The International Air Cargo Association has appointed Ramesh Mamidala, chief executive officer of Celebi Delhi Cargo Terminal Management Pvt, and Sanjeev Gadhia, founder and CEO of Astral Aviation Ltd, as new board members.

“TIACA represents the air cargo supply chain globally, and Ramesh and Sanjeev will help to expand the links with the regions which are fast developing and are very important for the air cargo industry – Asia and Africa,” said Vladimir Zubkov, secretary general of TIACA.

Mamidala was previously senior manager of Qatar Aviation Services Cargo for Qatar Airways and manager of cargo hub and product development at Emirates SkyCargo. Prior to that, he was senior management consultant for Eicher Consultancy Services Ltd, based in Mumbai.

“The Indian air cargo market is experiencing one of the fastest growth rates in the world with significant potential, expected to double from the current rate in near future,” he said. “I am so honoured and feel privileged to serve on the TIACA board, which I believe will give me an opportunity to integrate the Indian air freight industry with the global market through TIACA. TIACA will be able to reach out to the industry players in India, which I am confident will lead to several of them joining the organization.”

Gadhia launched Astral Aviation in 2000. The cargo carrier has grown to become the largest private cargo airline in Eastern Africa, with a fleet of Boeing 727, 747-400, Fokker F27 and McDonnell Douglas DC9 freighters. He is also vice chairman of the African Airlines Association Cargo Task Force.

“I am extremely honoured and privileged to be appointed, as the only member from Africa, to the board of TIACA, which is an association that I have been a member of for the past 17 years,” said Gadhia. “My appointment will enable AFRAA members and especially the Cargo Task Force, to embrace the opportunities that TIACA will bring aboard in areas such as networking, education and training, industry relations and participation in TIACA cargo events as a group. For TIACA, my appointment will enable the organization to reach out to the air cargo fraternity in Africa and also to assist AFRAA in its lobbying efforts to a global level.”