Has Covid-19 changed air cargo (forever)

Alumni and students are invited to attend a webinar chaired by Dr Robert Mayer, Senior Lecturer in Air Transport Management, Cranfield University. Dr Mayer along with panel members will be discussing the topic 'Has the Covid-19 pandemic changed air cargo (forever)?'

Please do book onto this event to secure you place and to receive the Zoom link one day prior to the event date.

If you are unable to attend the live event but still wish to receive the recording please book here and we will share the recording after the event once this is available.

If you are having any issues accessing your alumni account or booking onto the event please email alumni@cranfield.ac.uk and we will be happy to help.

Programme & speakers

Has the Covid-19 pandemic changed air cargo (forever)?

The Covid-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on the air transport industry. While passenger numbers plummeted, demand for air cargo was fuelled by the need for PPE (Personal Protective Equipment), vaccine distribution and the increasing importance of online shopping. This created a new dynamic in the air cargo sector, that until the pandemic was heavily dependent on passenger aircraft carrying cargo in the belly hold. With Cranfield alumni who work for airlines and airports, we will discuss the changes to the air cargo sector and whether these changes are permanent or transitory.

Dr Robert Mayer, Senior Lecturer in Air Transport Management, Cranfield University.

Robert joined Cranfield University as a Lecturer in Air Transport Management in October 2014. Before this he worked for nine years as Course Leader for Air Transport and Logistics Management at the University of Huddersfield. Robert studied for a degree in European Economics and Business Management in Vienna. He then completed an MSc in Air Transport Management at Cranfield University. He holds a postgraduate teaching qualification from the University of Huddersfield, and a PhD from Loughborough University. Robert previously worked for Austrian Airlines in the Customer Relations Department, where he dealt with customer complaints and administration, including the maintenance and development of a customer relations database. Robert is a Chartered Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (FCILT), an Associate Member of the Royal Aeronautical Society (AMRAeS), and a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA).

Nadeem Sultan (MSc in Air Transport Management 2002) CEO of CargoLogicAir.

Nadeem joined CargoLogicAir UK in February as the Chief Operations Officer before being promoted as Chief Executive Officer. and Accountable Manager. CLA operates 747-400F aircrafts on worldwide cargo missions, providing scheduled services aswell as charters. He joined the VD Group previously holding the role of Director Global SCO operations for all group cargo airlines.  Before joining the group, Nadeem was Vice President – Global Cargo Operations, Qatar Airways (Oct 2014 to 2019) and also held positions with Atlas Air and Polar Air Cargo.  Seasoned aviation professional having worked and lived in the US, Europe and the Middle East, he holds a Masters in Air Transport Management from Cranfield University England. 

Daniel Bell (MSc in Air Transport Management 2018) ex Network Change Executive - IAG Cargo.

Daniel joined international Airlines Group Cargo after graduating from Air Transport Management at Cranfield in 2018. During two and a half years with the company Daniel traversed revenue management, managing the day to day operation of the Heathrow express air cargo warehouse, as well as then developing new specialist air cargo products. When COVID stripped away passenger flying last year Daniel played a leading role getting PPE and other cargo into empty passenger cabins as well as being part of the small team organising cargo charters with passenger aircraft and creating an expansive cargo-only network. At the end of last year this network related work culminated with Daniel putting together and leading the companies COVID Vaccine Task Force.

Daniel has now left IAG Cargo and is going to join a logistics start-up called Beacon, expanding his knowledge of logistics and supply-chain while utilising his air cargo/aviation background

Samuel Speltdoorn (MSc in Air Transport Management 2016) Cargo Business Development Manager, Brussels Airport. 

Samuel Speltdoorn is a Cargo Business Development Manager at Brussels Airport. His main responsibilities are the future developments of the pharmaceutical and life sciences segment, one of the key focus areas of Brussels Airport. He is currently chairman of the local COVID-19 taskforce, BRUcure.

In his previous role Samuel worked at Virgin Atlantic Cargo in London where he was involved in various cargo commercial positions.

Samuel is a Cranfield University graduate and is also actively involved in various Pharma.Aero initiatives.

Kylian Timmermans (MSc in Air Transport Management 2017) Cargo Projects Specialist at Qatar Airways Cargo. 

Kylian Timmermans is a young aviation professional in the field of air cargo. He currently works for world’s largest international air cargo carrier and is based in the Middle East as a Cargo Projects Specialist in the Network Planning department. Kylian has a diverse background having worked in Revenue Management and Operations. He graduated from Cranfield in 2017 with an MSc in Air Transport Management and holds a BSc (hons) in Aviation Engineering from the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences.

Location & travel details

Online via Zoom, the link one day prior to the event date.

Who should attend

All alumni and students welcome to attend. 

Cost & concessions

This event is free to attend.