TIACA's Air Cargo Forum 2026 returns to Miami under new leadership

Miami hosts TIACA's Air Cargo Forum 2026 for the third time, and for the first time it runs under two fresh names at the top: Chair Roos Bakker and Director General Mammen Tharakan, who took the job in August. That's a full leadership reset at the industry's biggest gathering, arriving without a visible scratch on the organisational paintwork.

TIACA describes the transition to Bakker as smooth, preserving what it calls seamless continuity of leadership. Tharakan brings 25 years of international aviation experience to the role. A quarter-century in the sector is the kind of number that tends to quiet sceptics, at least for a while.

What does ACF 2026 actually offer?

The format is familiar to anyone who has attended before: a three-day exhibition plus a conference programme, wrapped in networking events. The exhibition floor will host airlines, airports, ground handlers, forwarders, GSSAs, customs bodies, suppliers and technology providers. In other words, most of the air cargo value chain under one air-conditioned Miami roof.

The conference programme mixes panels and presentations across two stages — a main stage and a smaller "spotlight" stage for more intimate sessions. TIACA says the lineup draws top industry leaders from across the supply chain spectrum and hopes it will generate challenging discussions during and after the programme. Challenging discussions are, of course, easier to promise than to schedule.

The organisation frames the event's commercial purpose plainly: facilitating new business relationships and cementing existing partnerships. For forwarders and carriers weighing the trip, that's the practical pitch.

The social calendar, in detail

The event opens with a full day of social and networking activities rather than sessions. Etihad's support brings the second annual Etihad Cargo Golf tournament, running in parallel with a Pickleball Mixer and, for the disciplined, Yoga on the Green.

After a round of business meetings, attendees converge on the Exhibition Hall for the evening reception — the TIACA Cargo Crawl, hosted by MSN Air Cargo. Expect live entertainment stations, dance routines, magicians, artists and raffle prizes. It's a trade show, but not exclusively.

Tuesday evening is deliberately unstructured: attendees are encouraged to explore Miami Beach's restaurants and night spots on their own. Wednesday brings the Connecting Cargo Reception, co-hosted by conga at the Art Deco National Hotel, which TIACA labels not-to-be-missed. Miami's hospitality sector will take that as a firm booking.

Announcements incoming

TIACA promises several announcements throughout the week, framed as evidence of how dynamic and growth-oriented the air cargo industry is. No specifics yet, which is standard practice — the industry likes its reveals timed to the podium, not the press release.

The organisation closed its message by thanking attendees for their support and recommitting to delivering the best event and experience it can. Routine phrasing, but it signals that ACF's organizers see the attendee base as secure rather than something to rebuild.

What does this change for shippers and forwarders? In the near term, little: same city, same three-day format, same exhibition breadth. The real variable is whether the Bakker–Tharakan pairing uses the platform to set a recognisable agenda — the promised announcements will be the first test. Watch Miami for the substance behind the golf carts.