Good Day & Grand Send-Off
   The big hangar at Frankfurt was packed with about 1,800 people, including staff, customers, press, and guests . .
   Then slowly, slowly, the giant doors opened to reveal the big, beautiful, newly created airplane, which Lufthansa Cargo has named “Good Day, USA,” as it began moving silently into the building.

Heavy Weather For Hahn
 Hahn Airport (HHN) has been attempting to position itself as a viable alternative to Germany’s Mega-Hub Frankfurt Rhein-Main for years; now, it’s in a business free-fall, as it struggles to remain attractive for cargo, legacy, and LCC carriers alike.
Hahn looked like it would have a breakout chance after the German Federal Administrative Court edict of April 4th, 2012, which imposed a night curfew between 11pm and 5am at FRA Cargo.

Chuckles for November 18, 2013

Air Cargo News For November 18, 2013

Dubai Air Show Takes Off
  Emirates’ bought another 50 A380s at the Dubai Air Show that opened Sunday.
With 140 firm orders, Emirates now holds almost half of the total order book for the type and more than half of the backlog.

Frankfurt FCS Confirms Seeking Partner
   Last week FlyingTypers reported on a worldwide exclusive that Fraport Cargo Services GmbH was reportedly selling 49 percent of itself to Dnata; this news was denied in a FCS customer letter obtained by FT and dated November 12.
“An online newsletter has reported today that our 100 percent shareholder Fraport has sold a minority share of Fraport Cargo Services (FCS).

Air Cargo News For November 12, 2013

DNATA Buys Into Fraport Cargo Services
   (EXCLUSIVE) RELIABLE SOURCES TELL FLYINGTYPERS THAT THE DUBAI-BASED POWERHOUSE GROUND HANDLING COMPANY DNATA IS PURCHASING 49 PERCENT OF FRAPORT CARGO SERVICES GMBH (FCS) FOR AN UNDISCLOSED SUM.
EXPECT A PRESS RELEASE TO APPEAR ON TUESDAY OR EARLY WEDNESDAY OF THIS WEEK.

Evergreen gone By November 30
   CALL IT A WAR CASUALTY (OR LACK OF ONE), BUT ACCORDING TO REPORTS, EVERGREEN INTERNATIONAL WILL GO OUT OF BUSINESS AT THE END OF THIS MONTH, GROUNDING THE FLEET AND LAYING OFF 131 WORKERS.
   MONIQUE GREGORY, EVERGREEN’S HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGER, WAS QUOTED IN THE OREGONIAN STATING IN A MEMO TO ALL THE AIRLINE’S EMPLOYEES THAT THE PRIVATELY HELD COMPANY WOULD END OPERATIONS ON NOV. 30.

   A LUFTHANSA AIRBUS A340-600 WIDE-BODY JET FLEW FROM FRANKFURT TO MANILA, PHILIPPINES, ON SUNDAY WITH 25 TONS OF EMERGENCY AID ON BOARD, INCLUDING 5,400 FLEECE BLANKETS, 3,000 PLASTIC TARPAULINS AND TENTS, AS WELL AS URGENTLY NEEDED MEDICAL SUPPLIES, DELIVERING FIRST AID TO THE AREA OF THE PHILIPPINES DEVASTATED BY SUPER TYPHOON HAIYAN.

At Air Cargo Americas
Going For Brokers . . . An excellent luncheon by UPS and first-rate presentation by GeoffreyPowell, Vice President of the National Customs Brokers & Forwarders Association.

Meet Mikko Turtiainen, VP Global sales & Marketing for Finnair, with Tony LaRusso (L), Sales Director The Americas, in Miami at Air Cargo Americas. They are extolling the virtues of the “little airline that could—and does,” which delivers many interesting

Step Change . . . “Microsoft Cloud will change air cargo forever,” says Milind Tavshikar, CEO for Smart Kargo, the Cambridge, Massachusetts, company out to set on its ear what the industry knows and thinks about the ability and impact of IT. Milind (left) is pictured with Jay Shelat (center), the old cargo pro for marketing and sales,

Lad & Lasses Lifting Atlas . . . Once upon a time, it was Polar, but now the biggest volume all-cargo carrier ex Miami to Latin America is Atlas Air Cargo. From Miami, Atlas Cargo has scheduled service to several destinations, including Brazil, Argentina, Lima, and Quito.

Ask Ralph Rainer Auslaender, top executive at Leisure Cargo, which destinations are working for the high-flying cargo arm of 15 airlines and he produces a list:

Feelin’ Frisky . . . Despite changes and not a small amount of controversy, it’s good to report that the TIACA presence at Air Cargo Americas in Miami was all hands on deck, with several staff members from the organization’s nearby offices talking up TIACA’s next Air Cargo Forum, which lands at Incheon, Korea just less than one year away, in October 2014.

Oliver Twist . . . Although this was his first time at Air Cargo Americas, Oliver Evans, Chief Cargo Officer at Swiss World Cargo, managed to chair a critical meeting of The International Air Cargo Association (TIACA, where he serves as Chairman), participate in a walk around with some of the most

Zimmer At The Gates . . . A first time whirlwind at Air Cargo Americas, ATC CEO Ingo Zimmer took in the sights and sound and said:
  “I’ll Be Back, maybe even with a stand in two years.”

Just Joe . . . Joe Reedy, VP Sales & Marketing American Airlines Cargo, has weathered the changes 2013 brought and may yet bring, underscoring the “team approach” of the big carrier’s cargo offering as he moved from meeting to meeting at Air Cargo Americas.
  Is ACA a good show?

Delta Cargo Is Flying High
  "Delta Air Lines continues to run a great airline and produced a record $1.2 billion third quarter profit,” said Tony Charaf, Chief Cargo Officer. “Cargo continues to be a significant contributor to our company’s success.
“Delta is running a reliable and consistent operation—we have had a record number of days this year with no mainline cancellations.

Richard Malkin In His Own Write—The Founding Forties
   Over the past few weeks we have read quite a bit about the turmoil within TIACA and the different accounts of what transpired. At the end of the day, everyone will have their own perspectives on this one but we must now focus our efforts on how to make TIACA a stronger organization capable of tackling the challenges that lie ahead, while at the same time addressing the concerns that have been raised by the recent organizational changes.

Special Commentaries
TIACA Needs New Approach
   Over the past few weeks we have read quite a bit about the turmoil within TIACA and the different accounts of what transpired. At the end of the day, everyone will have their own perspectives on this one but we must now focus our efforts on how to make TIACA a stronger organization capable of tackling the challenges that lie ahead, while at the same time addressing the concerns that have been raised by the recent organizational changes.

FIATA Top 4000 Words
   If there is one area in which FIATA seems head and shoulders above other global transportation events, it is in the quality of the sessions and speakers gathered at their annual conference.
   This year’s Singapore opus was no exception.
   The planners at this conference picked a brilliant logistics city for their event. They also took the time and trouble to think about what they wanted to say to their membership, and lined up a stellar cast of characters to deliver the message.
   Out of the gate, we would give FIATA Sessions an 8+ (out of 10) for session content.

FIATA A Real Humdinger
FlyingTypers had a chance to hear the thoughts of Marco Sorgetti, FIATA’s Director General, at his organizations’ World Congress in Singapore.. He believes the event marked a bright new dawn for FIATA, which will become ever more dynamic in its role as an advocate of policies that drive world trade growth in the years ahead.

Air Cargo News For October 17, 2013

Egyptair Booking Cargo
Paul Mott, ATC’s Manager Cargo for Egyptair, told Flying Typers that air cargo service and flight levels from USA to Egypt “remain unaffected” even as reports of civil unrest continue.
“We have heard some concern from our agent partners reading headlines that Egyptair may be canceling flights.
“That is simply not the case.

Tyler Aped Otto At FIATA
   If that speech by IATA Secretary General Tony Tyler in Singapore last week calling for an Airline/Forwarder “Partnership” sounded a bit familiar, it is probably because the idea has been advanced by countless others during the past quarter-plus century.

Sibiryak Rolls Into History
Sibirjak in German, Sibiryak in English, or in Russian describes Trans-Siberian Railroad’s longest train ride from the EU, traveling 5,130 km (3,194 miles) from Berlin to Novosibirsk.
  

JAT's All Folks
The first Airbus A319 in Air Serbia's new livery touched down in Belgrade on Saturday, where it was met by the airline's CEO, Dane Kondic.
Air Serbia is now the brand that covers all the routes once served by JAT Airways.

Air Cargo News For October 17, 2013

Issa At FIATA 2013
   "The first thing you notice about FIATA World Congress in Singapore this week is the huge presence of local freight community from Singapore, then the delegates from Asia and the presence of Africans and others.
FIATA 2013 is a healthy exchange and the diversity speaks for itself.
   In this great City/State, FIATA 2013 delivers a running start to a wider understanding of the single window concept, and why Singapore made it into first position of the Logistics Performance Index.
   Fascinating to many, but simple enough to appreciate, is the need to get rid of barriers and facilitate trade and freedom of the movement of goods.
  

FIATA Week Strong In Singapore
   FlyingTypers recently had the rare pleasure of chatting with a senior industry figure possessed of the intellectual dexterity and conversational chutzpah to link the glamour of Hollywood to bills of lading, and compare the content of a forthcoming conference to lovemaking.
   No mean feat, readers!
   This gem of an interview was with none other than the ever-charming Stanley Lim, President of FIATA. To read interview click here.
   Speaking on the eve of FIATA’s Annual World Congress at Singapore’s Suntec Convention and Exhibition Center, which opened this week, October 15-19, Lim admitted the meeting would take place amid an “uncertain” business climate.

Chuckles For October 16, 2013
  

Air Cargo News For October 11, 2013

Issa Quits TIACA Scores Diversity
   When word came that Daniel Fernandez, long time stalwart Secretary General, suddenly and without any warning departed from his post at The International Air Cargo Association (TIACA) on August 2, it should have set off some alarm bells that something drastic was afoot with that organization.

Is Cargo Alive?
  Well, sort of . . . In Europe indications are that business is picking up for the last quarter. Asia, U.S. and some South American countries show signs of growth

Air Cargo News For October 8, 2013

Cathay Cautiously Optimistic
   The global downturn in air freight traffic and rates has hit all airlines. But for Asian carriers, which are traditionally more reliant on cargo income for a higher proportion of revenue than many of their peers, the prolonged slump has been particularly severe. To his credit, James Woodrow, Cathay Pacific’s Director Cargo is facing up to the challenges in the freight sector square on.

Demand Outlook Has A Pulse
   Could the major East-West air cargo markets be showing signs of a pick up? Well . . . yes and no.
   Certainly, there are signs that confidence is returning to what has been a moribund market for a long time.
   However, not all the latest volume figures out of Asia support the improved sentiment, and the picture on rates is rather murky.
   Martin Dixon, (right) Drewry Research Manager, Freight Rate Benchmarking, is among the bulls.

Chuckles For October 4, 2013
    

Air Cargo News For October 1, 2013

ALPA Protests Emirates
    That much ballyhooed new Emirates route from Milan to New York, slated to begin Tuesday October 1, ”is a clear first step in long-term strategy by a heavily supported state-owned foreign airline to undercut U.S. airlines and hurt U.S. jobs,” Captain Lee Moak, President of Airline Pilots Association (ALPA) said Monday. “Ultimately, this is about saving U.S. jobs. “If we are not able to compete fairly, the U.S. airlines industry will disappear.

Fuel Charges & Weighty Subjects
   A lot of airlines are moving to charging for fuel (and security) on chargeable weight and not on gross weight.
We’re talking EK, AF/KL, LH, and many other EU and AS airlines.
For example, EK is starting September 1, and the others from November 6.

Rising Star Reda Visits JFK Club
   Rising Star . . . He’s new to New York himself, but is now fronting a carrier that has served JFK International for 40 years—he’s Reda El Filali, V.P. General Operations and Cargo for Royal Air Maroc.
Easy-going Reda (32) and some of his new best friends, including Bruce Campbell,CEO (right), of Forward Air, who will deliver his usual, stirring-from-the-ground-up speech will all meet up as The JFK Air Cargo Association holds its monthly meeting this Thursday September 26, 11:45am, at the JFK Hilton Hotel.

FIATA Tops October
   FlyingTypers recently had the rare pleasure of chatting with a senior industry figure possessed of the intellectual dexterity and conversational chutzpah to link the glamour of Hollywood to bills of lading, and compare the content of a forthcoming conference to lovemaking. No mean feat, readers! This gem of an interviewee was none other than the ever-charming Stanley Lim Hwee Hong, President of FIATA.
Part one of our exclusive follows . . .

Every Which Way But
   At the end of August this year, India’s Civil Aviation Ministry gave the operations document of GAGAN (the GPS-Aided Geo Augmented Navigation) to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the country’s aviation regulator, for certification.
   The 150-odd page operations documents have been prepared for GAGAN from its initial conception to the operational testing and evaluation, and will be examined in detail.

Dust Up At Air Asia Cargo
  AirAsia has refused to comment on reports that a number of its cargo executives have been suspended.
 The low cost carrier, based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, is understood to have embarked on an internal investigation over alleged mismanagement.

Will EU Security Throttle Air Cargo?
  The EU’s new air cargo security regime—due to be implemented next year—is in danger of choking supply chains due to the dearth of independent validators able to certify compliancy from airlines and other parties located outside Europe.

Volga Lifts Heavy Stuff
  Managers at Volga Dnepr Group are upbeat about the coming year, despite tough charter and scheduled freighter markets. China, for example, is viewed as a major growth areea and this has prompted the Group to restructure its Chinese subsidiary, which has operated in Beijing since 2004, into an independent company to help further develop charter business.

Emirates Goes Kabul
  “A new opportunity for cargo operations to Afghanistan, particularly for the shipment of pharmaceuticals, perishable foodstuffs, and construction materials,” predicts Barry Brown, Emirates’ Divisional Senior Vice President,

Art of Craf After Meltdown
   It has come as no surprise, as the war in Afghanistan slowly slips into history, that the US DoD has gone public, telling U.S. carriers what they already knew:
   The business of moving military air cargo and passengers via contracted commercial carriers is being reduced dramatically as the US military pulls out of Afghanistan. Certainly the cakewalk is over, as an overabundance of underutilized lift finds nowhere to go, dropping a negative effect on those carriers that for the past decade have relied heavily on military business as a license to print their own money.

Peak Speak & Sneak Peek
  As you must already know from everywhere else the peak season for container shipments from Asia to the U.S. is now in full swing.
  But read on for we include some meat and potatoes news you can use.

Report Reveals UN Charter Safety
  Flying is the safest means of transport as proven by accident statistics, and that is what regulators and other stakeholders continuously emphasize, for a reason.
  Indeed, chances are much higher to get run over in your supermarket’s parking lot than to be involved in an aircraft accident, even for those road warriors constantly travelling for business.

Mexico Independence Day
  Independence Day (Día de la Independencia) is a Mexican holiday to celebrate the “cry of independence,” marking a revolt staked against the Spaniards on September 16, 1810.
  This event is known as El Grito de la Independencia.
  Mexicans celebrate with fireworks, parties (fiestas), food, dance, and music.

Autumn Prayer
  I woke up this morning and all of a sudden it was cold in New York City, and the change immediately invoked the appearance of Indian corn, pumpkins, and fresh-pressed apple cider at the corner store.
  It is still too early for bittersweet, but our backyard vine should yield a bumper crop after first frost, just in time for Thanksgiving on the last Thursday in November.

Special Commentaries—Air Cargo Courageous & Smart
  As in years past, Lufthansa Cargo has once again very boldly stated that air freight yields will rise 20 percent this fall as the carrier copes with a revenue environment that fails to keep up the cost structure required to produce an FTK.
  Regardless of Lufthansa’s methods of addressing issues, we commend them for raising the issue and taking a stand. Unfortunately for LH and the industry, letters from corporate headquarters don’t have any impact on yields that are solely dictated by the balance of supply and demand.

India On Critical List
  As India goes through a downturn—perhaps, the worst in 20 years (the economy grew 4.4 percent in the April-June quarter, the slowest quarterly rate since January-March 2009)—the Air Cargo Agents Association of India (ACAAI) is, however, steadfast in the belief that there is hope. Bharat Thakkar, the outgoing President of the association, said that never before has the importance of the air cargo logistics industry in India been so crucial.

BER Plan "Grotesque"
   In the battle now raging within the BER airport management, technical manager Mr. Amman scores big in Round One.
   As reported by FlyingTypers and elsewhere, the opening of the new “Willy Brandt” airport in the German capital has been postponed numerous times because of technical issues.

Chuckles For September 12, 2013

Saudia Launches First UK Freighters

   Saudia Cargo positions itself with a winter schedule that is both ambitious and flexible as the carrier increases its belly and freighter capacity on a number of routes across its global network.
   Schedules include deepening of routes already served with an additional flight per week from Guangzhou to Brussels, one additional weekly from Dhaka to Brussels, and two additional flights per week from Nairobi to Amsterdam.
   Cargo shippers get daily SV air cargo lift NBO/AMS.

ACG Six Feet Under
  On August 13th, FlyingTypers reported that there was no news regarding the fate of Air Cargo Germany and clarified that other sources touting an imminent re-start of ACG’s operations were simply rehashing unfounded speculation.
  Turns out we were right.

Tomorrow Is Today At Doha
  Due to host the FIFA World Cup in 2022, nobody can accuse Qatar’s rulers of lacking ambition or imagination. Not only is this a huge global event held in a country of just two million people—most of them expatriates—but stifling summer temperatures will mean the building of vast air-conditioned stadiums. Qatar’s willingness to aim for the heavens has long-been apparent in the aviation sector.

Chuckles For September 10, 2013

UPS Pushes TransPac Partnership
  United Parcel Service will continue to pursue expansion in fast growing markets even as it appeals the European Union’s decision earlier this year to block its $6.7 billion bid for TNT Express.
  The purchase of TNT would have doubled UPS’s European network and made it a viable competitor to DHL as well as expanding its global footprint.

RE: CAF AirPower History Tour

Hello, Geoff . . .
   FIFI was here a couple years ago. The CAF had an air show at the Millington, TN naval station. I drove out with a friend. FIFI was just taking off. When she returned 30 minutes later I walked over to be closer. I headed for the rear hatch. One of the pilots saw me and stopped me. He said visitors were allowed to climb up into the cockpit only.

Lufthansa Hikes Rates
 In a letter dated August 29 Lufthansa Cargo said it is raising rates 20 percent worldwide, effective with its winter schedules 2013/14.
 So far, not a word has been heard from other carriers.
 That may indicate others are waiting to see if Lufthansa can make the increases stick.
 The letter signed by Lufthansa Board Member Andreas Otto noted:

What Would Willy Say?
  On a number of occasions, FlyingTypers has covered the teething woes of the new German airport in Berlin, named after the iconic former mayor of Berlin and German chancellor, Willy Brandt.
As controversial as some of Brandt’s policies and politics have been, a number of his statements are still accepted basics of German politics and continue to be widely quoted.

CAF Airpower History Tour

 This past summer all over USA and continuing during the fall comes the opportunity to go out to a local airport and experience (up close and personal onboard and in the air), a vintage Boeing B29 and others from the World War II and Korean War era.

Everything Is Ours

   Everything Is Ours is a bright, funny, beautifully written and acted new play by Nikole Beckwith. Directed by Adrienne Campbell-Holt, it opened last night for a limited run at Here Theater in New York City.
   Everything is a comedy about what happens when two people who have it all get one more thing.

United Outlines Action Plan
         “Got to pay your dues if you want to sing the blues,
         “And you know it don’t come easy!”
   The songwriter perfectly described the difficulties of working in so few words.
   We spoke to Jim Bellinder, V.P. Worldwide Cargo Sales, United Airlines Cargo.
   Jim looks ahead as August 2013 moves toward September.
   “It has been a challenging summer for United Cargo.

Best Kept Secret No More
  Kevin DeMilt is VP and Head of Travel & Logistics for L&T Infotech. FlyingTypers sat down with Kevin and his team in their Alpharetta, Georgia, offices—one of the leading locations for technology-focused businesses.
Asked about the background of L&T, Kevin put things in perspective:

Do We Love You

   Inspired by Ella’s reading of the Cole Porter classic, the only YouTube copy of this tune we could find was in a salute to Colin Firth, which is OK, we suppose, but as previously stated our Playlist effort is more about the music.
   Just like the movies about the people we love in air cargo that we began sending out six years ago, to us YouTube simply supplies a vehicle for sharing with our global audience.

Music For Air Cargo
   Once upon a time, long before FlyingTypers, I worked at KXEO Radio in Mexico, Missouri, running specialized programming at KWWR- FM.
   The best part of my job was creating original studio productions and scheduling block programming of old-time radio shows of the 1930s & 1940s, including The Lone Ranger, Gangbusters, The Shadow, and others.
   From programming and sales at a radio station, I moved to New York City, where I worked as a club reviewer and music critic for The Hollywood Reporter while also starting up a monthly tabloid at JFK International Airport called Airport Times, The Cargo Paper.
   While working for The Hollywood Reporter, I interviewed Elvis, The Doors, The Rolling Stones, and many others.

Keeping With Richard
   Keeping up with Richard Malkin, the iconic father of air cargo journalism, “The Centurion” who glided past 100 years of age just this past June, is not as easy a task as you might imagine.
   As the original air cargo beat reporter, it’s no surprise that Malkin worked right up to 98 years of age, after which he finally put down his sword at the publication CNS Focus, rounding out a career in newspapers and publications that lasted more than 80 years.

Testing Lithium Logistics
   There is hope that the recently released accident report regarding UPS flight 006, which crashed on September 3rd, 2010, in DXB and cost the lives of two U.S. aviators, might serve as a wake-up call to the industry, and to all stakeholders to push for tighter regulatory reins on the issue of shipping lithium batteries.
   In all fairness it must be said that by and large both the regulatory authorities have failed to address the surge in retail shipping and reverse logistics involving consumers and sparked by Internet-based distribution in recent years.

RE:  Letter re WCS Needs Action Plan

Geoff…

   Ms. Schmeling has stated in accurate yet simple terms, a significant truth.

BER Saga Curiouser & Curiouser
   "Curiouser and Curiouser" wrote Lewis Carroll in 1865, as Alice from Alice In Wonderland contemplated the changes occurring.
   The big new airport in Berlin named Willy Brandt, or BER, continues to make headlines in Germany and elsewhere, but change has been slow.
   There have been a few limited flight start-up announcements, but most of the ink garnered by the gateway still focuses on burgeoning costs and delays.
   Former Chairman of the Board, Klaus Wowereit, Mayor of Berlin, had to switch places with Brandenburg MP Matthias Platzeck in January 2013 under allegations that Wowereit knew more about the delays and cost explosion at the troubled Berlin gateway than he had previously admitted.

RE:  Tell Them Willy Brandt Is Here

Geoff,  

Your article re the continuing woes of BER was a terrific piece of aviation journalism.
     Keep them coming.

David Plavin

AA US Airways Ready Round Two
   The U.S. DOJ’s denial of the proposed $11 billion merger between American Airlines and US Airways will have a minimal to non-existent impact on air cargo.
   For his part, Kenji Hashimoto, in a letter to AA Cargo customers, said:
   “We do not know how long the court process will take, so in the meantime, American and US Airways will continue to operate as independent companies and as competitors.
   “Our focus remains on delivering excellent customer service and meeting your business needs,” Kenji said.
   Outside of the official loop, the consensus of opinion was summed up in very few words.
   “I do not see any impact in terms of air cargo.
   “USArways has never been that big an air cargo player,” a top air cargo executive said.

ACG Decidedly Kaputt
   ACG’s facing an unglamorous dawn.
   On various occasions in previous months, FT has covered the demise of Air Cargo Germany.
   One of the prime directives in journalism is to always follow up the story, so we hereby duly report that there is nothing to report.
   No, it’s not the summer holiday season, when news material is scarce, but a number of press releases appearing in German publications in the last four weeks sparked hopes that a return of ACG to the skies would be imminent.
   Decidedly, that has not happened.

Cuba Libre
   It may seem like a long way to go to get checked out, but Baltic Aviation Academy’s Airbus A320 Full Flight Simulator (FFS) in Vilnius, Lithuania, was approved by the Cuba Civil Aviation Authority
   The certificate was granted to Cubana de Aviación, Cuba's flag carrier as well as the country's largest airline.

Lufthansa Cargo Planet Magazine Recognizes Geoffrey Arend
    In a movie about Danish author and poet Hans Christian Andersen, author of The Little Mermaid and other immortal stories, actor Danny Kaye sings this line:
   “While you read my book, it’s also reading you!”
   We thought about that sentiment when Lufthansa Cargo’s elegant coffee table magazine—Planet-The magazine for airfreight professionals—arrived with our picture and the story, which we have reprinted here.

New Zealand New World
   Air New Zealand’s cargo operation is now “performing strongly” after a period of restructuring, according to Rick Nelson, General Manager of Cargo.
   The end-of-line carrier exited the freighter business back in 2009 with the closure of its around-the-world 747F service. Since then, sales teams have focused on filling bellyhold space on ANZ’s passenger-driven network, which offers a broad range of international and domestic airport-to-airport services with its fleet of more than 100 aircraft.

Lithium Batteries Danger To Air Cargo
  The exhaustive report released late last month by The UAE General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) of how a consignment of on fire, runaway lithium ion batteries brought down a UPS B747 Freighter over Dubai in 2010 , has not gone unanswered by the big cargo carrier.
FlyingTypers learned that UPS has ordered 1,821 fire resistant containers capable of containing a fire with temperatures as high as 1,200F for more than 4 hours.
  Deliveries reportedly start in September 2013 and will be complete by early 2014. The objective is to enable the flight crew to land the aircraft in case of a fire.
  Additionally UPS has purchased 575 fire containment pallet covers.
  "The fire resistant ULDs are part of a broader safety overhaul of the cargo carrier’s fleet, based on recommendations from the UPS Independent Pilots Association (IPA) safety task force, organized after the accident,” a source told FT.

Lithium Batteries Spark Dreadful Report In UPS Tragedy

   No, this is not a story about Boeing’s B787, although for all the public knows, the recent grounding of the fledgling fleet of new generation aircraft due to suspected fires has brought an almost razor sharp focus to the lithium power source.
   But a look at lithium batteries reveals they were an issue long before the B787, in fact they have been controversial, heavily under discussion, and subject to scrutiny by regulators and other stakeholders for more than a decade.
  Since 2008, the regulatory requirements applicable to this commodity have changed considerably in all modes of transport, but the changes in the IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations especially have substantially complicated and become an issue in dangerous goods training for shippers, forwarders, and operators.

Chuckles for August 1, 2013

Ted Braun Sends A Letter

(Editor's Note: Ted Braun, a treasured senior correspondent here at FlyingTypers, is also a reader as well and as such contributes on many levels to the ongoing conversation that comprises our publication today.
Here, a letter from a reader triggered some further thoughts on a subject near and dear to Ted concerning airline codes, ULDs, and IATA fees.)

     On March 29, 2013, just after the IATA 2013 WCS in Doha, FlyingTypers published an article titled “IATA Stuffs Can Fees.”

Air Cargo News July 29, 2013

Bali Wrestles With Growth And Safety
   Indonesia’s unique approach to safety was thrust once more into the spotlight in April when shocking pictures emerged of a Lion Air Boeing 737 flailing in the water after crashing on its final approach to Bali’s Ngurah Rai International Airport.
   The good news is that everybody walked away from the wreckage. Carrying more than 100 passengers and crew, the plane overshot a runway on the Indonesian resort island of Bali due to pilot error.

Passenger And Cargo Speedy Coast To Caost
  Yes, he’s the founder of Space X, the first commercial venture to send a cargo spacecraft to the International Space Station.
   Yes, he’s the co-founder of PayPal and chairman of SolarCity, the largest provider of solar power systems in the U.S.
   And yes, he’s head of Tesla Motors, which produced the world’s first all-electric sports car, its first electric luxury car, and actually turned a profit in the first quarter of 2013.

Blue Skies Smiling At Changi
    Managers at Singapore’s Changi airport are confident they can continue to pick up new cargo in niche industry verticals and emerging markets to offset a contraction in air freight volumes across Asia.
   The Association of Asia Pacific Airlines reported a 3.3 percent decline in air cargo incomes last year, and carriers saw a further 3.2 percent slump in the first four months of this year.
   These foul trade winds did not bypass Singapore. Total cargo throughput at Changi contracted 3.2 percent to 1.81 million tons last year and in the first five months of 2013 fell 2.4 percent to 727,000 tons.

Chuckles for July 25, 2013

Turkish Freighters To Tehran
  Turkish Airlines Cargo said it is adding a weekly IST/Tehran (IKA) freighter flight beginning next week on July 31, 2013.

The Saudia 6% Solution
   “Although the current market is a bit soft, we still expect to achieve a 10 percent growth during the second half of the year,” said Nabil Khojah, CEO of Saudia Cargo as the carrier reported business grew by 6 percent for its first six months through June 30.

United Jumps Over The Moon
    Sure, it's always about business, but often what we put in the air is inspiring as well.
   We asked Robbie Anderson, President, United Cargo to share his view of this moment above LAX last week.
I was looking at this inspiring photo of a United aircraft and reflecting on the first three weeks of our United Cargo 360° system rollout. UC360° is our adaptation of the Mercator SkyChain IT solution that will make United Cargo very easy to do business with in the future.
   It occurred to me how the phases of the moon relate to the phases of a project. We know the full moon is always out there and will appear eventually—how much we see at any one time is a function of the phase we're in.
  Like the moon in the photo, I believe UC360° is in the "waxing gibbous" phase: as we overcome the initial challenges and solve our issues, we're seeing more and more of what the system can do for United Cargo and our customers.

Chuckles for July 22, 2013

All My Exes Live In Texas
   “All My Ex’s Live In Texas” may be a tune that rings true for AA Cargo now that Kenji Hashimoto joins Dave Brooks in the “Hall of Fame” of American Airlines Cargo ex-Presidents who happen to reside in the Lone Star State.
   Dave is happily retired, and on Monday American Airlines Cargo announced that Kenji will soon move up to Senior Vice President of Regional Carriers, out from his brief tenure as President AA Cargo, with Jim Butler, American’s Managing Director of Commercial Planning and Performance, stepping up to take his place.

Chuckles for July 18, 2013

Kerry Paces Hong Kong Logistics
   Recently FlyingTypers had the pleasure of a chat with Kenneth Ko, Director of International Freight Forwarding at fast-expanding Kerry Logistics.
   Although headquartered in Hong Kong, managers at Kerry have spent the last decade taking the company global as well as building up its market-leading position in Greater China and the Asean region, where it is a preferred supplier of a number of Fortune 500 companies in the beverage, FMCG, fashion, pharma, and electronics sectors.
   Ko said Transpacific air freight volumes fell some five percent and Asia-Europe suffered a decline of around 20 percent last year. However, for companies such as Kerry with a strong foothold in emerging markets in Asia, this was offset to some extent by the 10 percent rise in demand for uplift on intra-Asia lanes.

Amerijet IT Farmer In The Dell
For Amerijet International, time is of the essence. As a cargo shipping company with a growing global footprint, service to more than 550 destinations worldwide, and more than 200 million pounds of cargo carried per year, customers in the Americas, Mexico, the Caribbean, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East depend on Florida-based Amerijet to move their personal and commercial cargo quickly, securely, and reliably by land, sea, or air.

EMO Trans Denver Sky
Talk about heavy lifting! No matter how big the project, EMO Trans Denver is capable of handling it.
This five-person, full-service office specializes in moving heavy machinery, such as equipment used in the construction and oil and gas industries.
 “We frequently truck oversized cargo to and from the Ports of Los Angeles and Houston,” explains branch manager Lynn Derbin.

Air Cargo News July 10, 2013

Atlanta Brokers And Forwarders Spotlight Women
A recent meeting of the Atlanta International Forwarders & Brokers Association (AIFBA) turned out to be an impromptu FlyingTypers ‘Women in Cargo’ update, built around an emotional farewell to Margaret Barnette, CBP Assistant Port Director - Trade Port of Atlanta, on her retirement.
That was the main draw to a well-attended meeting at the Airport Marriott.

RE: Uttmark Postmarks Air Mail

Dear Geoffrey,

  Reading the latest edition of FlyingTypers this morning, and seeing your photo of the TWA visitor’s pass from JFK that you held on to, reminded me of the attached BOAC luggage tag from LHR to IDL that is currently sitting in my office. Priceless . . .

RE: Connie Takes Wing Over Europe
   Thank you very much for the response on the Paris Connie! I agree, I think it was the most beautiful a/c ever built.
   My father worked on the first one that flew, the night Howard Hughes & Jack Fry flew it from Burbank to Washington, D.C., & set the transcontinental speed record, delivering it to the USAAC at DCA. Out of deference to all the work Mr. Hughes had done to bring the Connie to life, the military let him deliver it from the factory, instead of sending a military flight crew to get it.

RE: Say Good Bye To My Little Friend

Geoffrey,

     “Say Goodbye To My Little Friend?”
     The B727 was/is a horrendously noisy aircraft.
     The completely inadequate FAA response to that noise soured the public to airports and has made it very difficult to add runways and increase airside capacity.

Uttmark Postmarks
Air Mail
    Sometimes when out doing a story for FlyingTypers, we chance upon someone who has been around but whom we haven’t seen for a while, and past encounters seem more like the snippets of some dream we aren’t certain truly happened.
   Once upon a time we met Robert Uttmark in a small room near a converted part of Hangar 12 at John F. Kennedy Airport, in an office off to the side of an area allocated to cargo acceptance.
The area for air cargo in Hangar 12 was the tiniest part of a building otherwise filled with B727 and Lockheed L-1011 aircraft. It was a space where those planes had their mechanics looked over, back during a time when JFK was home to that type of work.

The Perils Of Capt. Gopinath
   The last few months have been quite a seesaw for India’s serial aviation entrepreneur, Capt. G. R. Gopinath.
   With his Deccan Cargo & Express Logistics (DCEL) failing miserably, the good captain even dreamt of starting another passenger low-cost carrier (LCC).

RE: Paris Air Show

Geoff,
Enjoyed your article from the Paris Air Show.
Was that a Lockheed Constellation I saw in one of the shots?
If so, would be grateful for a little info on it.
Kind Regards,
Jerry Hyatt