IATA-FIATA joint air cargo program takes off in Canada

The new IATA FIATA Air Cargo Program (IFACP) is replacing the existing Cargo Agency Program and will be rolled out globally following the Canadian pilot.    The International Air Transport Association (IATA) and the International Federation of Freight Forwarders Associations (FIATA) have introduced a new air cargo program, dubbed the IATA FIATA Air Cargo Program (IFACP), to replace the existing Cargo Agency Program.
   The IFACP “was developed to meet the evolving needs of the air cargo industry,” the IATA and FIATA said in a joint press release.
   The IATA is a trade association representing approximately 275 airlines, comprising 83 percent of total air traffic, while the FIATA is a non-governmental organization that represents an industry covering about 40,000 forwarding and logistics firms, employing about 10 million people in around 160 countries across the globe.
   Canada is the first territory to pilot their new program, which will be rolled out globally.
   The program will be jointly managed by forwarders and airlines as equal partners in the decision-making process, and a new IATA-FIATA Governance Board (IFGB) has been established to run the program.
   During the roll out, current participants of the IATA Cargo Agency/Intermediary Program will be provided with a new agreement and will automatically join IFACP, continuing their existing enrollment in CASS once they have signed and returned the paperwork, while new applicants will have to submit a form and meet the defined financial and operational criteria.
   IATA’s airline members will automatically be transferred to the new program on the date on which the IATA declares IFACP effective in any given region or country.