Podcast: Brandon Fried closes chapter with Airforwarders Association

Brandon Fried may be retiring as executive director of the Airforwarders Association at the end of the year, but he intends to remain active with the industry, he says in this week’s episode of “Cargo Facts Connect.” After leading the Airforwarders Association for more than twenty years, Fried looks forward to aiding the industry’s growth independently, noting that there is still much work to be done. He identifies two main areas of focus: the near-term tightness in global freighter capacity, and sustainability, since only 2% to 3% of the SAF needed by the industry is available. “I’m concerned about a lack of feedstock for the future,” Fried says. “There are only about 650 [large-widebody] freighters now available worldwide, and we’re concerned about that.” Reflecting on AfA’s milestone achievements, Fried points to TSA’s Certified Cargo Screening Program, which enables certified facilities to pre-screen air freight before acceptance by an aircraft operator or indirect air carrier. The idea faced significant resistance in Washington, D.C., when it was proposed after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. “There were opinions on Capitol Hill that freight should not be flying in the bellies of passenger planes due to security issues,” he says. “And we convinced Congress as well as the TSA that we could handle the job of handling our own security, and we did.” Fried’s outlook remains upbeat despite the uncertain trade environment and believes freight forwarding will always have a role in helping customers overcome the challenges ahead. “We’re advisers and we’re called in for that role,” he says. “Flexibility, being the source of information to the customers, is never going to go out of style, so we’re bullish on the future.” Tune in to this week’s episode of “Cargo Facts Connect” to hear Fried discuss his takeaways as an industry leader with Editor Jeff Lee and Senior Associate Editor Robert Luke. A transcript is available below. This transcript has been generated by software and some transcription errors may remain. Robert Luke Hello and welcome to another episode of Cargo Facts Connect, the podcast of cargo facts and the newsletter of record for of the aircraft, freighter and cargo industries for over 40 years. I’m Senior Associate Editor Robert Luke, and it’s Friday, February 27th. Industry veteran Brandon Fried confirmed last week that he will be retiring as executive director of the Airforwarders Association at the end of 2026. In today's episode, we will dive into his experiences as executive director, his key takeaways and what he looks forward to as he plans his transition into his next phase in the industry. Robert Luke Hello, Brandon. Thank you for joining us here at Cargofacts today. And once again, congratulations on your years of service in the air freight forwarders industry and your completion of time as Executive Director of Air Forwarders. If you could just give us a brief breakdown of what your plans are now that you are. Or stepping down as the Executive Director of Air Force and what you look forward to doing next in your next chapter here. Brandon Fried Sure, Robert, and thanks for having me today. I we announced my retirement last week during the Year Cargo 2026 conference in Orlando and I told the crowd that I am retiring, but I'm not disappearing. So I'm retiring from the Airforwarders Association after 20 years, but I hope to still stay involved in the industry. So if someone needs help either here in Washington or in the industry somewhere, I'm always available and you know, I'm going to be still connected Again, this has been 20 great years. It's been a a a job full of passion and I think we've been very productive along the way and that is a good thing for our association as we continue to grow. By the month and you know, make it an actual impact within the industry itself. Robert Luke Thank you, Brandon. As you emphasized, you are not going anywhere, but just simply transitioning into a role where you're more of a support or or should I say catalyst to continue fulfilling some of the things that you've championed in the past. What were some of your biggest achievements, if you could just kind of expand on that as Executive Director of Air Forwarders Association? Brandon Fried I think one of the most significant achievements that the Air Forwarders Association has made over the last 20 years is making sure that not only are we relevant, we become the voice of of it, of our industry in Washington, but things like, you know, the the certified cargo screening program. At the TSA, that's a TSA initiative that we were very instrumental in helping TSA implement. We now have the ability, if our members so choose, to screen our own cargo off airport. And and tender to the carriers, the air carriers prior to departure. When I took the helm, it was right after the the few years after 911, but there were some crucial. Challenges that were occurring in Washington. There was a basically there were opinions on Capitol Hill that freight should not be flying in the bellies of pasture planes due to security issues. And we convinced Congress as well as the TSA that we could handle the job of of of handling our own security and we did. So I think that that is a significant piece of what we've done in the last 20 years in addition to that. We've also helped the TSA implement the third party privatized canine program to help us with that screening. So we use dogs as well as technology to perform the screening task more efficiently. And I think that was done with with stakeholder groups, but also you know, primarily through the Air Forwarders Association. So as I look back on my tenure here, I'd say that stands out the most. We've also been very involved. In in other issues, let me give you an example. Truck ingestion at the at the airports reached an all-time high during the pandemic and it still exists today. Our trucks are waiting two and three hours. A day just to tender cargo at the major airports throughout the country. This is a global problem as well because these airports haven't received much in the way of funding or investment in the cargo areas, and forwarders are paying for that through excessive waiting time. Lost opportunity with customers. You know, we sell time for a living and minutes count. So if we're sitting at the airport waiting to either tender or recover cargo, that's costly for our customers. We're dealing with truck fraud issues now that we didn't have at the beginning. You know, the bad guys have gotten smart. And they're using their automation to commit cyber crime and and mass themselves as actual shippers. And they're stealing trucks full of cargo. By masquerading as the actual ship or trucking company. Those are just two things that are that are coming to mind. And of course obviously there's, you know, we we are now on the international stage, we're members of the Federation of International Freight Forwarders. So we're involved internationally as well, which has been a change. Over the last 20 years. Robert Luke Thank you for sharing, Brandon. For the for those in the audience that may not know, can you give the time on when the cargo screening was accepted and began implementation and how that has evolved since you guys championed that milestone within the industry? Brandon Fried Yeah. So, so basically the the 9/11 Recommendations Act, I believe some in 2026 or seven I believe was was basically the the legislation. That allowed for the TSA to implement a certified cargo screening program. But really this, you know, this whole thing dates back to the Air Transportation Security Act that was passed right after 911. That called for TSA to get the creation of TSA, but also for TSA to to develop a security program that include known shipper and and other security initiatives that had not been in existence. Before, and we've basically sprung off that. And as a result, cargo security is far safer today than it was on 9/11 when there wasn't a lot of screening being done at that point. Robert Luke Thank you, Brandon. In addition to the cargo security, what are some other things within the industry that you've noticed over your 30 years of service and how has that positively or should I say how has that evolved since your time as the since you began serving as Executive Director of Air Forwarders Association? Brandon Fried Yeah, well, so you know, you take security aside, it's doesn't mean it's not important because we're very focused on that. We need to be safe. But I've seen sustainability come in as as much more of a concern. Over the past few years, this administration now tends to downplay it, but previous administrations and probably future presidential administrations will start emphasizing again. And and so we, you know, we're working with our air carriers now. With, you know, sustainable initiatives such as sustainable aviation fuel for use on flights, we're taking measures within our facilities, converting to electric warehousing vehicles, changing our our lighting. And basically implementing the sustainability initiatives that our customers are asking us for. And I think that's exciting. A concern we're having, however, is that only about two or 3% of the of the needed sustainable aviation fuels available now. So I think governments have to step up to the plate and they need to start investing more and incentivizing these companies to to produce more. The airplane manufacturers have to get the engines prepared because they all they they can't just take sustainable aviation fuel now they have, it has to be mixed. So I think in the future we're going to see some changes there. I think that that there are, you know, it's interesting that we've also seen not only belly aircraft operations but freighters and we're concerned, you know, a lot of our our members charter freighters, I'm concerned about a lack of feedstock for the future. There are only about 650 freighters now available worldwide and and you know we we're concerned about that looking forward. Robert Luke OK. And Speaking of looking forward as we kind of try to see what's going to happen in the next five years, but don't really know until it happens. You mentioned truck congestion, you also mentioned capacity issues, but where do you, how do you see the industry as far as trajectory is concerned? Growing or decreasing or where is it heading over those next five years? Brandon Fried Yeah, good question. You know, my crystal ball is in the shop, but I can tell you that the industry is bullish on itself and and the the the forecasters think that freight forwarding will significantly increase over the next 10 to 20 years. IATA is is projecting 4% a year growth and we back that we we you know freight forwarders are multimodal. Most of us don't have fixed assets. We we purchase the assets as we need it so. That means that we're flexible and in an uncertain trade environment such as what we're seeing now and we might see in the future as well, we are, we're advisors and we're called in for that role as well. So flexibility being the source of information to the customers is never going to go out of style, so we're bullish on the future. Jeff Lee Brandon, looking back, is there something that you know you've talked about your your achievements and the accomplishments, but is there something that perhaps you wish you you had been able to do but either couldn't or didn't? Or maybe something that you didn't get to complete. Brandon Fried Well, you know, there's always work to be done. There's there's never a project that is is fully completed. Jeff Lee Right. Brandon Fried I I think that the automation piece is something that's exciting. I wish that the industry had adopted it earlier, but that's water under the bridge. I think that, you know, the automation piece is something that I I look at as as forwarders are starting to adopt, they're starting to embrace more. I don't know what's going to happen on the artificial intelligence piece. That's interesting, but I believe that going forward we need to not necessarily completely depend on AI, but realize this is a palm to palm, person to person business and it will always be so but I think that automation is a tool and I wish we had adopted it earlier, but we're making up for lost time now. Jeff Lee Right, right. And on a similar note, I mean, is there or what else must still be improved or what? What? Like you said, there's always work to be done, but is that maybe one thing that stands out as? Brandon Fried Yeah, yeah. Well, one thing that stands out for me is, you know, when when the Air Forwarders Association was started, this was primarily a domestic US organization, and that's changing, but it's taken a while. We tend to represent not only U.S. companies, but the offices of international firms that have US operations. So our global outreach is increasing and I wish we had done that earlier as well. But again, we're like as with automation, we're making up for lost time and I. And I think that's important. But one of the things that we've learned here at the Air Forwarders Association is that you need to be at the table in Washington. You you can't be absent. If you're not at the table, you're on the menu. And I as I look back on on you know my tenure here, maybe I would say that we could have been at the table faster on in certain initiatives. But at the same time we were there and we we stayed at the table, we engaged. And that's something we had not done prior to my administration. Jeff Lee Well, I mean, yes, it's always easier to look back and say we could have done this or should have done this, but I'm sure the industry will be very thankful for all the things that you've done for this industry and so we we thank you as well and we congratulate you on your retirement and we're sure you won't be able to to stay away. So we we we know you won't be gone. Brandon Fried Well, that's very true, and I appreciate your time today. And remember, I'm retiring from the AFA, but I'm not disappearing. I'll still be around. Jeff Lee Yes. In the meantime, we hope you you yeah, you're able to, you know, rest a bit and enjoy your your time. But but yeah, so we we know you'll be in the background. So thank you very much again, Brandon, and we hope to talk to you soon. Brandon Fried My pleasure. Robert Luke That was Brandon Fried, executive director of the Airforwarders Association. And that’s all the time we have today. For more coverage of the freighter aircraft market, visit cargofacts.com. Thank you very much for tuning in, and join us again next time. Subscribe to Cargo Facts Connect on iTunes or Spotify , or download the episode on Transistor . Cargo Facts will present four invaluable events for airfreight professionals in 2026, the next of which is <a style="color: #ff0000;" href="https://cargofactsevents.com/asia/?utm_campaign=22235567-CF%20Asia%202026&utm_source=Editorial&utm_medium=article%20event%20footer&utm_term=CF%20website&utm_content=Learn%20More&utm_source=Weekly+Update+-+Cargo+Facts&utm_campaign=fbe548904b-CF+Update_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_621baa6827-fbe548904b-40083601&mc_cid=fbe548904b&mc_eid=adbe8bb0b4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cargo Facts Asia on March 23-25. To see the agendas and register for the events, visit CargoFactsEvents.com .

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