International Air Cargo in Time of Crisis: Global Challenges and Modal Shift Provide Transformational Opportunity in Commerce and Law

Abstract

The current pandemic has elevated the critical need for a dependable, resilient, air cargo supply chain to the forefront of commercial and legal discussion. Throughout its history, air cargo has evolved in parallel with other unimodal means of cargo transport into a global multimodal transport paradigm. The unimodal legal regimes governing individual modes of cargo transport have not kept pace with the growth and development of global cargo transport and its associated legal issues. The unimodal regimes do not adequately reflect the relational, commercial, and operational realities of the contemporary global multimodal supply chain. The authors identify key changes in air cargo and multimodal supply chain logistics and relationships, and discuss the resulting contemporary legal issues that have emerged and must be addressed. The authors advocate that a multimodal cargo transport regime is needed to reflect these current realities and to accommodate future multimodal evolution. At a minimum, update and integration of the Warsaw, Montreal, and CMR conventions is indicated. The authors emphasize the essential need for continued integration of new technologies and complete digitalization of the air cargo supply chain in order adequately to prepare for the global multimodal cargo transport paradigm of tomorrow. aviation, air cargo, CMR, Warsaw Convention, Montreal Convention, unimodal, multimodal, global multimodal supply chain, digitalization, technology