International Air Transport Association - Cargo News release for Australia

After initiating both consultative and collaborative discussions between the Airlines and the Cargo Agents over the past 12 months or more, IATA is very pleased to advise that a number of major changes affecting the relationships between the Airlines and the Cargo Agents are soon to be implemented.

Following recommendations from the Cargo Executive Council and the South West Pacific Cargo General Assembly, Qantas made submissions to the Cargo Agency Conference held in Lisbon in March 2005 for changes to the Resolutions as they apply in the Australian marketplace. These recommended changes were passed and have now received the necessary Government approvals to be declared effective 25 July 2005.

Briefly, the thrust of the main changes is as follows:

Ø      There will be equal Airline & Agent representation on the Cargo Executive Council – Australia. The CEC-AU makes recommendations to the SWPCGA.

Ø      Adoption of a new Cargo Agency Agreement which reflects the different legal relationships that exist between Airlines and Agents, recognising as appropriate that when conducting airfreight transactions, this may be either principal / agent or principal / principal based in the various circumstances.

Ø      After a consultative review of the ‘Financial Criteria’ covering the accreditation of Cargo Agents by IATA, it was agreed that changes would be made to such financial criteria for new accreditation and annual renewals of the accreditation.

The IATA office in Sydney is now moving to implement all of the changes over the next few months and is doing so with the full cooperation of the Australian Federation of International Forwarders (AFIF).

Released in Sydney 10^th August 2005

Click here to download Cargo Newsletter July 2005

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