International Road Feeder Association Launches at Aviation Connect in Athens

The International Road Feeder Association (IRFA) was announced at the Aviation Connect event in Athens this week. Six founding firms from Europe, the US, and Australia have committed to the new not-for-profit body, which is being registered in Luxembourg.

Henrik Ambak serves as the association's chairperson and secretary. The leadership board includes Michael Rau from Arthur Welter Transport, Christian Georgi from Georgi Transport, Ram Menon from Wallenborn Transport, David Smorenburg from Jan de Rijk, Kirk Ejdys from Thor Xpress, and Justin Bailey from Wymap Transport. According to member Ram Menon, the idea for the association originated two years ago at a previous Aviation Connect event. He also noted that this is the first association of its type.

Core Objectives and Challenges

The new association will tackle a series of critical operational challenges. Its agenda includes creating a standard contract and service level agreement for airlines and road feeder providers. It also aims to set standards for slot allocation at airport cargo terminals, develop data standards for real-time cargo visibility, and promote sustainability initiatives.

Slot allocation at airports is a major and specific pain point. Inefficient processes cause truck and driver hours to be lost, which leads directly to service failures and missed flight connections. The IRFA aims to create solid standards for slot allocation to reduce these failures and increase overall efficiency.

Improving driver access to airport cargo terminal facilities is another key objective. This focus is intended to help address the current driver shortage plaguing the industry. On sustainability, the association aims to support the development of charging points and hydrogen refuelling stations at airports to promote greener road operations.

Henrik Ambak stated that road feeder services are becoming increasingly important in airline cargo operations. Ram Menon added that these operators are often forgotten but are essential, and the association aims to give them a voice for structural and tangible industry contributions. A standardized contract would help streamline tendering, contracting, and service follow-up processes for all parties.

Industry Significance

The launch carries significant weight for European logistics. One third of all air cargo in Europe begins or ends its journey with a road feeder service. This dependency shows the critical role these trucking operations play in the continent's supply chain.

The IRFA aims to represent the entire road feeder services industry and its stakeholders. It plans to recommend best practices across a wide range of areas. These include security, sustainability, safety, documentation, process, systems, regulations, and training.

The association's immediate focus is on establishing concrete standards for slot allocation at airport cargo terminals. The goal is to directly reduce the costly losses in truck and driver hours that currently undermine efficiency.