Turkish Airlines’ chief cargo officer and head of Turkish Cargo, Turhan Ozen has been elected to the board of The International Air Cargo Association (TIACA).

Ozen has extensive knowledge of the territories surrounding Turkey, having overseen business development in the Balkans, Middle East and African regions.

Sebastiaan Scholte, chairman of TIACA and CEO of Jan de Rijk Logistics says that with the opening of the new airport in Istanbul, Turkey is set to become a major aviation hub between Europe and Asia.

He says: “Because Turhan will be present on the ground as this major project works towards completion, his insight will prove invaluable to the TIACA Board and its members.”

Earlier this month Turkish Airlines moved all operations from Ataturk to the new Istanbul Airport.

The new airport, due for completion in 2027 will be the busiest hub in the world, with six runways, boosting cargo capacity.

Ozen says air cargo requires effective leadership, saying: “That leadership needs to be the clear manifestation of the common will to enable us to establish well-functioning processes and a sustainable future vision.”

He adds: “I believe that my Board membership at TIACA will contribute to this leadership in terms of a positive way for the change and for the development of the international air cargo sector.”