Top 4 observations from TIACA’s Air Cargo Forum

The return of Olivier Bijaoui

We all knew he couldn’t stay away for too long. Two years after selling ground-handling giant WFS to private equity firms Cerberus Capital Management, Olivier Bijaoui has re-entered the ground services market by announcing the launch of a new competitor to WFS, called Transborder Aviation Holdings, which he has co-founded with  Simon Caviezel, former co-chairman of Cargo Airport Services (CAS), focusing on new business models to meet the demands of the e-commerce revolution .

“Today’s air cargo market demands leading-edge service offerings allowing airlines to remain competitive in a logistics world where transparency, speed and quality will be fundamental demands from the market,” stated Bijaoui said during an ACF press conference. “The market is asking for mid-size quality providers, with network service, at a time when new challenges and opportunities are emerging. With this new company we will drive service quality and expand the network throughout the Americas, serving airlines looking to offer top-class handling for their customers.”

Caviezel added that “Ground handling services need to adapt to the new challenges of e-commerce, while air cargo verticals such as pharmaceuticals, aerospace and automotive demand a new approach, and a new way of serving the global airline customer base.”

In addition, Bijaoui recently made investments in France Cargo Handling (FCH), based at Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG), and Belgium Airport Services (BAS) in Liège Airport (LGG). FCH, which has 12 locations in France and offers cargo handling and trucking services throughout Europe. Although Transborder will be based in Fort Lauderdale, in the U.S. the holdings from FCH and BAS will most likely be included in the new global company’s European operations.