There have been innovations in recent years developing the intermodal links to our extended home market of the wider Greater Bay Area, first with bonded built-up shipments by sea for imports and exports, and more recently for seamless perishables imports by truck. Trucking has always played a big role in our operation: not just in Hong Kong but everywhere we operate across the globe. It enables us to balance capacity between airports, or to extend our reach for customer imports and exports. We speak to Cargo Commercial Manager Trucking and Intermodal Robbie Blackwood, who recently rejoined Cathay Cargo to develop enhanced service levels that offer greater visibility and consistently high standards for shipments across the whole journey.

Read more: On the road: the route ahead for trucking with Cathay Cargo

A renewed focus on South East Asia

One of the things that has changed with Cathay Cargo over the last few years has been the development of our brand, and being able to take that message to meet customers face-to-face and develop our brand awareness outside our traditionally strong home markets. This month, we are exhibiting and participating in sessions at Air Cargo Southeast Asia for the first time. There are few other regions becoming so significant in global manufacturing at the moment, as Regional Head of Cargo South East Asia and Oceania Ashish Kapur outlines. On top of existing perishables and garment export, parts of the region are becoming crucial hubs for the high-tech equipment and servers required to power the AI revolution.

Read more: The growing influence of South East Asia in global trade