Fresh from his appointment as the new Chairperson of SkyTeam Cargo’s Cargo Executive Board, Delta Cargo President Peter Penseel sat down with Air Cargo Week to discuss his focus for the alliance moving forward.
What do you see as your priorities as you step into the role?
After just a few days in the role, it’s still early for me to fully dive into the details, but from my perspective, I see an important opportunity. What I aim to bring to the group and our alliance is the creation of an IT infrastructure that gives our customers clearer visibility into routes with seamless booking access, enabling them to better utilise all airlines’ capacity. If we can make that happen, it would add significant value to the alliance. I believe the distribution channels must be transparent and accessible to all SkyTeam customers, and I plan to make this a key focus at our next board meeting in a few weeks.
As SkyTeam Cargo celebrates its 25th year, how have you seen the alliance and the industry evolve in that time?
I believe the alliance can truly add value for its customer base by enhancing visibility into available capacity. In my view, this means ensuring that all capacity across SkyTeam is accessible for booking, rather than individual airlines operating independently. From my previous experience on the customer side, I always return to the same point: to add real value as an alliance, you need to quantify and make the collective network of all members visible to customers.
How does your background in multiple leadership positions at global airlines provide a foundation for leading an alliance in an increasingly interconnected world?
Gaining knowledge is important, but it’s equally important to share that knowledge and sometimes take a critical view, especially from the customer’s perspective. I believe it’s essential to reflect on our own actions before pointing out others’ shortcomings.
That’s something I’ll bring to the table—drawing from my experience on both the freight forwarder and airline sides. With this global perspective, I can better understand what we need to provide in order to meet customer expectations.
I believe this insight is valuable, but of course, others will ultimately judge how much value I bring to SkyTeam Cargo management. Still, I’m confident that having experience on both sides of the industry offers a unique advantage.
Many people come with strong backgrounds in either freight forwarding or airline operations, but having worked in both gives me a broader perspective, and I think that’s a significant asset.
How does your understanding as a member of the alliance shape the approach you aim to take in your new role?
Cooperation isn’t just about creating more PowerPoint slides. It should come from aligning and integrating our networks. If you’re a customer, that’s the real benefit you’re looking for.
Integrating multiple networks into a unified model that customers can more easily book and utilize would expand the overall network and offer far more value to customers than what individual airlines could provide on their own. That’s the true purpose of an alliance—to combine networks and serve customers on a much broader scale.
Looking at the airfreight landscape, how critical are alliances in supporting members through uncertain times, challenges and turmoil?
Challenges will always exist in our industry — I’ve seen this throughout my 30 years in the field. There are always unexpected events, but the strength of a broad and integrated network, like ours, is key.
SkyTeam Cargo operates on a much larger scale than any individual airline, serving customers across multiple directions. It’s not just about transpacific routes—it’s about connecting transatlantic, Asia to Europe, Europe to the U.S., and even South America.
The global network is truly multidirectional, and that’s what makes SkyTeam Cargo so valuable to our customers. However, this value must be visible and accessible to them.
In my first meeting with all the members, I plan to emphasise this: we need to make the benefits of the alliance clearer and more visible to everyone.
How has the increased focus in the airfreight industry on digitalisation and sustainability reshaped SkyTeam Cargo’s approach?
Compared to 15 years ago, airlines are making substantial investments — purchasing new aircraft with more efficient engines, adopting SAF, reducing plastic waste, electrifying ground support equipment – which are driving us toward a more sustainable future of air cargo.
Many SkyTeam Cargo carriers, including Delta, are offering sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) deals with our Cargo customers, helping them meet their own sustainability goals. Delta also aims to integrate sustainability more fully into our airfreight operations As an alliance, we have an opportunity to share best practices and work together to accelerate this transformation.
Will we achieve zero CO2 emissions in the next four to five years?
No, but the investments airlines are making, specifically in scaling SAF, despite being heavy asset-based industries, show that they are truly committed to making a more sustainable future of airfreight a reality.
I think it was a smart decision to transition to a more digital world. Not only does it reduce paperwork, , but it also marks a significant shift.
By moving more processes online, we eliminate waste—items and resources that were once necessary are now obsolete. This ties back to our earlier point: if we continue to invest in IT infrastructure, we can create a booking platform that provides access to the full capacity of all 11 member airlines. That’s how we take things to the next level.
This will be my key focus going forward. Yes, we’ve started by reducing waste and are optimizing the supply chain, but what comes next?
It’s an ongoing process. Investing in IT infrastructure isn’t a one-time effort; it’s the foundation for continuous improvement. Each step opens the door to further innovation, and that’s why we must always ask ourselves: How do we continue to serve our customers better and contribute to a more sustainable environment?
