United Raps Pharma Battery Life
     “The CSafe RKN container has been a key component of our TempControl service since 2010,” said Jan Krems, President of United Cargo on Tuesday October 9 as United became first U.S. carrier to approve the CSafe RAP Temperature-Controlled Container. The offering presents exciting options including longer battery life to shippers for pharmaceuticals and other life science products.
     “The demand,” Mr. Krems added, “for pharmaceuticals and other health care products grows every year, and customers and patients worldwide are seeking expanded capacity across our TempControl network.”

Chuckles for October 10, 2018

On Demand Charter From MAB
     “Our commitment and flexibility is to exceed demand for a special level of service beyond expectation,” said MAB Kargo as drilling shipment on MH6052 from Kuala Lumpur (KUL) to Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei (BWN) arrived Friday aboard an A330-200F. 
     “In this case, we have re-routed the scheduled flight planned for Kuala Lumpur–Labuan–Hanoi into BWN to meet a special request for immediate delivery,” the carrier said.

A New Paige For Atlanta
     In less than ten days the cargo folks at Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport—Elliott Paige, Director Air Service Development, and Linda Eshiwani-Nate, Air Service Development Officer—will be at TIACA Air Cargo Forum at the Toronto Convention Center, October 16-19.

Chuckles for October 8, 2018

SpiceJet First Freighter At Delhi
     SpiceJet showcased its first freighter at Delhi airport last month September 10, making it the first domestic carrier to launch freighter services with a converted B737-700BDSF. 
     With the livery of SpiceXpress – a cargo division of SpiceJet – the freighter comes at an opportune moment. 
     As Ajay Singh, SpiceJet’s Chairman and Managing Director put it:
     “With our proven operational capability, this is an extension of our ‘belly cargo’ service to a ‘dedicated freighter’ with Boeing 737 aircraft.”

Lean Into Indonesia Disaster Relief
     An earthquake victim is bandaged at a makeshift hospital in Palu, Central Sulawesi Indonesia.
   Aid was slowly making its way into areas devastated by the earthquake and tsunami that struck a central Indonesian island. One neighborhood's residents were clapping, cheering and high-fiving in their excitement this past Wednesday at seeing a stopped truck laden with supplies. 

Virgin Atlantic Cargo Grows 3
     Virgin Atlantic Cargo jumped 3% during the first half of 2018, but Dominic Kennedy, (right) Managing Director is taking nothing for granted.
  “We achieved a very positive start to the year with most markets reporting growth,” Mr. Kennedy said.
  “Virgin Cargo continues to see benefits from our strategic focus on pharma, as well as other core products and services, including express, high value cargoes and automotive.”

Chuckles for October 3, 2018

Afta NAFTA Rocky Road?
     That much talked about rework of NAFTA between USA, Mexico and Canada emerged Monday as U.S., Mexico, Canada Agreement or USMCA.
      While the new deal is being hailed by all, what emerges at first glance is a reworked NAFTA Agreement, in effect since 1994 that incudes among other things easement of dairy restrictions.
      That should make U.S. farmers happy as they gain access to what had been a closed Canadian market for ice cream and milk.

Harvest Moon Over Tokyo

Toward A Perfect Blendship At AACargo
     “We officially announced our partnership with IBS in January of this year and have been hard at work completing the first major phase of work, designing our future business processes that are enabled by the iCargo solution. 
     “We are now working on the detailed plan to support our teams and customers through this transition over time. 
     “The devil is in the details and let’s just say we’re in the ‘hot’ part of the project.”

Chuckles for September 30, 2018

Autumn Prayers
     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.

India Lays An Egg At FIATA 2018
     As The FIATA World Congress got underway in New Delhi, India the 1000-odd delegates and special invitees from the government and private organizations settled into their seats as a firestorm erupted from the first speaker’s platform.

Chuckles for September 27, 2018

Message From Babar Badat

Robert Voltmann Steps Up To The Plate
     Good morning. Unfortunately, I’m here this morning instead of FIATA President Babar Badat. 
     It is unusual for the Secretary General to be part of the opening of a FIATA Congress, but we find ourselves in a very unusual circumstance. In fact, we find ourselves in an unprecedented circumstance.

Youth Gets A Hearing At FIATA
     If there is one vertical in the logistics and supply chain that FIATA World Congress 2018is focused upon, it is youth in logistics. 
     Beginning with the Young Logistics Professional Program (YLP), held a day before the FWC opened for business, the veterans of the industry here made it clear that they had laid the foundation and now it was up to the young people to carry the freight forwarding business through the disruptions that were becoming commonplace.

New Look ATC Oktoberfest Kickoff In Mörfelden
     Big news this summer included word up that ever-expanding ATC Aviation purchased Pacific Feeder Services (PFS) effectively changing the GSSA landscape in Latin America.
     As ATC CEO Ingo Zimmer tells it, ATC and PFS have created “the perfect symbiosis for the South American market.” 
     Now as summer in Germany continued its last gasp with yet another warm, lazy-hazy day, the story was ATC 2018 with a dramatic new look, branding the rocketing GSSA, whilst celebrating its greening of the transportation universe with an Oktoberfest kickoff party for airlines and forwarders alike.

Chuckles for September 25, 2018

Amazon & The History Of Air Cargo
     The transportation business has always been subject to seasonal and yearly cycles and fluctuations. International service has likewise always been tied to currency value, with cargo affected by changing trade patterns, the volume of passenger business and leisure travelers. Dealing with these ebbs and flows in business volume has long been a major challenge for carriers.

Fokko: Captain of the Clouds
     Fokko Is A True Captain of The Clouds.
     It's rare that you get to meet a genuine aviation hero who also finds time to serve as President of an outstanding charitable effort.
     I spent a few hours this week with Captain Fokko Doyen (above), former Chief Pilot for Lufthansa Cargo. He decided to step down from those day-to-day responsibilities at Lufthansa Cargo but stayed on as a line pilot, “to keep my hand in flying the beautiful aircraft and moving about this world of discovery and endless possibilities.”

Chuckles for September 21, 2018

YIFFA Bird of Youth in Logistics
     Many of us baby boomers immediately think of the Beatles when we hear the word “Liverpool”, however, if we were a little more thoughtful, we could also rush out to other sweet memories taking us even farther in our past.
     Looking at this picture, it is not immediately apparent to place this in the Liverpool skyline, unless you’ve visited recently.
     But looking a bit closer you start realizing the connection of this artificial, metal bird with one of our truest dreams as kids: the Meccano, (the original version of what Americans know as an erector set) which the Liverpudlian genius, Frank Hornby, gave to the world in 1898. 

Suiting Up United For Triathalon
     Once more unto the breach . . . 
     For the third consecutive year, United Cargo employees, colleagues, and sales and service partners will swim, bike and run in September in support of the world’s neediest children. This year’s Triathlon Team will take to MIA’s roads and waters for the Escape to Miami Triathlon September 30.

Letters to the Editor

Gümo: The Man In The Hat
     Günter Mosler died in Frankfurt, Germany, on Friday September 13, 2018. He was 84 years old.
     Günter once served as our first Chief European Editor.
     His articles and involvement as part of ACD–AirCargo Club Germany, an organization he help create, cast light on the activities of German air cargo worldwide. His elucidative coverage appeared in FlyingTypers from 2004 until his retirement in 2010.
     Günter was born in Ratibor, Germany (now Poland), in 1934, but moved to Frankfurt, finished school, and apprenticed in international forwarding with Rhenus.

Chuckles for September 17, 2018

September Numbers In The Wing
     Air freight rates made some gains in early September and there are now signs of a build-up to peak season, on transpacific lanes at least.
     TAC Index recorded a 5.23% week-on-week increase in rates from Hong Kong to the U.S. on 10 September, with demand thought to be buoyed by shippers bringing in cargo ahead of a further of $200billion of tariffs expected to be imposed imminently by the U.S. on Chinese imports.

Quote Of The Day

Chuckles for September 13, 2018

A Stairway To Paradise In Cologne
     It was the moment of truth as EMO Trans Annual Global Meeting opened for business in Cologne, Germany.
     Faced with several challenges as outlined by company Chairman Jo Frigger, who reported solid results for his independent company that is growing exponentially worldwide against some uncertainty as global trade restrictions deepen.
     From every indication, EMO Trans is a company on the rise as it rapidly expands its offering with new partners coming on board as the constant.

Looking Good In Cologne
     “It’s important to strike a balance in life, declares Uwe Kaeding, Vice President EMO Trans U.S. West Coast & Air Freight Procurement, (pictured here with his wife, Janet).
     “On one hand, you work to satisfy your customers by never taking their business for granted and always making sure their needs and expectations are surpassed with your care and attention.”

Mark Forth and Strike
     There are scores of people with highly-developed intelligence, strength, and ability in air cargo, but there is something unique about Mark Albrecht, United’s Director of Cargo International Operations, Logistics, Claims and Cost Oversight. Mark is living proof that some people can juggle several responsibilities and still perform each one at an advanced level.
     As his lengthy title at the Chicago-based carrier suggests, Mark’s directs several key functions for United Cargo. After speaking to him for just a few minutes, you realize his success is rooted in the innate ability to listen effectively and size up situations and people.

Chuckles for September 9, 2018

EMO Trans Aspiring in Cologne
     EMO Trans opens its Annual Global Business Meeting in Cologne, Germany today, Sunday September 9 with a broad scheduled menu of reports, panel discussions, and a trade show that continues through Tuesday September 11.
     The fast-rising logistics specialist with more than 250 offices in 120 countries has raised local attention here as Cologne, confronted with severe drought this summer, offers fresh greetings to EMO Trans from Mayor Hans Werner Bartsch who is scheduled to appear as the event gets underway.

A Kind Face For Air Cargo
     Up pops Uli Ogiermann who departed Doha last year after a great run with Qatar Cargo. Although the location has changed for this steadfast, consummate all-pro cargo professional, the weight of responsibility has not.
  “Yes, I am now with the VD Group,” said Uli from his offices in London, “in charge of airline results for the Group.
  “Nice change to be based in London,” Uli smiled.

Chuckles for September 6, 2018

Turkish Cargo Lifts The Bar
     “We, as the Turkish Cargo family, are maintaining our thriving operations and the upward momentum, exhibiting a growing trend day by day, without gearing down, while feeling excited to move to the Istanbul New Airport,” Turhan Ozen, Chief Cargo Officer for Turkish Airlines Cargo beams as he speaks to FlyingTypers.

Cold Goes Live At TempControl
     “The goal of expanding our customers’ options for packaging and transport systems is to ensure our services remain as relevant and valuable as possible,” said Jan Krems, President as United Cargo just added the Savsu   Technologies evo Cold Chain 2.0 System to both its TempControl and LifeGuard offering.

Hello FIATA
     Nitin Gadkari, Shipping & Road Transport Minister, Government of India greets FIATA delegates and adds some opening remarks at 09:00 September 26, as FIATA World Congress (FWC) in New Delhi kicks off. 
  The annual FIATA event is being held at Pullman Hotel Aerocity, September 26-29.
  Ms. Vandana Aggarwal, Senior Economic Advisor, Ministry of Civil Aviation, will be featured later during the event.

Capri Sun Goes Global With EMO Trans & Lufthansa
     In Eppelheim, Germany, near Heidelberg, is the home of Capri Sun. 
     According to Lufthansa Cargo Planet magazine, every year nearly six billion people across more than 100 countries worldwide quench their thirst with the familiar Capri Sun fruit pouch drinks. 
     We discovered that the sophisticated logistics involved in delivering the Capri Sun packages to market is the result of a unique three-way partnership between Capri Sun, Emo Trans, and Lufthansa Cargo.

Ralf Is At His Leisure
      The man who thought up the idea and then guided leisure Cargo, based in Dusseldorf, Germany onto the air cargo map of the world, with a unique “total management system” for 14 tourist-based airlines, has come back from retirement to once again take the reins of the company he invented.
     Ralf Rainer Auslaender, looking fit and beaming with confidence, returned in early August as Managing Director of leisure Cargo. He resumed a post he held at the company from start-up in January 2000, until ‘retiring’ in 2015, to live in languid Portugal.

Chuckles for September 4, 2018

Zhao Is One Smooth Operator
     If you look for the definition on the web-based Urban Dictionary of a “smooth operator,” the meaning comes up as “someone who tends to be on top of things, and is usually in control of any given situation.” 
     That is the essence of what will come to your mind if you have the opportunity to meet with Mr. Huxiang Zhao, who served as FIATA President between 2015 and 2017. 
     This is indeed a man in control, believe me.

EMO Trans Readies A Global Meeting
     EMO Trans, which is set for its annual global meeting in Cologne, Germany on September 6 said that it is continuing its expansion program with a new office in Taipei, Taiwan. 
     In early October the fast-rising logistics specialist is moving to new headquarters offices in Garden City, New York consolidating offices in nearby Freeport and Baldwin under the same roof in an expanded facility.

Chuckles for August 31, 2018

Girl On A Whirl Of Change
     “The introduction of Delta Cargo’s self-service experience contributes to a more environmentally friendly and simple booking process, while also providing expedited service to customers,” said Lindsey Jalil, Managing Director Commercial as Delta Cargo debuted self-service iPad kiosks in Atlanta and Boston.

Letter From A Dutch Master
     When KLM decided to change the direction of the company at the end of the last century, it became obvious that our cargo ambitions could not be further developed. 
     Our plan to become a completely separate business could not be implemented.
A reason for me to retire and I did that “cold turkey.” It was not only best for me personally, but also for my successor and the next generation of cargo people.

Chuckles for August 27, 2018

Turgut Forwarding Turkish Logistics
     Our correspondent Marco Sorgetti delivers an exclusive homage here to one of the most important and emerging leaders in transportation today, Turgut Erkeskin.
     Very quietly and with great determination, Turgut has emerged from his family business in Turkey as a leading freight forwarder on the international stage.
     Having served in top management of UTIKAD, the organization of freight forwarders in Turkey, Turgut has shown outstanding ability in leading the way on many fronts, while organizing and expanding the role and prospects of freight forwarders.

Belt Road Boogie
     A ULD of YTO Express is wrapped and ready with 21 tons of electronics as subsidiary YTO Airlines opened a charter route from Tianjin, China, to Astana, Kazakhstan, on Wednesday, August 15, 2018. 
     YTO said, more cargo routes—including Tianjin to Almaty—are on the horizon. 
     The new services are the direct result of YTO, a private, China-based courier company expanding into building a logistics and supply chain network for cities along the Belt and Road.

Chuckles for August 24, 2018

Jacques Ancher: The Thought Leader
     “I am still fascinated by this business.
     “If you stand back and take the full view of air cargo, what is in clear focus is that this is a multi-billon dollar business driven by a large, dedicated group that includes the best, most prestigious companies in the world.
     “Air cargo is really and truly golden.
     “Although I have gotten along in years since I retired from KLM, I cannot understand why this beautiful cargo industry is still treated in some cases as a stepchild.
     “We must be doing something wrong,” Jacques Ancher who served as Executive Vice President of KLM Cargo (1990-2001) said in 2014.

Talking Pictures
     Apropos of the way things are today, I am currently shredding some documents. While the machine rumbles and chews the paper into shreds, I’m afforded a couple of minutes to stare at this picture on the wall.
     The artwork depicts an event from a quarter century ago, when we regularly attended airline, airport, and forwarder press conferences: a 1993 conference in Amsterdam hosted by Jacques Ancher for KLM Cargo.

Zhao Fengsheng Plays A Straight Bat
      China Southern Cargo currently faces challenges on multiple fronts, but most obviously from the escalating Sino-U.S. trade war which threatens its Transpacific business.
     When FlyingTypers recently caught up with Zhao Fengsheng, Senior Vice President of the carrier’s Cargo Division, he was optimistic about the year ahead although on tariffs, to use an old English cricketing idiom, he played a decidedly straight bat.

Chuckles for August 21, 2018

ULD CARE Delivers Code Of Conduct
     A ULD being loaded onto the main deck or slipped into the belly of a wide body passenger aircraft is the money shot in any air cargo message of late.
     But what about the ULDs, aka “silent partners,” of our air cargo enterprise? 
     Watching the daily ballet of ULDs being loaded and unloaded from aircraft at the airport, it is easy to step back a bit and wonder about the stories they might tell.

You Say Goodbye, I Say Hello
     Suggesting that the air freight sector has been slow to embrace new technologies to improve supply chain efficiency and customer experience is unlikely to provoke dissent—although some may counter that describing the industry as ‘slow’ represents an unwarranted degree of flattery. 
     Take e-AWB, for example. The project has received the full backing of the industry’s leading associations, but damningly only recently passed the 50 percent adoption mark globally, leaving the entire project years behind schedule and close to obsolescence.

Chuckles for August 17, 2018

Man In A Red Box
     This fall Rafael Figueroa will lead a team of over 1,600 employees at Delta Cargo as Managing Director-Cargo Operations and Customer Experience.
     With twelve years in the airline industry, Rafael most recently served as Vice President for Aeromexico Cargo, with prior roles as Vice President-Ground Handling for Aeromexico and as Chairman of the Board for SkyTeam Cargo Alliances.

The Natural At United Cargo
     “The highlight for United Cargo in the first half of 2018 was the continuation of the trendthat began in late 2014, when we emerged as the clear leader among U.S. carriers in tonnage carried and revenue. 
     “From January through June, our ton miles increased just over 6 percent while our revenues increased nearly 19 percent,” declares United Cargo President Jan Krems.

Chuckles for August 13, 2018

Super Tanker To The Rescue
     It had to happen . . . Having served Japan Airlines for decades, the venerable B747-400 has found another life—not in air cargo, but converted into a tanker that fights fires and saves lives in the western United States.
  In 2018 California is experiencing its fiercest forest fires in history. 

And Now For Something Completely Different

Chuckles for August 8, 2018

ATC Transforms Latin American GSSA Landscape
     Big news this summer as ATC Aviation purchases Pacific Feeder Services. Joining forces will create a seismic shift in the GSSA landscape in Latin America.
     To hear ATC CEO Ingo Zimmer tell it, the pair has created “the perfect symbiosis for the South American market.”
     “Since 1993, GrupoPFS (Pacific Feeder Services) has been a leading GSSA in Latin America with offices in Chile, Peru, Bolivia, and Colombia.

Only Takes One

A Really Big Show
     Class Summer Air Show of 2018 as the charm & passion of the British Blue Legend aerobatic team performs at the opening ceremony of the Huangguoshu Flight Conference at Anshun City located in China's Guizhou Province on Friday August 3, 2018. 
  "Dream the Blue Sky, Bright Future in Anshun" theme also included demonstrations by British Royal Wind Turbine Wings, Italian Trailblazers, European Sky Dance, Turkish God of War, New Zealand Silver and other internationally renowned aerobatic teams. 

Chuckles for August 6, 2018

Where Pharma Keeps Its Cool
     Virgin Atlantic Cargo’s commitment to pharma customers seems to be paying off handsomely with the airline reporting bookings and revenues for temperature-controlled healthcare and life science shipments up by more than 50% in the first half of 2018. 

Soft Summer Breeze
     Out walking the dog recently on an unusually soft New York City summer evening, without an ounce of humidity in the air, a lovely song came to mind. From the 1950s, it actually made the pop music charts here during the era of Elvis. 
  Eddie Heywood’s “Soft Summer Breeze” captured the season a lifetime or two ago for me, and lo and behold on a perfect night in 2018 is again rattling around inside my head.

Afghan Traders Say Hello Delhi!
     The India-Afghanistan air freight corridor, which saw its first flight from Kabul to Delhi in June 2017, has seen the development of a healthy export market for goods from Afghanistan. 
     Today, more than a year later, the number of freighter flights between the two countries has gone up to 100. 

Chuckles for August 3, 2018

FIATA Gamechanger Delhi September
     Even as India’s freight forwarders (under the aegis of the Federation of Freight Forwarders’ Associations in India, FFFAI, the apex body of 28 customs clearance and freight forwarders associations from across the country) prepare to host the FIATA World Congress 2018 (FWC-2018) in Delhi this September, the meet is attracting worldwide attention. 

Qatar Not Bearish Under Blockade
     A giant honey colored teddy bear welcomes travellers at Hamad International Airport in Doha, Qatar. A year into a blockade imposed by four Arab states, Qatar, the small country has weathered the storm by drawing from its substantial financial coffers, using its strategic location in the Persian Gulf as the world’s largest producer of liquefied natural gas and forging tight alliances with countries like Turkey and Iran.

Chuckles for July 30, 2018

Will Tariffs See You In September?
     U.S. protectionist policies have not so far had a major impact on air freight trade flows, but that could change in the near future depending on which additional Chinese products become subject to import tariffs later in the year.
     A first raft of U.S. tariffs on Chinese imports came into effect on 6 July, but although there was some anecdotal evidence of shippers moving cargo early to avoid the tariffs, an anticipated surge in volumes flown to avoid tariffs on deadline day did not materialize to the extent that some analysts had predicted.

I Surrender, Dear
     I Surrender . . . A member of the American Airlines ground crew seeks shelter on an empty luggage cart Wednesday, July 25, 2018 at Sky Harbor International Airport in Phoenix. 
     For the third straight day, Phoenix has hit a record high temperature as Sky Harbor reached 115 degrees Monday and Wednesday afternoon, according to the U.S. National Weather Service.
     The July 25 record was set back in 1943. Phoenix reached 116 degrees Tuesday, making it the hottest day of the year so far.

Chuckles for July 27, 2018

Richard Malkin: In His Own Write
     One of the most important pioneering journalists in air cargo history, Richard Malkin is the only air cargo reporter who covered the Berlin Airlift; with that one act, he practically invented air cargo journalism.
     Richard died in July 2017 at the age of 104.
     Richard Malkin was part of our print publication from 1990 until 1994. He returned to FlyingTypers at age 100 and wrote continuously until mid-2016, supplying a flurry of final of interviews, comments, and feature stories.

TempControl Adds PharmaPort 360
     Leading The Way . . . “We are proud to be the first North American carrier to sign a direct leasing agreement with Sonoco ThermoSafe for PharmaPort 360 declared United Cargo President Jan Krems. 
     “Along with our relentless focus on speed, reliability and quality, TempControl customers appreciate our drive to ensure UA Cargo service remains relevant and valuable to the evolving pharmaceutical marketplace. 
     “We are excited to offer customers the ability to lease the PharmaPort 360, a smart active packaging option, for the safe transport of health care material throughout our TempControl network of 68 certified locations,” Mr. Krems concluded. 

Chuckles for July 25, 2018

Antonella Is The Rainbow
     Antonella is a name that reminds Italian native speakers of sweet family memories when they live far from loved ones. 
     Many mothers, aunts, and sisters are called Antonella in Italy, bringing to mind a tasty plate of pasta or crisp fried fish, as light as the good olive oil it has been fried in. 

Happy Feet At Farnborough Freighter Fervor
     “This is a very significant day in our company’s history. With this package of agreements, we will grow our business with the unique and unmatched 747-8 Freighter and open new market opportunities with the 777 Freighter,” said Alexey Isaykin, President of Volga-Dnepr Group and Chairman of CargoLogicHolding.
     Alexey delivered the reported blockbuster $12 billion order to Boeing to acquire twenty-nine Boeing 777 freighters, plus five B747-8Fs.
     The order notes a shift in aircraft types at Volga that now appears to be building a future around the twin-engine B777 cargo aircraft.

Chuckles for July 19, 2018

Summer In The Air

Tariff Dustup Could Be Cargo Windfall
     Everyone I talk with in air cargo is concerned about the effect of President Trump’s stance on tariffs, and to tell the truth so was I until I remembered one thing: 
     Donald Trump is a master negotiator rather than a politician. 
     For the past 60+ years the United States has been giving trade concessions in return for geopolitical concessions like military bases and alliances. 
     So Trump is right in saying our trade deals are outdated and need to be changed.

Chuckles for July 16, 2018

LHR Vote Needs Positive Action
     The vote in British Parliament favoring London Heathrow Airport expansion late last month drew response from the boots on the ground at LHR.
     Robert (Peachy) Keen, Director General of the British International Freight Association (BIFA) and stalwart member of the FIATA Board said:
     “Whilst BIFA welcomes the positive news from Parliament, media coverage of the obstacles that the project still faces leave me with a certain sense of foreboding whether the spades will ever hit the ground.”

Wing & Wheels & Trump Tariff
     “In some respect, United States President Donald Trump has my admiration to pursue a fair tariff deal. 
     “The implementation, however, is debatable! However, all said and done, I do not see trade coming to a halt. 
     “I see volumes flowing despite the nuances and exchange of fury over the issues!” 

Chuckles for July 9, 2018

No Takers For Air India
     There has been no let-up in the downs for Air India. 
     Caught in a tight-jacketed financial bind and living from day to day on taxpayers’ money, the Narendra Modi-led government took the move to sell Air India.
      Despite the best efforts of the Civil Aviation Ministry, not one bidder showed interest in Air India till May 31, the deadline for the ‘Expression of Interest’ (EOI) bids under AI’s divestment process.

The Effervescence of Jean-Claude Delen
     Recently a mixed, yet optimistic message came from a white paper entitled “The Evolving Freight Forwarding Market (2018).” The report, published by LTI and based on just 50 responses to their survey, reveals optimism among the forwarding community in spite of technological change, e-commerce challenges, and the new collaborative enterprise pressure toward change.

Chuckles for July 3, 2018

Update On The East

Tariff Watch As July Deadline Looms
     As deadline day draws near in the on-off trade war dance between the United States and China, forwarders and airlines are now making strategic preparations for potential spikes in demand. 
     They are also preparing for the possibility that demand could drop off thereafter on the China to U.S. lane, and that Chinese production for the U.S. market could quickly shift to Chinese factories located in neighboring Asian countries to avoid tariffs.

Chuckles for June 28, 2018

Planning For The U.S. China Dance
     Uncertainty over the scale and timing of the threatened U.S. and China trade war is making the forward planning of Tranpacific freight operations increasingly complex, according to one leading carrier. 
     The almost day-to-day changes in policy pronouncements from both camps have caused chaos for those strategizing supply chains. And for airlines it has been little easier than for shippers or 3PLs or caught in the cross-fire.

Toward A Perfect Blendship At AA Cargo
      School may be out for summer, but for American Airlines Managing Director of Cargo Culture and Transformation Jessica Tyler, change is in the air.
     “We officially announced our partnership with IBS in January of this year and have been hard at work completing the first major phase of work, designing our future business processes that are enabled by the iCargo solution. 
     “We are now working on the detailed plan to support our teams and customers through this transition over time. 
     “The devil is in the details and let’s just say we’re in the ‘hot’ part of the project.”

Chuckles for June 25, 2018

Serenade For Jessica
     Sometimes things that happen in life flash by very quickly. Later, when you think about it, the time stamp has dropped out, the encounter fogs over in memory, and you wonder if it was perhaps just a dream.
     I recall in 2003 attending a movie premiere of a film featuring my son Geoffrey II, titled “It Runs In The Family”. Starring Kirk and Michael Douglas, Bernadette Peters, and some others, the film was based on the lives of the famous Douglas Hollywood family. 

UTIKAD Forward In Turkish Logistics
     Since late last year there has been a new logo and president at The International Association of Transport and Logistic Service Providers (UTIKAD), the largest non-governmental organization in the Turkish transportation and logistics sector. 

Chuckles for June 21, 2018

Second Time The Charm At Lufthansa
     One of the major pluses of travelling to an event like CNS Partnership is the chance to return to the dear hearts that we have known, and of course to meet some new ones.
     We recall a couple of years ago when we met with Lufthansa’s Head of Area Management The Americas Achim Martinka, as he readied for his departure back to Europe after a six-year run.
     As we sat and talked and bid each other a fond farewell, he shared something close to his heart. 
     “Unfortunately,” Achim said, “I will have to leave the Americas with a few great projects underway, but not finished yet.”

Show Us Your Pain, India Tells Air Cargo
     “We have met the enemy and it is us,” is the air cargo industry response to India government talk, but there is little action!
     Sure, on paper and in the media, the Indian government—or rather, the civil aviation ministry—is all for pushing ahead to boost air cargo, but elsewhere powerful pressures, including simple indifference to promises and pledges, are working to put brakes on advancing air cargo in India.

ACAS Secures Take Off
     The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Air Cargo Advanced Screening (ACAS) program went into effect on Tuesday, June 12.
     Basically airlines are ordered to provide longer advance notice about cargo that officials believe may pose a security risk.
     Now carriers must send certain information about their cargo consignments to U.S. Customs and Border Protection before loading the plane.
     Customs applauded the new rule saying it now will be able to order airline crews not to load suspicious cargo. 

Chuckles for June 19, 2018

June Rates Flat But Steady
     So far, the much-anticipated surge in rates on healthy global economic growth and tight capacity has not materialized on the major East-West lanes. 
     Freightos put it mostly bluntly in declaring: “No News Is The News For Air Freight Rates.”
     The digital marketplace reported in early June that average air freight rates “haven’t moved since late March,” rating them in the range of $2.90-$5.00 per kg on the China-U.S. lane, $2.80-$4.50 on China-Europe, and $1.80-$2.70 for Europe-U.S.

FIATA Plans A Posh Journey To India
     In March, FlyingTypers highlighted Babar Badat’s agenda upon taking the helm of FIATA. He said that FIATA “has a growing role to play in the fast changing international transport environment.
     “In recent years, FIATA has championed the need for better global connectivity.
     “I intend to continue this momentum,” President Babar Badat said in his exclusive interview for FlyingTypers. 

CNS Partnership Is Unbeatable
      Ever since Ed Sullivan, the man who introduced The Beatles to America in 1964, coined “A Really Big Show,” we have thought of that phrase when we anticipate showing up for another air cargo trade event.
     The trade event journeys continue: from New York to Palm Springs and Shanghai to United Kingdom, a slightly delirious season of trade events, shows, and gatherings are driven in part by the need to meet and greet and fulfill the never-ending quest of filling up the coffers.

Chuckles for June 11, 2018

Top Air Cargo Show Session of 2018
     At last month’s CNS Partnership Conference, which bannered itself as “Preparing for Tomorrow’s Reality,” the Airports Council International – North America (ACI-NA) Air Cargo Committee coordinated a panel titled “Airport Partnerships: Driving Solutions.”
     Considering that all of us are over, under, around, or through an airport every step of the way in air cargo, maybe what our world could use right now is a great, informative discussion of what is happening in places we all share. 

Air Mail At 100
     Just 80 years ago last month, in May 1938, four carrier pigeons went up against against an Eastern Airlines mail plane in a race to see which method could cover the 200-mile route from Washington, D.C., to New York faster. 

Inside Blockbuster Surge At DHL Forwarding
     Tobias Meyer was in expansive and optimistic form, and with good reason. Deutsche Post-DHL Group reported decent returns for the first quarter—year-on-year revenues suffered a slight drop due to the sale of subsidiary Williams Lea Tag, but operating profits rose 2.3 percent to €905m. DGF, the Group’s forwarding arm, saw revenue rise 1.3 percent to EUR 3.6 billion in the period. 
     However, this did not tell the full story because, once adjusted for negative currency effects, the latest numbers actually represented a 7.2 percent improvement compared to a year earlier. 

Chuckles for June 4, 2018

BTU Cool By Any Measure
     In most places where it is hot or summer is approaching, comfort is measured in British Thermal Units, or BTUs, pumped out faithfully by air conditioners.
     But for air cargo, this Super Summer of 2018 began early in Bintulu, Malaysia (BTU), which was on the receiving end of a major charter by MABkargo.

Will India Keep Victoria's Secret?
     Victoria has a secret and it’s connected to her garments. Not many people know that a wide variety of Victoria’s Secret undergarments are made in the port city of Visakhapatnam in the state of Andhra Pradesh in south India. 
     In addition to VS, there’s Pink, Calvin Klein, and Marks & Spencer. 
     In fact, one of the units manufacturing ladies’ undergarments produces the largest number of brassieres exported from India to the U.S.

A Look Back & Forward
     Once upon a time in 1975, we filled up our 1973 Karmann Ghia with newspapers and drove from a printing plant in Massapequa, Long Island, New York, to the cargo area at JFK International Airport and Air Cargo News (ACN) was born.
     Today we are still here as the longest continually published air cargo media in the history of air cargo with the same Editor/Publisher/Owners.

Chuckles for May 28, 2018

Air Cargo Took Off Above The Himalayas
     If you want to know exactly when the defining time occurred for air cargo in the 20th century, and what led to its development, just cast a line back seventy six years ago and you will discover that modern air cargo was born in India and China.
     Today, as air cargo’s future is increasingly connected to these two ancient countries, it can be said that what is old is new again. 
     Early in World War II, President Roosevelt asked Army Air Force General Hap Arnold to devise a method for supplying Chinese and American troops and aviators fighting against the Japanese in China.

Memorial Day 2018
     Aside from being the Summer ’18 opening day for swimming pools, parks and beaches across America, Memorial Day USA is meant to honor members of the armed forces of today and yesterday.

Business Urge To Surge Faces Challenges
     The air freight sector’s remarkable upturn in fortunes could soon be coming to an end, according to one leading market analyst. But while the current supply-demand balance could be threatened by new capacity, digitalization of the sector will create new opportunities.
     Patrik Berglund, CEO of Xeneta, a benchmarking and market intelligence platform, believes that although forecasters such as McKinsey have predicted air cargo volumes will rise by 3 percent on average through to 2025, problems are now brewing for air freight stakeholders.

Chuckles for May 23, 2018

Building Mongolian Connections
     An air corridor between India and Mongolia could start soon. 
     Coming as it does on the heels of the success of the India-Afghanistan air corridor overflying Pakistan, the decision to explore the possibility of starting direct air services to land-locked Mongolia was taken during the recent visit by India’s External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj to Mongolia.
     Mongolia considers India a “third neighbor” as well as a “spiritual neighbor” (the late venerable Kushok Bakula Rinpoche, a Buddhist monk who is revered in Mongolia, was the Indian ambassador to Ulaanbaatar for 10 years). With China on three sides and Russia on the other, Mongolia has close relations with India, which is referred to as the third neighbor.

March Happened But Not A Trend
      Air cargo markets seem certain to continue expanding this year despite the relative slowdown suffered in March. And while rates in ‘greenback’ terms have remained firm on buoyant demand, one analyst notes that pricing can only be viewed in the context of currency fluctuations.
      Freightos, a digital marketplace, reported last week that air freight rates were currently “very stable”, adding that the first week of May was the “sixth straight week with the same average air freight rates,” which on the China-U.S. lane, it recorded in the $2.90-$5.00 per kg range; China-Europe hovered at $2.80-$4.50 per kg and Europe-U.S. was steady at $1.80-$2.70 per kg.

Chuckles for May 18, 2018

The Doppelganger Gambit
     easyJet held a royal wedding competition. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle lookalikes Rhys Whittock and Inmaculada Santisteban Serrano won as best Royal couple doppelgangers.
     The judges measured on looks, the regal wave, the romantic wedding proposal and best bridal bouquet throw.

Ready For FIATA World Congress India
     Representatives of the Federation of Freight Forwarders’ Associations in India (FFFAI) are out on the road promoting the FIATA World Congress 2018 scheduled to take place at Aerocity in New Delhi, September 26-30, 2018.
     Pictured at the Dubai World Trade Club, the National Association of Freight & Logistics (NAFL-UAE) welcomed the Indian delegation, pledging support for the event taking place on the subcontinent for the first time.

Tom Wolfe - The Right Stuff
      Tom Wolfe, one of the truly great writers of the 20th Century wrote these words about a first U.S. Astronaut Gordon Cooper in his landmark book The Right Stuff, published in 1979.
     The NASA Space Shuttle Program, a series of air cargo flights that began with Columbia in 1981,was given a huge boost in lore and legend as a result of that book.
     Tom Wolfe died Tuesday May 16 in Manhattan at 88 years of age.

Mike's On CNS Partnership
     As the 28th CNS Partnership Conference concluded this past Wednesday in Palm Beach, California, it is a good time to reflect upon this year’s event. 
     “There was a record crowd of over 600 people and we received a lot of good comments from the attendees,” said Mike White CNS President. 

Chuckles for May 15, 2018

Algorithm Pumps Up The Volume
     “Basically there are three challenges to building a company.”
     The speaker is Nathanaël de Tarade Chief Commercial Officer of Wiremind.
     “Firstly, you have to convince people that buying your product will make their lives or job better.
     “Secondly, as a small company, the challenge to reach a global audience means that you have to work all the time and figure out how to remain a small company for a decent amount of time so that you can control things.”

Adam Walks On Air At CNS
     While others may have a “Top 10 List,” Adam Rod (A-Rod), Chicago Department of Aviation Assistant Commissioner of Planning, settles for three. Whilst inhaling the landscape in La Quinta, California, he lines up his case for the aerial gateway serving the city of the broad shoulders, Chicago, Illinois.
     Adam is a one-man powerhouse who may be grounded but seems to walk on air as he describes the future of cargo at O’Hare International.

No Trouble Hitting The Curve
      IATA was handing out baseballs at CNS Partnership last week with William (Will) Jimenez (right) and Philippe Siponen (left) on the mound pitching for better understanding of the agency’s aggressive program to build world trade.

ATC On The Road To Tomorrow
     “I believe in partnership and quality,” says Ingo Zimmer, CEO of fast-rising GSSA ATC Aviation as the 28th CNS Partnership gets underway in Palm Springs, California, this week.
     “Airlines are comfortable with our hands-on personal style of service as we grow our offering everywhere in the world including Europe, Africa, Asia, India, and the Americas.”

Chuckles for May 8, 2018

Dynamic Duo Fast Track CNS
     “Digitalization is coming whether you like it or not,” declared new CNS President Mike White, as CNS Partnership opened for business on Monday, May 7.
     “However, change will need complete, clear two-way understanding between all parties involved in the process of moving air cargo.
     “Help us by sharing information on the things that are important to you in your daily business.
     “Together we will make this business and our industry great.”

Marek More Than A LOT
     “We are very excited about the start up of a second direct destination to Europe from North America.
     “LOT Polish adds Budapest from New York and Chicago in addition to our regular offering from the U.S. (JFK & ORD) and Toronto, Canada, to Warsaw,” said Marek Kasiak, LOT Polish Cargo Manager North America.

Why Is This Man Smiling?
      Just look at Jens, the beautiful women, and the mountains in Paradise (PSP), California, and the answer is apparent.
     “I was thinking about it,” said Jens Tubbesing, Chief Executive Officer of Airline Network Services (ANS), pictured here with Marie Epstein, Vice President Sales and Ana Gerber, Chief Operating Officer in Palm Springs with the beautiful Santa Rosa mountains as backdrop, “my tenure as President of CNS (2002-2004) was the third longest on record after Tony Calabrese, who was the founding President of CNS, and Michael Vorwerk, who was in place slightly longer than me.”

Ready Set Grow Alliances & Women
     CNS Partnership was off to the races in Palm Springs this week, with a warm reception for partners and friends, as United & Lufthansa celebrated their just announced air cargo alliance partnership in style.
     “We are not an overnight sensation but have worked on developing our partnership during the past five years,” said Jim Bellinder, Vice President, United Cargo Sales-Americas.
     “We have just completed moving our first couple of dozen shipments and cannot wait for tomorrow, because we look better everyday.”

Chuckles for May 7, 2018

PayCargo On Stage At CNS
     As Cargo Network Services Corp. (CNS) meets this week in Palm Springs, California, it is significant to remember the exciting new agreement between PayCargo and CNS reached in fall 2017, which will be featured in great detail as part of “Innovation Stage” during the CNS event.

Barry Lien Barry Good
     FlyingTypers spoke to the old cargo pro Barry Lien who said, “work today at Worldwide Flight Services brings me in close proximity to some great people in air cargo, and attending CNS partnership deepens the ties that bind.
   “Air cargo is a people business, unique and grand, and still today nothing beats the face to face contact that CNS provides, delivering great neutral ground for us to meet all our customers in one place during this annual event.”

Hello And Goodbye
      Hello & Goodbye . . . Opening evening at CNS Partnership was a lawn party in a Spanish Garden as the sun set behind the breathtakingly beautiful Santa Rosa Mountains. 
   Qatar Cargo hosted the event with Ian Morgan, VP Cargo the Americas welcoming and thanking customers and partners.
   Ian also delivered a touching goodbye and farewell to Kuehne & Nagel’s Michael Tomasulo, (right) a much beloved, long-time cargo stalwart who is retiring.

Innovation Stage New At CNS Partnership
     CNS 2018 Partnership Conference is changing the way it delivers information next week in Palm Springs at its 28th annual gathering, this year at La Quinta Resort from May 6-9.
     This time look for less plenary sessions but more access to useful information via a smaller venue in the exhibition area called the CNS Innovation Stage. 
     The idea is to change the dynamic so that conferees can meet with customers and also find easy access to informative presentations from across the air cargo supply chain. 

Chuckles for May 1, 2018

India & The Brexiteers
       India is looking forward to promoting trade with Britain and the Commonwealth after Brexit kicks in. 
       The recent Commonwealth Heads of Government Meet (CHOGM) in London that was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi—who apparently was wooed to attend the meet by none other than Prince Charles and his wife, the Duchess of Cornwall in November last year—was an opportunity for Britain to push bilateral trade, which in 2015-16 was $14.02 billion. 

Letters to the Editor

ULD CARE Teams Up With Airport College
       Our friend Pertti Mero, who moved from the airline cargo business into fostering much needed training for airline employees worldwide when he founded Airport College in Helsinki, Finland, has now moved into a cooperation with Canadian-based ULD CARE to develop online training courses.
       “We believe that this new cooperation provides us a unique possibility to work closely with ULD CARE to further develop our online Unit Load Device (ULD) Handling training courses,” Pertti said.

CNS Cinco De Mayo
     Cinco de Mayo falls on a Saturday in 2018, affording readers a nice chance to spend the weekend with margaritas, chavelas, or just go all in with shots of Patrón. 
     For people that want to get a head start on Cargo Network Services (CNS) Annual Partnership Conference (beginning Sunday, May 6 with a golf tournament), here is what’s happening in the always very hip Coachella Valley for Cinco de Mayo.

LATAM Cargo Growing Empire
      LATAM Cargo Vice President Sales East Coast Andres Varela doesn’t claim to know it all.
      But there is something this youthful, energetic 19-year veteran does know. As vice president for Miami-based LATAM Cargo, he understands he has a tiger by the tail. LATAM is growing its cargo business all over the world.