TIACA'S air cargo 'Hall of Fame' honours John Raven and Ray Crane

A highly respected campaigner for the removal of barriers to trade and one of air cargo's most respected media publishers are being honoured with a place in The International Air Cargo Association's (TIACA) Hall of Fame for their outstanding work in promoting the development of the industry. John Raven and Ray Crane will be officially recognised at a special Hall of Fame Gala Dinner in Moscow on May 24th 2012 during TIACA's Executive Summit and AGM.

 
John Raven, who passed away at the age of 91 in November 2011, dedicated his career to trade facilitation. A former head of the British Coal Exporters Association, in 1968 the UK Board of Trade asked John to set up an expert committee tasked with looking at procedural, regulatory and documentary hindrances to UK international trade. Two years later, he became Chief Executive of the UK Committee for the Simplification of International Trade Procedures (SITPRO) and its recommendation report published in 1970 represented the start of international trade's discussion and drive for facilitation. John also wrote articles and features for the national newspaper, The Daily Telegraph.
 
In the 1980s and 1990s, he worked on behalf of the fast-growing express and courier sector, representing the industry at the World Bank, United Nations' Development Program, and World Customs Organisation. He became director of the International Express Carriers Conference (IECC), whose members include UPS, FedEx, TNT and DHL, and more heavily engaged in WCO matters. During this time, the express industry was particularly influential in helping the U.S. and Canadian Customs support the production of the WCO Immediate Release Guidelines, and took a keen interest in work on the revised WCO Kyoto Convention on the simplification and harmonization of customs procedures resulting in 1999 with a new and significantly improved text.

For the last 10 years, John was TIACA's representative in Brussels providing industry input and support for the development of the post-9/11 WCO SAFE Framework of Standards to Secure and Facilitate Trade, the Data Model, Unique Consignment Reference (UCR), and capacity building for developing countries' customs operations.

Ray Crane is the former chief executive and major shareholder of Air Cargo Media. He launched Air Cargo News in 1983 and sold his interest to a German publisher in July 2011. He had previously been publisher of the monthly magazine, Airtrade.

 
A lecturer for several years at Cranfield College of Aeronautics before launching Air Cargo Media, his 46-year publishing career has also included 10 years with leading Sunday national newspapers The Observer and The Sunday Times. He is also a former Board Member and Trustee of TIACA.
 
TIACA's Chairman's Council said: "It is appropriate that the Hall of Fame should be acknowledging the contributions of John and Ray, who devoted their careers to improving and promoting the air cargo industry. John was a passionate exponent of trade facilitation and a highly respected expert on the subject, both among industry regulators and business leaders. Ray has been a champion of the airfreight business who published what he believed to be in the best interests of the industry and did so with great integrity."

Ray Crane will receive his Hall of Fame award in Moscow and John Raven will be represented at the gala dinner by his daughters, Caroline and Tigga. 

The TIACA Hall of Fame recognises and honours air cargo professionals who have played a role in the progress of aviation and who through their foresight, performance and dedication have created and grown the industry, which contributes substantially to the global economy. The honorees are selected by TIACA's Chairman's Council, which includes all past chairmen and the current chairman of the Association.