Vertannes wins Martin Schröder Award
Desmond Vertannes, former Global Head of Cargo at the International Air Transport Association (IATA), had received the Martin Schröder Award 2014 for his contribution to the air cargo industry. Martin Schröder (83), founder of Martinair and name giver of the award, presented the award yesterday at the National Air Freight Debate in the Netherlands.The award, founded to recognize individuals or companies who made valuable contributions to the air freight industry, was awarded to Vertannes because he worked to decrease transit times at IATA, of which he was Global Head of Cargo from 2010 until 2014.
Transit time
The award ceremony also marked the start of the National Air Freight Debate, organized by Dutch transport magazine ‘Nieuwsblad Transport’, the Dutch Shippers’ Council (EVO) and Air Cargo Netherlands (ACN). At the debate, shippers, carriers, truckers and policy makers debated on ways to decrease the transit time by 48 hours.
Over the past thirty years, the average transit time has remained stuck at six days. While a passenger plane brings consumers door to door from Amsterdam to Beijing within 24 hours, a package delivery takes a mere 144 hours.
Decreasing the transit time is possible, the debate attendees agreed, by connecting different parties in the supply chain even closer and send cargo information ahead of shipments. Decreasing the transit time should make air freight a more attractive way of transport for business.