The event was organized by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and Budapest Airport. A wide range of industry players, including authorities, freight forwarders, airlines and ground handling agents, took part in the event to discuss important current challenges facing the industry during panel discussions.

The main topics included the digitalization potential of air freight and technological innovations. The fact that the average transportation time for air freight is six days, a quarter of which is spent on border controls and various administrative processes alone, illustrates the enormous potential. It is therefore essential to introduce innovations that speed up such processes and increase transparency.

Anca Apahidean, IATA Area Director for Eastern Europe, emphasized in her opening speech: "One third of international shipments are currently carried by air and the freight sector supports a total of 65 million jobs worldwide. In order for the industry to maintain its competitiveness, in addition to digitalization efforts, the handling processes should also be automated, as these have remained unchanged in air freight over the last twenty years."

"Without a strong logistics community and effective cooperation, the growth of air cargo at Budapest Airport would have been impossible. The support of the Hungarian government and authorities was and is indispensable for us," said Jost Lammers, CEO of Budapest Airport, in his opening speech. He emphasized that Hungary's GDP growth of over 5 percent and the expansion of the automotive and pharmaceutical industries give cause for optimism, even though the volume of air freight in the region has declined. The volume of air freight handled at Budapest Airport is expected to reach 150,000 tons in 2019. This also shows that BUD Cargo City has come at exactly the right time. The new logistics center is scheduled to be handed over to the airport by the end of the year.

Zsolt Veron, the head of the supervisory department of the Ministry of Innovation and Technology, emphasized that Budapest Airport could become one of the most important cargo hubs in the region. Airport management plays a decisive role in this. "The government's task is to create a predictable environment for investment and to simplify processes," he said, adding: "Budapest Airport is reaching the upper limit of its handling capacity, which is why, in addition to the cargo development projects already announced, major investments are required."

At the end of the conference, the participants visited Cargo City, which is currently under construction. The logistics complex at Budapest Airport is a 46 million euro project that is being fully financed by the airport operator. The project, which is due for completion by the end of the year, will enable air freight companies to work together even more effectively. Around 2,000 people are employed directly at the airport for the cargo business alone, with a further 10,000 employees working indirectly in the cargo business.