Silk Roads in the Sky - Kazakhstan Cargo Hub First Central Asia TIACA event opens in Astana, Kazakhstan

Created on 25.06.2024 16:08

On June 20, 2024, the Regional Forum on Cargo Transportation and Logistics commenced in Astana under the auspices of the International Air Cargo Association (TIACA), supported by the Ministry of Transport of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Civil Aviation Committee, and the Aviation Administration of Kazakhstan.

Welcoming remarks were delivered by theMinister of Transport Marat Karabayev, the Chairman of TIACA Steven Polmans, TIACA Director General Glyn Hughes, and Director General of the Aviation Administration of Kazakhstan, Catalin Radu. The opening ceremony of the forum, entitled “Silk Road in the Sky – Kazakhstan Air Cargo Hub”, was also attended by the Director  General of “Kazaeronavigatsia” RSE Nurzhan Akhmetov.

The Forum, themed "Silk Road in the Sky – Kazakhstan Cargo Hub", aims to significantly contribute to achieving the Concept of Developing the Transport and Logistics Potential of the Republic of Kazakhstan until 2030. Additionally, negotiations between individual organizations will take place during the Forum, and it is expected that documents will be signed between several airports (in Astana, Karaganda, and Aktobe) and MNG Airlines, MSC Air Cargo SA, Coyne Airways Limited, and Alpha Sky (Kazakhstan) (TBC). Memorandums of cooperation will also be signed between TIACA and local airports (in Aktau, Aktobe, Astana, Karaganda, and Uralsk) and the SCAT airline, as well as between the International Air Cargo Association (TIACA) and the JARUS organization.

There are 23 airports in Kazakhstan, including 8 airports with operating cargo terminals in Almaty, Astana, Aktau, Atyrau, Aktobe, Karaganda, Shymkent, and Ust-Kamenogorsk. The airports in Astana, Karaganda, Aktau, and Aktobe also have the potential to develop as cargo hubs.

More than 300 participants from 30 countries joined the Forum, representing various organizations involved in the entire freight transport chain. Notably, these included shippers, forwarders, ground handling providers, airports, airlines, manufacturers, and information technology providers.

During the forum, industry experts discussed current issues in several areas, such as the regulatory framework of the industry, an overview of the current state of the cargo transportation industry, multimodal logistics, the creation of cargo aviation hubs, trends, innovations and digitalization of air cargo transportation, opportunities and challenges of e-commerce, sustainable development of cargo transportation and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).

In the fourth session of the aviation forum entitled “Building Air Cargo HUBs”, Kairat Tlenshin, Deputy Director of the ATM Department of “Kazaeronavigatsia” RSE, spoke.

In his speech, Kairat Nikolaevich noted that Kazakhstan has huge potential for the development of air cargo transportation, and told which of the projects of the national air navigation service provider can contribute to the creation and development of cargo aviation hubs in the Republic of Kazakhstan and in Central Asia. He also dwelt in more detail on the main characteristics of the air traffic management system in Kazakhstan.

The interaction of Kazakhstani companies with the global community and the use of advanced technologies will help to increase trade turnover with Central Asian countries by 2.4 times, from 6.3 to 15.0 billion US dollars, including an increase in Kazakhstani exports by 560 million US dollars.

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