At a time when the tanker market is being called upon to simultaneously navigate wars, energy realignments, uncertainty over the fuels of the future and extreme volatility, Christos Kechris, CEO of Aegean Shipping Management, stressed that the key challenge for shipping companies is no longer to “predict” the market, but to build resilience and flexibility.Speaking at Naftemporiki’s 10th Shipping Conference, he noted that volatility has always been an inherent feature of shipping, particularly Greek shipping.However, he pointed out that the market today is experiencing a combination of successive crises: the pandemic, the war in Ukraine, the Red Sea crisis, tensions centered around Iran and the Strait of Hormuz, as well as the pressures of the energy transition.“Flexibility is the key word”Kechris underlined that companies should focus not on forecasting volatility, but on building resilience.On the commercial side, he described flexibility as “critical,” noting that companies need limited exposure to the spot market, while also pursuing “smart” time charters with profit-sharing clauses in order to secure stable cash flows.The new investment “trilemma”In terms of investment strategy, the CEO of Aegean Shipping Management referred to a new “trilemma”: a full order book, historically high newbuilding prices and uncertainty over the fuel of the future.“We are being asked to invest without knowing what the technologically accepted solution will be,” he said.As he explained, the company is investing in energy-efficient eco-design vessels while continuously monitoring developments.Fear of a major accidentKechris also issued a strong warning regarding the shadow fleet and the risk of a major environmental accident involving aging vessels.“What concerns me is a sudden reaction by international organizations in the event of a major pollution incident,” he said.According to Kechris, past experience shows that in such cases regulators often place modern vessels and aging ships in the same category and proceed with extreme measures.