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Vol. 11 No. 5                                                                Wednesday January 25, 2012

China Loses Capacity
  Chinese New Year was celebrated around the world this week, but air cargo executives were not among those enjoying the festivities.
  Although operators reported rising imports to China throughout 2011, volumes on critical front-haul export lanes ex-southern China and Hong Kong were weak. Moreover, a hoped-for peak in the run up to the Lunar New Year failed to materialize, following a similarly poor lead-in to the Christmas festivities which heaped pressure on carriers.

New Lufthansa Freighter Service To Detroit
“Our new freighter connection supplements the daily flights operated by Lufthansa passenger aircraft, and offers our customers more capacity and greater flexibility,” said Achim Martinka, Lufthansa Cargo Vice President The Americas, as Lufthansa Cargo added a weekly freighter flight from Frankfurt to Detroit, Michigan on Monday, January 23.
     Return is via JFK.
     “The automotive and pharma industries, especially, are growing demand for fast and reliable transport to and from Detroit.” Detroit is also known as “The Motor City,” shortened in the 1960s to “Motown.”

AF/KL Highlights New CPS Feature
 A new feature developed on CPS in conjunction with Unisys provides a structured step-by-step process for a forwarder making an e-booking for shipments such as live animals, perishables, valuables, or any cargo which requires a special handling code.
 This validation is aimed at facilitating more e-bookings while adding process certainty to both the forwarder making the booking and the airline agents accepting them. By displaying a default list of commodities from which to search, data entry errors are reduced and eliminated, and the corresponding standard special codes can be selected from a drop-down.
Emirates SkyCargo Adds To Africa
“While many regions are experiencing challenging economic conditions, Africa—with a population in excess of one billion and rich in natural resources—is one of the few areas to record growth, and the long-term outlook is very positive,” said Ram Menen, Emirates’ Divisional Senior Vice President Cargo, as Emirates Sky Cargo sets service to Lusaka, Zambia and Harare, Zimbabwe on February 1, less than three months after the launch of a dedicated weekly freighter to Accra and Lome.
RE: Swish At Swiss WorldCargo
My dear Geoffrey,

     My word, you are a master of words! But I wish to start with very traditional but truly heartfelt best wishes for 2012, and I may add for the Year of the Blackwater Dragon: aren't our Chinese friends so much more poetic, not to say

Vol. 11 No. 6                                                               Monday January 23, 2012

Women Of Swiss WorldCargo
Women leaders at Swiss WorldCargo (left to right)—Lisa Doo, Manager Beijing; Maria Campanella, Senior Marketing Communication Executive; Silvia Cappelli, Senior PR & Online Communication Executive; Annette Kreuziger, Senior Manager, Head of Marketing; Julia Dellinger, Manager Business Intelligence; Christine Barden, Senior Manager, Head of Transportation Processes and Lalin Sabuncuoglu-Janssen, Managing Director, Head of Market Europe.

   The great chef Julia Child defined “swish” as informal; posh—"a swish pastry shop on the Rue du Bac," she once wrote.
   There are other meanings for that slang word, but the lady who acted as Julia in a movie and now as Margaret Thatcher in a new film (she is nominated for yet another Academy Award for her portrayal in Iron Lady), Meryl Streep, once walked up to us and asked “How is my Swish?”

History Alive At Lambert
 History is alive on the walls of Lambert St. Louis International Airport, as some murals have been restored that trace African American airmen who trained at the Tuskegee Institute and soared into combat to help the U.S. win air battles during World War II.

Kung Hei Fat Choi—Year Of The Dragon
 It is apparent to almost anyone traveling on business that there isn’t enough time to enjoy authentic local scenery.
 Dinner that hasn’t been worked into the business schedule becomes an after-thought, a quick twelve-dollar burger served on a tray with a moist towelette in some forgotten hotel room.
 We are so quick to let business travel spoil the excitement that comes with going to a new place. The town you’ve been zipping through for the past couple of days could be the grist for your memory’s mill, and sometimes culture shock can be cathartic.

Vol. 11 No. 5                                                                Friday January 20, 2012

Best Seat In The House
Jürgen Siebenrock, Lufthansa’s Vice President the Americas, moves over from air cargo to his new post, but takes time out to play catch up with EMO Trans CEO Jo Frigger at Tuesday’s German American Chamber of Commerce Annual New Year’s Luncheon at The Harvard Club in Manhattan.

DL 2012 Stays On The Beam
   In the 1940s, Delta Air Lines DC-3s navigated the skies in the hands of pilots who listened for the steady tone of radio transmitters on the ground, which indicated whether the flight was “on the beam.”
   Today, if you look into the eyes of Neel Shah, there is the beam of steely determination as he moves towards building Delta Cargo into a billion dollar business.

Deal Or No DealYo
  The recent "kicking the tires" exercise and high-level discussions following the Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) initial bid for the Lufthansa-held Systems company have been quietly put on ice—it seems for good.

A Day In The Life
   Lufthansa Cargo Charter Agency has named Steve Day as General Manager for Middle East and the Indian Subcontinent.
  Following a two-week training program at Lufthansa Cargo Charter’s head office in Frankfurt, Steve Day will take up his new position on January 22, 2012. Day comes with a solid aviation and logistics background, with several years of experience in charter operations.
Dire Straits Above India 2012
 As 2011 faded away, leaving India’s aviation sector in dire straits, quite a few aviation stakeholders—including the government—came up with cures to revive the sector.
  The sector is groaning under a debt burden of Rs one trillion during 2000-10 and losses of Rs 200 billion in the past three years. According to the Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation (CAPA), Indian carriers lose $25 every time a passenger takes a flight. CAPA’s Outlook 2012 points out airlines in the country will lose a whopping $2.5 billion in 2011-12. Kapil Kaul, CAPA’s South Asia CEO, was reported commenting, “2011 is the worst-performing year for the sector. These are record losses in the history of Indian aviation. Such losses have never been there, even in FY08 when the fuel went up to $150 and operating environment was hard... the appetite for losing money is the highest in India. We expect a very, very tough 2012.”
Lightbox January
 EK 221 will leave Dubai at 0245hrs daily, arriving at Dallas-Fort Worth at 0905hrs. The return sector, EK 222, leaves Dallas at 1150hrs, arriving at Dubai International Airport at 1220hrs the following day.
RE:  Semantics Founder & Cargo Pioneer John Dailey Dies
  Happy New Year Geoffrey,
 Very nice article about John Dailey. He was a diamond among the other jewels at JFK. One thing I'll always remember about John was a golf game.
  One of my constantly rotating bosses from Japan (at JAL) asked me to

Vol. 11 No. 4                                                                Tuesday January 17, 2012

Dr. Jahnke Profiles Lufthansa Cargo Center
  Lufthansa today announced some changes in staff. Dr. Mohammad Ali Seiraffi (right) has taken over as Vice President Handling Frankfurt succeeding Dr. Andreas Jahnke who now will be Managing Director of Lufthansa Consulting.
 We sat with Andreas Jahnke in early December discussing the last four years at the helm of a critical cargo assignment at the very heart of a leading airline, an assignment that can be considered a departure given the fact that he arrived there after leaving an entirely different industry. But his background may have served him well, as he delivered a fresh pair of eyes and some new thinking to a critical task

Jim McKeon Strategizes Southwest Airlines Cargo 2012
  Who knows what lies ahead?
  This is the time of year to set plans and get ready for 2012, so market conditions and prognostications are vey much on the mind of top air cargo executives.
   Jim McKeon, Strategic Advisor, Cargo Management Group-Southwest Airlines provides some thoughts gathered recently at Air Cargo Americas in Miami.
   “The culture at Southwest Airlines is just incredible, as it serves not only the customer but also the employees as well, so my view is that whatever the market conditions, the sky is no limit for Southwest Cargo to grow itself by leaps and bounds in 2012 and the year(s) ahead.

Jade Fleet Grounding Continues
  Originally, Jade Cargo International intended to suspend all operations only from the end of December until January 16th. Now, the carrier has announced it will continue the grounding of its fleet of six B747-400ERF until further notice. “Ongoing discussions concerning the financial restructuring” have led to this decision, reads Jade’s homepage. Currently, the carrier refuses to deliver a fix date that it will recommence its cargo flights.

Dick Dougherty Excited About Life After Air Cargo
 Good guy Richard “Dick” Dougherty, Project Manager – EDI American Airlines Cargo eBusiness Strategy, has stepped down from his post at American Airlines Cargo.
  Aside from his responsibilities at AA Cargo, Dick was heavily involved with C2K in a very fundamental fashion; he was both a participant and a big thinker, as well as being the guy who meticulously took the minutes of each meeting.
Emirates Hot On Brazil
“Emirates’ direct Brazil flights will not only boost trade ties with the UAE, but also with South America’s main partners in the Far East, such as China, Hong Kong and Japan, and numerous points throughout Europe,” said Robert Siegel, Manager Cargo Commercial – Europe & Americas, as the high flying carrier added Dubai-Rio de Janeiro-Buenos Aires service on January 3.
World Airways Allied Pleased
 World Airways has extended its cooperation with Allied Air Cargo for the lease of two MD-11Fs. Allied Air is a Nigerian all-cargo airline that operates four Boeing 727 freighters and a pair of MD-1Fs on scheduled flights and ad hoc charter services, moving more than 400
Galli To Cargolux Italia
 Cargolux’s Italian offspring, Cargolux Italia S.p.A., announced the appointment of Pierandrea Galli as new CEO. The manager has over 23 years of experience in the aviation industry with Rome’s Alitalia and Toronto-based Skylink Inc. Cargolux Italia says it will “draw on Galli’s extensive experience in the aviation and cargo business to consolidate its presence as the leading Italian all-cargo carrier.”

Vol. 11 No. 3                                                                Wednesday January 11, 2012

Revolution Underway In Cargo IT
  Right now amidst all the prognostications of things to come in 2012 and ample amounts of soul searching about 2011, a major driver of the air cargo business, Information Technology (IT) is at an absolute water shed moment in time, as a novel device (with others to follow) could render the extensive and high cost air cargo tracking IT infrastructure in place irrelevant and messaging system irrelevant and bypassed at the speed of an express shipment.

ATC Takes A Bite Out Of 2012
  The Frankfurt-based general sales agent expects 2012 to be a tough year for the global cargo industry due to weak markets, financial instabilities, incalculable political risks, rising energy costs, and the ongoing European crisis. Despite these critical external circumstances, however, ATC’s CEO, Ingo Zimmer, is confident that his agency will notably increase its turnover and financial results in the twelve months ahead compared to “the very successful outcome we achieved in 2011.”

Cargo Essence LAN Growth
  GSA Cargo Essence is proud to announce a new agreement with LAN CARGO as its GSA in 6 states of the United States—Texas, Colorado, Oklahoma, Kansas, Utah and Louisiana. LAN CARGO serves as a far-reaching company in

American Cargo Delivers Greatest City
  Back in 1938, Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia wanted to build an airport in North Beach, Queens in New York City in order to bring the Air Mail-carrying airlines to New York. His first step was to apply pressure on the Postmaster at the 34th Street Manhattan Post Office where the Newark mail was processed every night.
 When that did not work, “Hizzoner” cut a deal with American Airlines to move its corporate offices from Chicago to New York, where the carrier would be the biggest tenant at the new airport.
Semantics Founder And Cargo Pioneer John Dailey Dies
There is this wonderful charity and social organization that has been in operation at John F. Kennedy Airport since 1970 called The Semantics. John Dailey started it at the gateway when he was the owner of Karr Ellis Freight Forwarders, a company founded in 1919 that remains headquartered at JFK and is still in business today.
 John served as The Semantics’ first President.
 When you speak of a life well lived, and someone from the air cargo business that did some good things over an extended period of time, John Dailey instantly comes to mind.

Vol. 11 No. 2                                                                Monday January 9, 2012

2012—Things To Come
  As we come into 2012, here are some takes about the year that was and what will perhaps transpire in the year ahead.

Marco Sorgetti
Director General
FIATA

     What surprised me most when I assumed my post at FIATA was the kindness of the people I met, both in the office and outside. All are going out of their way to be helpful. This is a very comforting feeling.

Vol. 11 No. 1                                                                 Tuesday January 3, 2012

Bankruptcy For Cargoitalia
  Shortly before Christmas, FlyingTypers was told by sources close to the case, that Milan-based Cargoitalia had ceased all operations due to mounting financial losses. The carrier has since then informed its Italian customers that the airline will be dissolved and liquidated. Ongoing market weakness and fierce competition led to the collapse; so reads a statement issued by the privately owned Italian airline.

Global Logistics Network Power Of One
  Global Logistics Network (GLN) held its annual global meeting (AGM) one step ahead of the terrible flooding in Bangkok (October 10-12, 2011), bringing together several hundred leading worldwide, independently-owned and operated companies that specialize in the logistics industry.
  GLN membership includes freight forwarders, transportation intermediaries and associated companies, which, in the words of GLN founder Roy Stapleton, “all work together in a network environment to benefit from our ‘Power of One’ philosophy.”
  “For the 9th consecutive year, the prior year’s conference turnout was exceeded.
  “This year, despite the challenging business climate, more than 309 attendees from 208 member companies were in attendance at Bangkok.

FedEx Absolutely Positively NOT
  I recently sent two international express shipments by air using my FedEx account. Despite the rather hefty price tag, which is generally associated with its reliable service and reputation, one express shipment ended up being two days late and the second express shipment was three days late.
  Having paid a premium, I contacted FedEx and was informed that because the billing cycle hadn’t run yet, I should wait 2-3 weeks and contact them again for a credit and refund.
  There was no dispute regarding the late deliveries.

When Security Fees Are Pure Profit
     NATO security forces fighting in Afghanistan have signed agreements with Afghan importers for transportation of supplies through Pakistan through 2014, “under the cover of commercial cargo,” Pakistan Today reports.
     In turn, Afghan importers have signed separate agreements with Pakistani logistic firms for the supply of thousands of containers as commercial cargo that “would in fact go to the multinational military alliance in Afghanistan,” PT said.
A Young Man Is Gone
        Now a young man’s gone
        But his legend lingers on
        For so much had he to give.

  I was thinking of these lyrics from a Beach Boys song as we learned today of Udo Preissner. A 37-year-old man who was new to air cargo, serving as marketing manager at Frankfurt Hahn, he died of unknown causes during Christmastide, December 24.
  We often note the passing scene reporting these things, but losing Udo is made all the more terrible knowing that his potential and promise as part of the future generation has been cut off, and now will never be realized.

 

 Vol. 10 No. 127                                                              Saturday December 31, 2011

Jade Air Cargo Grounded
  FlyingTypers has learned that Jade Cargo International will stop flying immediately due to a lack of funds.
  FT sources said December wages were paid to employees, but the airline is suffocating under a severe cash shortage and is unable to pay for fuel.
  The carrier said in a statement that flights have to be cancelled due to “lacking tonnage and ongoing negotiations with our shareholders.”

Lufthansa Sells bmi
  Lufthansa sold British subsidiary bmi (British Midland) to competitor IAG (British Airways + Iberia) for a gross price of 207 million euros. Virgin Atlantic had also engaged in the bidding, but came up empty.
  After the deal was made public, Lufthansa’s shares gained 2.09 percent at the Frankfurt stock exchange, jumping to 9.21 euros each. The transaction, however, still needs to get the green light from the antitrust authorities, which is expected to happen during Q1, 2012.
  The step is fully in line with Lufthansa’s strategy to divest losing subsidiaries and business units. It further consolidates the European aviation market.

Carglux B747-8F Arrives In Prestwick
 Cargolux Station Manager John Barclay with City of Esch-sur-Alzette as the Cargolux B747-8F LX-VCB arrived Prestwick for the first time week of December 21.

Asiana Goes Direct
   Following a worldwide head-office directive, Asiana Airlines is changing the marketing of its capacities for online stations, moving from GSA to direct sales January 1, 2012.
  Frankfurt is the main hub for Asiana in Europe and currently serves the gateway with 4 weekly Boeing 747-400 freighters and a daily Boeing 747F.

RE:  Etihad & airberlin—One World
Dear Geoffrey
  I can’t say that this BUY-IN actually came as a big surprise after all the denials - however the size of the investment does-so I will ‘cash in’ my AIR BERLIN topbonus frequent flyer points as some major changes are to be expected on the passenger side in the near future and when it comes to cargo; it is only a question of time when Herr Auslaender and his well respected LEISURE CARGO team will take over CARGO GSSA responsibilities for ETIHAD, at least in GERMANY – l ‘ll bet you, he is already working on it !

 Vol. 10 No. 126                                                              Saturday December 24, 2011

Our Last Issue Of 2011
   To all of you who make what we do such a pleasure, who make us better, more concerned reporters; who share

A New Christmas Story
  Tradition is a funny thing. As individuals, we perform daily Habits that help define who we are, and give structure to our lives. Our Habits shape our personalities and inform others of what to expect when dealing with us. But Habits don’t unite. Habit is a hermit, sometimes finicky, always specific, often rigid and terribly stubborn. Tradition is the older, regal cousin of Habit—definitely wiser, deeper, fluid, highly communal and full of ceremony. When you gather individuals together around commonalities, such as family, Tradition becomes the improvised dance we do to move through time together. If Habits are life viewed through a magnifying glass, then Tradition is life seen from a plane.


 Vol. 10 No. 125                                                              Tuesday December 20, 2011

Etihad And airberlin—One World
   Etihad Airways increases its stake in ai berlin to 29 percent and becomes biggest single shareholder in the second largest German carrier.
   Etihad Airways upped its stake in financially troubled airberlin from 2.9 percent to 29.21 percent, thus becoming the largest single shareholder of Germany’s second biggest airline.

Kransnoyarsk Airport Burns Down
 The domestic part of Siberian airport Krasnoyarsk completely burned down on Monday in a four-hour firestorm.
  Roughly 100 fire fighters and 38 vehicles were needed to extinguish the flames. Agencies report that nobody was hurt, but air traffic collapsed completely. According to the regional ministry of civil defense, the terminal was abandoned with no passenger or airport and airline personnel left when the blast started.

Airline IT World Shrinking
 PARS, System One, Apollo, Worldspan, SABRE, Speedwing, Atraxis, CHAMP—all big, prominent names in airline IT, airline spawned and owned, revered and feared at one time or another… so where are they all now?
 Once seen as indispensable, a real strategic asset to be protected at all cost, with the airline industry collectively spending billions of dollars to develop and run them, they peaked and were gone in what seems like a flash. What started out as an airline MIS department—IT to the 30-40ish crowd, with portfolios ranging from reservations, MRO, crew scheduling, flight planning; you name it, they had it—became an embarrassment of riches, evolving over time in a scattered manner and using any platform under the sun, from mainframe-—“legacy” for the middle aged—to PC, DB2 to FoxPro and everything in between. They were relational, object oriented, the whole alphabet soup. And many self-respecting airlines just had to have one.

Did IATA Air Cargo Day Work?
  Although others are rapturous and some may not have a clue, a closer look at the recent IATA Cargo Day had a mix of the usual themes and some new wrinkles. With IATA, it’s a bit like motherhood and apple pie – what is there not to like?
  It is useful to put some things in perspective. For example, the IATA/WCO agreements; they have been around long enough to have grown gray beards by now. The principle has been a laudable one—adopt and promote a common standard, and all sides benefit. Then, if an airline happens to operate in the EU, US and Pacific Asia, it turns out that the reality is rather different. Despite governments having signed these agreements, when it’s their turn to implement a customs system, all bets are off and the airline ends up needing unique interfaces for the various customs systems.

RE:  Etihad & Maximus To Integrate?
Hi Geoffrey,
   As Maximus' public relations consultant, your article on the company and EY in the latest issue of FlyingTypers made curious reading.
  While you say this was a hot, “unofficial” topic and was “heavily discussed” between “many” participants of the latest meeting of the Arab Air Carriers Organization AACO in Abu Dhabi, I had colleagues in attendance who heard nothing of the sort!
 Quoting an anonymous AACO delegate also seems rather odd.

 Vol. 10 No. 124                                                              Thursday December 15, 2011

NextGen Sales American Cargo Future
   On September 10, 1813, after defeating the British fleet in the Battle of Lake Erie, Oliver Hazard Perry, commander of the American fleet, dispatched one of the most famous messages in military history to Maj. Gen. William Henry Harrison. It read:
  "We have met the enemy, and they are ours.”
  I have always remembered that statement, perhaps because I was born and raised in the State of Ohio (Toledo) and was born on September 10, 1941.

TNT Airways Liege Power Force
  Niky Terzakis is a true veteran of TNT Airways, the flying arm of parent TNT Express since its inception in January 2000. Currently, the Greece-born manager commands a fleet of 44 freighters, all of them based at Liège airport in Belgium. Niky emphasizes that TNT’s operational concept is different to those preferred by the integrator’s competitors. While UPS, DHL or FedEx are backing a multiple hub system to transport their goods around the globe, TNT favors a single hub and spoke solution. Therefore, all flights depart and end at Liège, the former coal and steel center of Belgium’s French speaking Walloon province. There, TNT Airways accounts for 80 percent of all movements.

Coming To America—Lufthansa Cargo's Nils Haupt
Nils with his team in 2005. Left to right—Nils Haupt, Mathias Uhlig, Nicole Siriluck Gruel, Stefan Hartung, Alexander Schaub, Carolin Biebrach and Felix Schmidt-Hidding.
 Lufthansa Cargo's head of communications, Nils Haupt, will leave the air freight carrier on March 31, 2012, with a move to New York. While it may seem like a huge leap in terms of distance, we’re happy to hear that the Haupt will be staying with the family, so to speak.
     

Turkish Cargo Mobilizes Far East
   On December 8, the Turkish Cargo Far East Regional Directorate office was opened in Hong Kong, with a special ceremony in which general consulate of Turkey, Mr. Haldun Tekneci, Cargo Senior V.P., Mr. Soner Akkurt, and Regional Cargo Manager, Mr. Huseyin Ceyhan, were present.
 
For 2012 China Party Is Over
  (Editors Note)
  For as long as we can remember, our friend Julian Keeling, CEO of Consolidators International, has been telling it like it is. Notices occasionally come to our desk announcing another Julian opus via his p/r scribe, Shura Bary.
  So why should the close of 2011 be any different?
  Actually, we trolled Julian’s website for some of the following, and you, dear reader, can do the same at http://www.cii-usa.com/
  Here, “The Keeling” speaks out.

 

 Vol. 10 No. 123                                                              Monday December 12, 2011

Cargolux' Ogiermann Faces Jail Time
 It’s a long way from being CEO of one of the world’s premier air cargo airlines and serving the industry as Chairman of the International Air Cargo Association (TIACA) to waking up one day to the prospect of surrendering a year or more of your life in the slammer.
  But that is what has happened to our friend, Uli Ogiermann.
  A lifetime career of building success upon success now lies in ruin and as far as law and order is concerned, a great victory has been won.
  As good and decent an individual as you might ever know, Uli’s fate has been driven by circumstance and the realization that there are indeed sharks in the water.

GACAG Makes Progress In Washington

Global Air Cargo Advisory Group members, from left, Peter Gatti, Oliver Evans, and Sue Presti, were among the many trade leaders who met with Commissioner Bersin.
  The old saying is that the best surprise is no surprise.
  Well, when it comes to talking about what various industry groups are actually able to accomplish (aside from where to hold a meeting and maybe what shape the table should be: oval versus round?), it can be said lowered expectations are usually the best remedy for dealing with the fact that, most of the time, very little gets done.

Etihad & Maximus To Integrate?
 Abu Dhabi's Etihad Airways could soon enlarge its air freight division, CrystalCargo, by integrating charter carrier Maximus Air Cargo.
 This hot but unofficial topic was heavily discussed between many participants of the latest meeting of the Arab Air Carriers Organization – AACO in Abu Dhabi.
 There, the AACO held its 44th Annual General Meeting on November 29th, chaired by Etihad’s CEO, James Hogan, and attended by more than 300 delegates.
RE: LH Cool Center Inaugurated
  Hi Geoffrey,
  I read your article with great interest, having been involved at the forefront of setting standards for temperature sensitive goods such as perishables and pharmaceutical or healthcare goods.
  I'd like to point out to the larger community, users and especially regulators of air transportation services, including of course warehousing and cargo handling companies, a WHO document that was issued last year wherein the Perishable Cargo Regulation manual is named as a normative reference for the transportation of healthcare goods.
 Vol. 10 No. 122                                                              Thursday December 8, 2011

Logitrans In Istanbul
  If you just cannot stand moving on to 2012 without at least one more great transportation conference before year’s end, get up out of your seat and onto an airplane bound for Istanbul: Logitrans Transport Logistics Exhibition is being held from December 8-10, 2011 at the Istanbul Expo Center in Turkey.
  “This is the fifth edition of the fair, but the first one organized as a joint venture by Messe München and the Turkish partner, Eko Fair Limited,” proclaim show organizers.

LH Cool Center Inaugurated
   A red ribbon, a pair of scissors, two simultaneously performed cuts, and Executive Board member Andreas Otto along with Senior VP Product Management Monika Wiederholt had officially inaugurated Lufthansa Cargo’s new Cool Center at Rhein-Main airport this Tuesday. The facility comprises 5,000 square meters and offers a variety of cool rooms for different products like vaccines, biomedical items or medications. Its direct apron access assures rapid operational processes.
  For years, pharmaceuticals have been Lufthansa Cargo’s fastest growing and most successful product, increasing annually by 15 percent on average. “They account for almost ten percent of our total turnover,” stated Herr Otto. Even during the global economic downturn in 2008/09, the decline was marginal due to high and continuous consumer demand, making these goods almost crisis resistant.
The Women Of Swiss WorldCargo

St. Louis & Snake Oil
So much for that St. Louis Aerotropolis.
 The quote of the month (so far) comes from Mike Jones, (right) Chairman of the Midwest China Hub Commission. While talking to CBS affiliate KMOX Radio St. Louis, it was revealed that not a single air cargo flight from China had arrived in St. Louis in five weeks.
 “I’m not a marketing person. I’m not a carnival huckster.”
 “So I’m not going to sell you some snake oil and say if you take this now, in the morning you’ll feel better.
  “Now, if you start down this road, in ten or fifteen years, if you get it right, and if you catch a break, this can be a different place.”
  “It’s not a boondoggle by any stretch of the imagination


Proper Way To Quit Job
  It’s part of the human condition—everyone daydreams about quitting his or her job. Unless you’re working for yourself (or, in working for yourself, happen to have multiple personality disorder), you’ve probably thought about it, too. Hell, I work for my father, but even I am subject to a good ol’ “in your face, DAD!” daydream (Just kidding! Love you!).
 While no one may claim immunity to this high-power fantasy, we can and should keep the ‘fantasy’ part of it in perspective—especially with the paucity of jobs available as of late. But if you must quit your job, there is a right way to do it. And while many people have a healthy understanding of how to leave a job, it seems there is a growing under-30 sect that does not.
 Vol. 10 No. 121                                                              Tuesday December 6, 2011
Rainbow Over My Shoulder

Turkish Cargo Big Lift To 2012
   As globalization shrinks the planet and turns international commerce into something that feels like an outdoor, neighborhood farmer’s market, where everything and anything is available to all, the search for new markets has never been more important. The spotlight has now turned on “The New Europe,” specifically the countries and new independent states that emerged after the splintering of the Soviet Empire.
   Places like Albania, Slovenia, the Danube Delta, the Carpathian Mountains, the Curonian Spit on the Baltic Coast and even Cappadocia in Turkey are all somewhat below the radar, strikingly beautiful, anxious to establish their own identity, parade their own culture and celebrate their own history.

Justus Works OptiCooler Success At FRA Cool Center
 “Opticooler movements are gathering momentum as more and more pharmaceutical companies are finalizing the complex validation process of both the Opticooler and the particular lane on which the Opticooler is to be used,” Luftahnsa Cargo reports.
 “Customers value the high level of temperature stability, the reduced complexity of the shipment procedures (as there is no need for dry ice replenishment) and longer standing times of the unit.

 

LH PR World's Best
Best Breakfast At An Airport
  They say an army “marches on its stomach.”
 Well, at Frankfurt International Cargo City Sud, Hosteler Extraordinaire Antun Wustefelds’ InterCity Hotel brings on a morning buffet that is hands-down the best airport breakfast anywhere.
 Thanks to a great hotel staff and also to the pilots and crews of EVA, Air China and others, there is still an old time sanctuary where the Berlin Airlift crews billeted, among other things.
 Vol. 10 No. 120                                                              Friday December 2, 2011
Lost R.E.G. Davies Videos Recovered
   The greatest aviation historian, Ronald Edward George (REG) Davies, Curator of Air Transport National Air & Space Museum, died on Saturday, July 30, 2011 in Shaftesbury, England.
  He was 90-years-old.
  Ron’s legacy to aviation is captured in 25 books and other social efforts as pioneering and important in scope as many of the subjects he wrote about, including Lindbergh, Earhart, the Berlin Airlift and almost every major airline in the world, past and present.

Outlook 2012-Calogi Ramps Up Big
  We sat down with Patrick Murray, Head of Calogi, one of the fastest growing, air cargo solutions portals in the world, to find out what a look back on 2011 informs Calogi about, when looking forward to 2012.
The key word here is ‘growth.’
“2011 has been a challenging and exciting year for us. In anticipation of our expansion, we have grown our team to over 100 people, which includes IT, business support, help desk, e-commerce and sales and marketing.
Cathay Flips China Production Moves
(Exclusive)—Looking at a challenge from all angles, Cathay Pacific outlines the flipside of China production migration.
Cathay Pacific Airways’ cargo volumes continue to tumble year-on-year, but despite “weak” demand from Europe and the U.S., some regional lanes are performing strongly, with the demands of shippers in China rapidly evolving as production migrates inland and imports surge.
The carrier, the world’s largest international carrier in freight tonne kilometers last year, has seen cargo and mail volumes post a succession of year-on-year declines on key routes this year. In August, combined uplift figures for Cathay Pacific and Dragonair fell 11.8 percent to 131,448 tonnes of cargo and mail compared to a year earlier, while in the year through August,
Re:  SITA In Financial Squeeze
  Dear Mr. Arend
As per my email yesterday, please find a statement covering our position on the above article.
The allegations against SITA are malicious and based on a defective analysis.
SITA confirms that it received an anonymous document in late September, which is described as having been produced by a group of former SITA executives. The document contains allegations about SITA’s financial health and management governance. SITA rejects these malicious allegations, which are based on a defective analysis.
 Vol. 10 No. 119                                                              Tuesday November 29, 2011
American Cargo Forward From Bankruptcy
   Although it may have been long anticipated, the Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing by AMR, parent to
American Airlines, on Tuesday November 29 is still a shocker for those in the community that know the airline as among the best commercial aviation companies in the world.
  In any case, life goes on. General opinion at first glance is that the action will allow AA’s playing field to level against other USA competitors who had taken Chapter 11 after 911 in an effort to reduce labor costs
and shed a heavy debt load.
 American’s parent, the AMR Corporation, was the last major airline in the United States to resist filing for Chapter 11 in an effort to shed contracts, a move that analysts said left it less nimble than many of its competitors.
 AMR said it intends to operate normally throughout the bankruptcy process, as previous airlines have done.

HNA Group In Non Payments Storm
 The HNA Group has refused to comment on whether its substantial global air holdings will be impacted by the gathering payments storm threatening to engulf the group's shipping and logistics business.
 Grand China Logistics Holding Co, part of the HNA Group which incorporates a range of private and state-owned enterprises, is being sued in the U.S. by one of a number of ship owners claiming not to have been paid under charter agreements.
 One of the legal filings alleges Grand China Logistics has been “fraudulently" using HNA's complex corporate structure to avoid payments.
  Neither HNA or Hong Kong Airlines (HKA), one of the Group's many airlines, responded to requests for confirmation that their extensive commitments in the air sector would still be honored.
Apollo Freight Opens LAX Perishables Center
  In Los Angeles at LAX, Apollo Freight (part of Mercury Air Group) dedicated a massive new perishable center—the size of six homes—which the company says will move 100 tons a day.
     Ready to break the ice and launch a new link in the cool chain for air shippers are (L to R) Victor Adducie, General Manager of Apollo Freight; Ivo Skorin, Chief Operating Officer of Apollo Freight; Libby Williams, Managing Director with the Office of Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa; U.S. Congresswoman Janice Hahn; and Joseph A. Czyzyk, Chairman & CEO of Mercury Air Group, parent company of Apollo Freight.
SITA In Financial Free Fall?
  Is SITA on the brink of bankruptcy? This is the key question raised in a “confidential and privileged memorandum” written last September by a former group of SITA executives that had been leaked to FlyingTypers. Their conclusion in the 29-page manifest: “The group as a whole may not be in danger of immediate bankruptcy, but all the factors are present today to lead to a possible bankruptcy of the group in the medium term if the indebtedness can not be repaired.”
 The authors speak of a “cash hemorrhage” that SITA is facing with the group’s financial situation steadily deteriorating. Ever since 2007, the last positive year, cash influx has been much lower than outflow.
 Meanwhile the funds needed to successfully and continuously run the business have become extremely small.

 Vol. 10 No. 118                                                              Monday November 28, 2011
Swiss Vote To Grow Zurich Airport
 The opponents of further improvements and construction activities at Zurich airport faced a crushing defeat in a referendum held last Sunday.
 Exactly 58.8 percent of the electorate at Canton Zurich voted in favor of the future development of the airport, thus rejecting the initiative of neighboring communities and dwellers to freeze all expansion and modernization plans at ZRH at once.
 In total, 214,000 people supported ongoing or upcoming airport enhancements while 150,750 opted for stopping all activities entirely.

Hainan To Invest In Air Berlin?
 Germany’s second biggest airline (next to market giant Lufthansa) is reportedly looking for investors.
  According to sources, a number of talks have already been held with Arabian Etihad Airways and Chinese HNA Group, the owner of Hainan Airlines.
  Injecting additional cash into the carrier seems to have become inevitable due to a reported debt of roughly 600 million euros.
  Despite a valiant, major cost-saving program, plus various network and fleet adjustments initiated by AB management, latest numbers show a 134 million euro loss for the carrier reported for the first three quarters 2011.
  Current equity ratio is put at 14 percent with the shareholder’s capital quota at 368 million euros.
EK Daily Service To Rio Launch January 2012
 From left – Emirates—Nigel Page, Senior Vice President, Commercial Operations, The Americas; Richard Vaughan, Divisional Senior Vice President of Commercial Operations Worldwide; Pradeep Kumar, Senior Vice President, Cargo Revenue Optimization; and Ralf Aasmann, Area Manager Brazil are pictured in Rio by the Sea-oh as Emirates kicked off in grand style (what else?) its Rio de Janeiro countdown last Thursday (October 24) The airline is getting ready to launch daily services, starting January 3, 2012, to the 2014 FIFA World Cup city.
 “It is the new direct service to Rio de Janeiro, with an onward extension to Buenos Aires.

 

leisure Cargo Looks Back At 2011
 Wide world of leisure Cargo as east meets west.
  leisure cargo office is always a meeting point for friends and colleagues around the world visiting DUS—whether on business or at ‘leisure,’ everybody likes to come to say hello.
  Mark Andrew (Managing Director) and Sarah Nash (Sales Manager) from Airbridge International UK Ltd. recently caught up with our colleagues from BKK who were at DUS training in Revenue Accounting/Accounts Payable Department
 Mark and Sarah followed up some items targeting cargo sales increase on leisure cargo’s new focused carrier, Thomson Airways ex UK.
  From left: Pattarawan Yansakylsaree (Cook) and Arunrung Sapkaew (Pui) from leisure cargo BKK, Ralf Ausländer, Mark Andrew and Sarah Nash
A Look Ahead At China 2012
(Here begins our annual look at the year ahead and the year that was. The series continues in December 2011 and January 2012.)

 China’s pivotal role in air cargo markets will evolve and grow, according to Won-Joon Lee, Managing Partner for Accenture’s APAC Products division.
 Despite the promise of business in China, there has been a big downturn in demand this year. Mr. Lee lays the blame solely on the economy, and not on China’s ability to generate business. “Demand for air cargo capacity out of China is driven heavily by business and consumer sentiment across the global economy, particularly the United States,” said Mr. Lee.
  “Unfortunately, confidence remains fragile around the world and looks likely to remain weak unless we see the US return to growth and European leaders release a credible plan to resolve the current debt crisis.

 Vol. 10 No. 117                                                              Wednesday November 23, 2011
Lufthansa Talks Capacity Reduction
  Frankfurt—Prepare for the worst and do the utmost to prevent any harm. Lufthansa Cargo leaders might apply that old Mao Zedong strategy soon. “If markets should further deteriorate in the coming months, we’ll react flexibly by taking out capacity on short notice,” announced the carrier’s executive board member and head of sales, Andreas Otto, during a press meeting Monday evening in downtown Frankfurt. Herr Otto spoke of eventually reducing flights by 20 to 25 percent and did not exclude even cutting the fleet by 30 percent. Should this happen, the aircraft will not be sidelined at some U.S. desert airport as occurred during the global financial and economic crisis in 2008/09, but parked in Frankfurt or sent for a major technical check and overhaul to one of Lufthansa Technik’s maintenance shops. “We will probably do both; sidelining two of our freighters for some weeks and sending one or two others to our maintenance facility,” Andreas announced.

South Asian Airports Call For Cooperation
 Even as the heads of state met for the 17th South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) summit in the Maldives, India’s top industrialists’ body has demanded that a conducive atmosphere be created to boost intra-regional economic cooperation, including trade in goods and services and investments. The focus on logistical connectivity between India and its seven south Asian neighbors: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, is of special interest to the air cargo fraternity in the country.
 The call from Chandrajit Banerjee, Director General of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII)—the country’s premier business association with leaders who have proved themselves to be visionary industrialists—pointed out that India’s economic growth and the rise of its large middle-class “can have a positive spillover effect on economic opportunities for our South Asian neighbors.”

Hey Geoffrey,

 I want to wish you and yours a Happy Thanksgiving. I've been retired since 2005 (although I spent four years as an usher part-time in the Concert Hall at the Kennedy Center). Earlier this year my wife and I moved to the Greenville, SC area where we enjoy seeing our eldest daughter and five other grandsons. Can't say I miss the days of getting frantic phone calls of, "Where's my freight!!??" but do think of you often and wish you well.

Giving Thanks And Hidden Messages
 As Thanksgiving 2011 approaches and folks head over the river and through the woods (and full body scanners) to get home, we note that the trail upward is filling rapidly as these devices move into greater use at U.S. and global gateways, with many added all the time.
     No doubt that as air travel continues changing, some people can find something to laugh about.

 

 Vol. 10 No. 116                                                              Monday November 21, 2011
Michael Webber Is Cargo Airport Smart
(Miami Exclusive)—Michael Webber is one dedicated, smart guy.
     Dedicated because he recognized a major boondoggle underway in the pretty much defunct Aerotropolis scheme in St. Louis, and smart because almost every airport you ever heard of listens to him and seeks his services.
     But the Aerotropolis brouhaha in St. Louis really showed the man.
     Braving bias charges along with some other nasty accusations, Michael, who lives in Kansas City, Missouri, held his head up, armed himself with the facts and became a one-man wrecking crew against the proposed $360 million, taxpayer funded idea to turn St. Louis Lambert Field into a logistics hub.

Lufthansa Puts FRA On Ice
 (Frankfurt)— Call it "The Big Chill" two ways, just as it readies the unveiling of a new perishables center at Frankfurt International Airport on December 8, a plan that has been in the works for quite some time, an ill wind is blowing across the field at Frankfurt International, where the big long haul freighters once delivered goods and profits to Lufthansa when air cargo flights were a night animal.

What's Ahead For CHAMP TRAXON?
 The blockbuster announcement last week of CHAMP buying TRAXON looks like the inevitable outcome of consolidation in the air cargo messaging business.
  Worth mentioning is that it also marks the end of what erstwhile co-founders Air France and Lufthansa at one time perceived as a distinct marketing advantage.
  TRAXON, headquartered in Frankfurt, became an advanced version of GLS, the über-ambitious Global Logistics System AF and LH launched in 1991, which, at the time, caused tremors and weak knees in the international airline cargo community.

 

 Vol. 10 No. 115                                                              Friday November 18, 2011
  Big Year For Turkish Air Cargo
  2011 has been a coming out of sorts for Turkish Air Cargo.
 First, IATA held its 2011 World Cargo Symposium in Istanbul and later, THY Cargo was quite an attention getter in Munich as Air Cargo was held in early May 2011.
 If you ask Mr. Abdullah Soner Akkurt, Turkish Cargo Senior Vice President, what message can be derived from all of this, his answer is crystal clear:
 “As one of the fastest growing airlines of Europe, we are calling people to work with Turkish Cargo.

Michael Vorwerk CNS Reports At JFK Club
 The JFK Air Cargo Association Luncheon on November 17, 2011 was held at the International JFK Airport Hotel and featured as guest speaker Mr. Michael Vorwerk, President for Cargo Network Services Corporation (CNS). He is IATA Regional Director Cargo Americas, covering Canada, Central /Latin America and Executive Director for Cargo 2000. Mr. Vorwerk covered in his talk CNS updates, an industry overview, discussion of the Global Cargo Agenda and E-Freight.

 Vol. 10 No. 114                                                              Wednesday November 16, 2011
  Talking Freighters With Emirates Hiran Perera
  

Bangkok Floods Keep Don Muang Airport Closed
 If you’ve sworn off television, newspapers and light conversation with others, then might not have noticed that those floods in Thailand are continuing unabated, with Bangkok’s domestic gateway, Don Muang Airport, still closed.
 Thailand, which unfortunately lies below sea level, continues to struggle after being hit by a record-breaking rain season, now at its peak and expected to continue into December, which many believe to be an effect of global warming.

Heaviest Single Shipment On A B777F
 Close on the heels of announcing a seventy B777 aircraft deal with Boeing, which marks the largest dollar volume aircraft order in history, at The Dubai Air Show on Tuesday Emirates said it moved a twenty-one ton oil part, the heaviest, single item ever transported on a B777 freighter.
 Weighing in at 21.157 tons (including packaging), the item—a specialized blowout preventer valve used to seal, control and monitor oil and gas—was transported from Iraq’s Erbil International Airport to Dubai.
 

Celebrating Wolfie Els
 We are deeply saddened to learn that Wolfgang Els (known as Wolfie to many) passed away on Tuesday, November 8, 2011.
  Wolfie joined SAA Cargo in 1969.
  He began as a District Sales Manager and moved up the ranks to become the General Manager for Europe and the UK in 1998.
   In the final years of his career he was a great mentor and spirit to many in the air cargo industry.

 Vol. 10 No. 113                                                              Monday November 14, 2011
  Dubai Air Show Delivers Biggest Boeing Order Ever
   No one can accuse Emirates Airline of not showing up to its own party.
  Just as the Dubai Air Show takes off this week, here comes a mega-order—in fact, the single largest aircraft deal in Boeing’s history in terms of dollars—for an additional fifty 777-300 ER aircraft, worth approximately US $18 billion (AED 66 billion) at list price.
  The order also included twenty 777-300 ER options valued at US $8 billion (AED 29.4 billion), for a total of 70 aircraft valued at US $26 billion (AED 95.4 billion).
 

Giving Thanks With Harold
  On Friday, November 18 in Atlanta, Georgia a grand airport tradition occurs once again as an air cargo entrepreneur reaches out far and wide to host several hundred people to an old fashioned home made turkey dinner with all the trimmings, as America looks ahead one week from now to celebrate the wonderful holiday called Thanksgiving.
  Thanksgiving is the great day when the only thing that matters is family and the meal.
  

Air Partner Red Track Happy
  It’s the largest listed charter broker worldwide, established 50 years ago. But only in recent times did the London Gatwick-headquartered firm step into the air freight business– obviously quite successfully, as demonstrated by the 24 percent cargo sales contributed to the company’s turnover in fiscal year 2009/10. Revenues totaled 273 million euros; earnings before tax amounted to €4.1 million. That’s nice to have, but more is better, indicates Air Partner’s CEO, Mark Briffa, (right) his appetite growing for rising cargo results. “We are aiming at 50 percent for equaling our revenues achieved by our passenger activities,” he reveals.

Deutsche Post Reports Stellar Earnings
   Deutsche Post reports revenues of 38.8 billion Euros for the financial period from early January to end of September 2011.      
   This is an increase of 3.2 percent in comparison to the previous year’s first three quarters. The operating earnings climbed by 40 percent, totaling 1.8 billion Euros. “Our growth path clearly continues,” emphasized CEO Frank Appel of Deutsche Post, while presenting the latest figures at a recently held press conference in Bonn, Germany.

Frankfurt Welcomes IAG B747-800F
   Boeing’s new freighter flagship B747-8F landed last Wednesday for the first time ever at Frankfurt’s Rhein-Main airport in Germany. The G-GSSD registered aircraft is the first cargo plane since 2000 to be branded with British Airways’ livery.
  It is operated on a five-year leasing contract by Global Supply Chain, an Atlas Air (51 percent) and BA (49 percent) joint venture.

 Vol. 10 No. 112                                                              Friday November 11, 2011

Air Cargo IT CHAMP Buys TRAXON Europe

BIG deal in air cargo IT, as CHAMP buys TRAXON Europe from Lufthansa Cargo and Air France.
 Apparently these two companies (now one), which are all capital letters, are thinking BIG in other ways too, by seeking the best and the brightest all around. John Johnston, (left) CEO of CHAMP, makes the point as the deal is done.
  “TRAXON Europe will continue to operate under the TRAXON name.”
 That seems to be OK for Felix Keck, (right)who continues as Managing Director of TRAXON.
  

Even More Voices At Air Cargo Americas
  

Air India Pilots Tipping Toward Strike
  This is one tug-of-war that has no winners. On the one hand, you have the Indian government trying its utmost to revive the country’s national airline Air India; on the other hand there are people—and often events—that bring down the airline.
   In the latest shock to the Maharaja, more than 100 pilots have written a letter to Air India Chairman and Managing Director Rohit Nandan threatening to quit if the management does not change its discriminatory attitude towards them. Copies of the letter have also been sent to the Minister for Civil Aviation Vayalar Ravi and other officials in the ministry. If the pilots do take the ultimate step of quitting, the Maharaja might as well say goodbye to his international operations.

ACG Flies With Seoul
 Frankfurt-Hahn based Air Cargo Germany commenced twice-weekly flights to Seoul via Novosibirsk in Russia.
  The carrier also added a weekly frequency to Paraguay and also plans on flying to Lima by the end of the month.

RE: British Airways World Cargo B747-6 Freighter At ATL
 Hi!
  I enjoy reading FlyingTypers and just wanted to drop you a note about our new British Airways World Cargo B747-8 freighter.
  I know it has been mentioned in previous articles of yours.
Veterans Day Stands For One
   Once upon a time, on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, the first Veterans Day was observed in America to honor all the people that served in World War I—the war to end all wars.
   This Friday as Veterans Day is observed, we will carry forward an additional 11 to include the 11th year of the 21st century (the line up of 11s will not occur again until 3011). Although war has certainly not ended, and since 1918, when WW I ceased fire, there have been multiple occurrences of conflict, we can and will still celebrate the lives of those we lost and love.

 Vol. 10 No. 111                                                              Monday November 7, 2011
More Voices At Air Cargo Americas
  
Industry Executives Speak At Air Cargo Americas
  

CHEP Pooling Resources
  Hailing from ‘down under,’ with a truly global management team and offices and operations on three continents, what started out as a series of strategic acquisitions in 2010 gelled into a corporate presence set to deliver and grow to fulfill its full potential, as announced at the press conference held at Air Cargo Americas last Wednesday afternoon.
   CHEP and its parent company, Brambles, “the” largest global equipment pooling provider bar none, evidently made the decision to go after the aviation sector, combining last year’s acquisition of Unitpool, this year’s deal for JMI and now Driessen Services into a global pooling solution. The blending of pooling expertise with service and repair stations, related software and an original equipment manufacturer all under one roof is unique.

SkyTeam Hosts Customers

It is common practice to hold private meetings around industry events, and the Air Cargo and SeaCargo Americas taking place in Miami November 2-4, 2011 is no exception. SkyTeam Cargo, the only functioning cargo alliance left, invited some 90 guests aboard M/T Celebration for a night of fun and relaxation while cruising around Miami.

 

 Vol. 10 No. 110                                                              Thursday November 3, 2011
Voices At Air Cargo Americas
  
EMO Wins LH Top Award
   Recently Lufthansa Cargo held a two-day customer event in New Orleans and recognized the top forwarder partners in both its USA Business Partner Group and also its Global Partner Group. Lufthansa Global Partners number an even dozen participants; U.S. Business Partner Group includes fifteen forwarders.
Criterion for the prestigious Lufthansa Cargo Award includes booking quality (booked freight matched with what was delivered), no show ratio and on-time delivery.

FRA Night Ban 2003 Agreement?
  You can never tell when you start covering a story where the trail will lead.
  We have been writing, following and in some cases leading global coverage of that hideous, locally-imposed night ban on air cargo movements, which is now in place at Frankfurt International. Among other things, it has caused Deutsche Lufthansa to reposition its entire all-cargo fleet elsewhere, adding travail to travel, with added expenses that can hardly be tolerated.

Asset Management Of Cargo Containers & Pallets
It’s interesting to see how certain developments look when put into perspective through the passage of time. The particular timeline is 1996 and former Qantas cargo chief (Executive Director) Emmet Hobbs, a New Zealander, was working for CHEP, a Brambles company (he retired in 2003), but is still active serving on BOD with Mainfreight New Zealand.

 

 Vol. 10 No. 109                                                               Tuesday November 1, 2011
Qantas Ordered Back In The Air
    There appear to be two stories emerging from amidst the Qantas chaos over the past weekend, after CEO Alan Joyce took the drastic step to ground all flights Saturday. The impact of the disruption was keenly felt by tens of thousands, including many well to do and influential folks traveling to the hugely popular Melbourne Cup horse race on Tuesday.
High, Wide & Handsome . . .
   First, the mighty IATA World Cargo Symposium was held in the wonderful world city of Istanbul earlier this year.
   Then the buzz at Munich Transport Logistic was all abut Turkish Air Cargo.

leisure Cargo's Man In Havana & Latin America—Erik Fraenkel
  Erik Fraenkel has been leisure Cargo’s Man in Havana and Latin American for some time now.
  We caught up with Erik recently as he offered an inside look at an expanding and diverse market connecting cargo aboard a growing stable of air carriers that are part of the leisure family.
  “Latin America has been developing quite well for leisure Cargo during the past two years.
EK eAWB 100% DXB
  “The transition to e-freight is a massive challenge for both the industry and Emirates SkyCargo.
  “Change of this scale requires time, and many steps have been taken, but this really is a giant stride forward,” said Pradeep Kumar, Emirates’ Senior Vice President Cargo Revenue Optimization & Systems, upon announcing that electronic air waybills (e-AWBs) are now being used for 100 percent of shipments from the Dubai hub.
Realog Wants Cargo To See The Light
 Light weight instead of heavy equipment. What sounds easy is indeed quite a challenge when it comes to implementation in today’s air freight handling processes. But changes seem to be around the corner – triggered by a number of surveys displaying astonishing results.

 Vol. 10 No. 108                                                               Monday October 31, 2011
Qantas Freight Grounded
    Qantas has ceased taking new cargo bookings after indefinitely grounding its entire passenger fleet on Saturday and announcing it would lock out large numbers of its Australia-based staff from Monday 8pm AEDT onwards because of ongoing industrial action by three unions.
   However, scheduled and charter freighter services operated by its Qantas Freight division using its fleet of one Boeing 767-300F and three wet leased B747-400Fs will continue.
Ex-Asia Air Cargo Decline Holding Steady
  Lies Damned Lies & Statistics. Or in this case, monthly tonnage figures.
  It’s true that numbers can be used to tell more than one story as Disraeli and others have famously noted through the years. But the latest round of public utterances from Asia’s airlines and airports confirm what FlyingTypers has been reporting for some time - ex-Asia lanes are, almost without exception, showing few signs of improving in the build up to the traditional peak season.

RE: An Aerotropolis Too Far

Hi Geoffrey,

      Can you give me more information on the Missouri Export Act?
      This sounds like something that California should have that might bring business back to California rather than leaving it because of all of the regulations and taxes that have been heaped on California business.


 Vol. 10 No. 107                                                               Monday October 31, 2011 Extra
Thailand Air Cargo Smacked By Monsoon Floods
    Flooding from those record monsoons in Thailand is now expected to continue into November, but the impact on the air cargo sector is already apparent.
   Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi International Airport, built on swampland, has had its flood defenses reinforced in recent weeks to protect the world’s 20th largest airport (by air cargo tonnage) from the worst monsoons Thailand has seen in five decades.
RE:  FRA Night Ban Takes Hold     

 Lufthansa Cargo had to cancel only two flights to China.
Remembering Robi Wagner
 Robert G. Wagner, a real gentleman and a great friend passed away recently in Zurich, Switzerland after a long illness. Robi was general manager, marketing cargo and mail at Swissair and VP Cargo during the hay days of the Global Alliance comprising of Swissair, Singapore International Airlines and Delta Air Lines which started in 1991.
 
How To Help Thailand Flood Victims
  The heaviest monsoon season to hit Thailand in 50 years is going on right now. An estimated 2.5 million have been affected or displaced by the flooding, and the current death toll hovers at nearly 400.
  Supermarket shelves are bare and bottled water is in short supply, as residents prepare to leave their homes for safety.
Top Costume For Halloween
   It was only a month ago—September 26th, to be exact—that I picked up the phone, called my parents, and said, “I’m telling you this – this year, expect to see a lot of Pan Am stewardesses and pilots walking around on Halloween.”
  Well, my premonition came true, although it’s not such an illogical leap. It was a month ago that the Pan Am television show premiered, and who can be surprised that the classic form-fitting sapphire and snow uniforms should catch the attention of a costume-hungry American audience.

 Vol. 10 No. 106                                                               Friday October 28, 2011
FRA Night Ban Takes Hold—Christoph Franz Addresses Crisis
    It seems that the news just cannot get worse for Lufthansa Cargo, especially after the FRA night flight ban set to start Sunday, October 30.
   And yet today in Germany, news reports say that the expected Federal Court final verdict on the locally imposed night flight ban, which everyone thought would come in January, will in fact not be coming until mid-March.
Chris Mangos Touts Miami Cargo Advantages
   We buttonhole Chris Mangos, Marketing Division Director of the Miami International airport, to find out what is new on the horizon. With the Air Cargo Americas show just around the corner in Miami, an update on the airport that maintains the coveted number one spot for air cargo in the U.S. is timely.
Lufthansa Cargo's Alison Ricker
Handles Global Partners
 Notebook open and pen poised, I am ready to ask Alison Ricker, Head of Global Account Management, the Americas, a few questions. Alison has another idea and soon I find myself being interviewed. It’s earnest, with many smiles in between, although assertiveness is not in short supply and her approach and personality give us a glimpse into why Alison is in charge of three of Lufthansa Cargo’s 12 global partners – Expeditors, which she handles personally, UPS and UTi, all headquartered in the U.S.. This elite group consists of Agility, CEVA, DHL Global Forwarding, DSV, Expeditors, Hellmann, Kühne+Nagel, Nippon Express, Panalpina, DB Schenker, UPS and Uti.
 
 Charlotte Gallogly's Economic War Room
  What Is the Miami World Trade Center?
  Air cargo people know it mostly because it has been organizing the Air Cargo Americas show ad exhibition since 1991, an event that takes place every two years, alternating with the TIACA Air Cargo Forum. And it is running the 2011 Air Cargo Americas, which opens on November 2, 2011.
Lufthansa Charter Adds Aerodyne Cargo
 Reto Hunziker, Managing Director for Lufthansa Cargo Charter Agency GmbH, reports on adding Calgary, Canada-based Aerodyne Cargo Services Inc. to its growing LCCA GSA network.
Air Cargo Americas Opens November 2 
    We are looking at this picture of Ram Menen (left), Bill Boesch and Prakash Nair (right), taken at the high point of Air Cargo Americas (ACA) in 2003, as the event feted Mr. Boesch with the prestigious ACA Award for “Outstanding Contribution To Air Cargo.”

 Vol. 10 No. 105                                                               Monday October 24, 2011
Qantas Freight Sets Expansion—A Conversation With Lisa Brock
   Qantas expects global cargo demand to bounce back next year. So said Lisa Brock, appointed Executive Manager of Qantas Freight in February.
  “There is still some economic uncertainty in global markets, particularly in many European countries and the U.S.,” she told FlyingTypers. “This has meant demand in these regions has been weak.
Lufthansa's Garnadt Talks Future Post Night Ban
   The German air freight carrier is still ranked in fourth place among the leading airlines, right after Cathay, Korean and Emirates. This position, however, will be lost if the German Federal Administrative Court should endorse the night flight curfew for Frankfurt recently imposed by local judges from the Hessian State.
  “If this worst-case scenario should happen, which I hope it won’t, I don’t see any future growth perspective for Lufthansa Cargo,” stated the carrier’s CEO Karl Ulrich Garnadt at a press meeting in Berlin on Thursday.
German Logistics Association Berlin Confab
  Crises in Greece, Portugal, Italy and some other European nations. Not so in Germany where the logistics business especially is setting new records. By year's end, big players like DHL, DB Schenker, Lufthansa Cargo together with roughly 60,000 medium sized and smaller enterprises offering different transport solutions will turn over €220 billion euros.
RE: Frankfurt Airport Night Flight Ban Causes Uproar
  Reading about Frankfurt Airport….
  People who complained about Boston Logan International Airport were bought out.
Earthquake Relief For Turkey
 A powerful earthquake struck Eastern Turkey on Sunday, collapsing buildings in the center of the eastern city of Van. It also caused many hundred of deaths.
Readers are encouraged to send relief donation online here:

 Vol. 10 No. 104                                                               Thursday October 20, 2011
Night Ban Changes Lufthansa Cargo Flights
(Exclusive)—Driven by the Hesse State court’s recent decision to forbid night flights at Frankfurt as of October 30th, Lufthansa Cargo has adjusted their flight schedules.
   This became necessary since the carrier operates an average of eleven night flights, which are directly affected and need alternative solutions to continue service.
   Details will be revealed at a press meeting in Berlin on Thursday; however, FlyingTypers can deliver the main results:
Par Excellence
   China Southern and Airbus have chosen Chateauroux Airport France to train and certify the pilots of the first A380 delivered to CHINA, said airport spokesman Martin Fraissignes (inset).
Jim Shaw Remembered
   Jim Shaw, a much beloved and respected colleague and dear, dear friend of 30+ years, passed away Tuesday, October 18 at home in Texas.
  Jim began his career in freight forwarding in Dallas, Texas, with Arthur J. Fritz & Company.
  In 1974, he was transferred by Fritz to become the Manager of the Export Department in Houston, where he remained until 1980. ) Regional Commercial Manager for the Asia Pacific region at British Airways World Cargo.      

 Vol. 10 No. 103                                                               Wednesday October 19, 2011
Lufthansa's Martinka Talks FRA Night Ban
“But we can handle it,” said Achim Martinka, the top Americas executive at Lufthansa Cargo.
  Herr Martinka knows that as the going gets tough, the tough need to get going.
  With all the reports circulating about that dreaded, all-night ban at FRA starting in about two weeks, Achim Martinka is letting it be known that if Gateway Germany needs to handle things differently (and business as usual from this aspect may be unusual), the customer, which drives everything at Lufthansa Cargo, will have options - would you expect any less from the German flag carrier that put the airline into top market position in the first place?
Zurich Ban Could Be Next
  Move over Frankfurt . . . a referendum could cripple Zurich Airport.
  Sunday, November 27 will be a decisive day for Switzerland’s entire aviation industry and the national economy of the Alps state in general.
Trade Within Asia Shows Growth
    While the major trade lanes from Asia to Europe and North America may be suffering from overcapacity and lower than expected cargo volumes, not least because both continents are struggling to avoid recession, trade within Asia is still showing strong growth, according to leading figures contacted by Air Cargo News FlyingTypers.
  “Demand between Asian countries has been stronger than intercontinental demand all year,” said John Cheetham, (right) Regional Commercial Manager for the Asia Pacific region at British Airways World Cargo.      

Sri Guru Ramdas Ji (SGRJ) International Airport Perishables Center Starts Operations Again
 The Indian diaspora in Britain and Europe have often had reasons to pine for vegetables and fruits from the mother country, and their desires will now be fulfilled. Come October, one of India’s newest international airports, the Sri Guru Ramdas Ji (SGRJ) International Airport in the holy city of Amritsar in Punjab, will be ready to start perishable operations—for the second time—to Britain and Austria.

 
E-Freight High Priority At Globaltrans
 So far, 384 airports, 33 airlines and 1,658 freight forwarders are taking part in IATA’s e-freight initiative. With Duesseldorf-headquartered Globaltrans GmbH joining in, the number of agents grows by one.

 

 Vol. 10 No. 102                                                               Monday October 17, 2011
The Week After FRA Night Ban—Relief Is Just A Landing Away
Exclusive—It is the story of the year.
  The impending closure of Frankfurt International Airport at the end of this month means many things, depending on to whom you speak.
  But last week the FRA night flight ban swept attention away from a speech by Des Vertannes at FRA ACD, discussions about air cargo security, and even talk about the current state of the air cargo business.
How Air India Landed In The Dumps
   “I am pleased that we have reached agreement on the contractual issues. The 747-8 Freighter will be a driver of profitable growth for Cargolux,” said Frank Reimen, leftPresident and Chief Executive Officer of Cargolux, as CV resolved its beef with Boeing after rejection of the first two Boeing 747-8 aircraft.
  What that means is that the delivery of the first two Boeing 747-8 freighters initially scheduled for the 19 and 21 of September proceeded yesterday on the 12 and
China Christmas Demand Hopes Dashed
   Hopes that export demand out of China might pick up in the run-up to Christmas (reminiscent of the late restocking surge in Europe and the USA in 2009) will not, contrary to the expectations of some airlines and forwarders, come to pass.
 Leading air cargo executives have been telling FlyingTypers for months that exports from Asia are below par, both in terms of 2010 volumes and 2011 expectations.

 

 Vol. 10 No. 101                                                               Thursday October 13, 2011
Frankfurt Airport Night Flight Ban Causes Uproar
  Exclusive—Reaction has been fast and furious as an October 30th deadline looms and countdown begins for yesterday’s stunning news out of Germany: Europe’s most important air cargo gateway is facing total annihilation as the result of a local judge’s ruling, demanding all night flights be terminated at Frankfurt International Airport.
  The word came down just barely two weeks before the opening of the gateway’s new runway.
Cargolux Settles Beef With Boeing
   “I am pleased that we have reached agreement on the contractual issues. The 747-8 Freighter will be a driver of profitable growth for Cargolux,” said Frank Reimen, leftPresident and Chief Executive Officer of Cargolux, as CV resolved its beef with Boeing after rejection of the first two Boeing 747-8 aircraft.
  What that means is that the delivery of the first two Boeing 747-8 freighters initially scheduled for the 19 and 21 of September proceeded yesterday on the 12 and
Air Cargo Deutschland Club Talks IATA And Ban
   Aircargo Club Germany - ACD enjoyed a meeting on October 11th that featured both a full house and guest speaker Desmond Vertannes, IATA Global Head of Cargo.
  Mr. Vertannes could not have predicted that his IATA debut in Germany would occur here in Frankfurt on this Black Tuesday, as the long dreaded curfew on night flights was just handed down by a local judge.
  Once upon a time, ACD hosted a speech titled "Airfreight is a night animal" by John C. Emery Jr., almost exactly 40 years ago on October 12, 1971.

Keeping His Essence
  Claudio Silva, the well respected, all cargo pro has been steady at the helm of LAN Cargo the Americas for almost as long as anybody can remember.
  An inspirational strategist and Latin American industry icon, Claudio has soldiered on through 27 years, delivering LAN Cargo to new heights as his fame and esteem spread almost everywhere.
  One would think Claudio has conquered all the things rightfully expected in his 27 years at LAN.
     

 Vol. 10 No. 100                                                               Wednesday October 12, 2011
Frankfurt Airport Night Flights Zapped
  Here comes da judge
   The Administrative Court of Hesse State has categorically forbidden all night flights at Frankfurt Rhein-Main airport. The vote came completely unexpectedly and caught the entire aviation industry by surprise, including tour operators and the airport management.
  According to the judges’ decision no movements between 11 pm and 5 am will be allowed. The imposed night flight curfew goes into effect October 21, when a new runway is scheduled to open at Frankfurt.      Regulators and slot managers had assumed that at least seventeen night movements would be possible after the Northwest runway became operational. Today on average, fifty arrivals and departures are conducted at night in Frankfurt.
TSA Delays Screening Deadline
  The Transportation Security Administration has postponed that December 31 deadline for scanning 100% cargo aboard airplanes inbound to the USA.

 Vol. 10 No. 99                                                               Tuesday October 11, 2011
India Agents Voice Congestion Woes
  Fed up with the congestion problems in Mumbai airport—and of late, the situation has gone from bad to worst—freight forwarders and air cargo stakeholders can look forward to air cargo services at the Ojhar airport in Nasik in Maharashtra. The airport initially expects about 20-25 percent of the 40,000-ton monthly cargo handled at the Mumbai airport to come to it.
  The ACAAI and the Bombay Custom House Agents Association meeting in progress. ACAAI President Bharat Thakkar is seen addressing the members of the two trade bodies.
Keeping Tab On Economic Indicators
  As Autumn 2011 begins—An ill wind blows in, with a poorer macroeconomic outlook for 2012 than many hoped possible.
  Now the idea is to stay in front of capacity, but allocate expenses wisely as the pace of expansion in the manufacturing industry is looking to slacken in many nations.
Aero Cargo Targets Czech Airlines
    Frankfurt-based GSA Aero Cargo has enlarged its portfolio of mandate airlines by partnering with Czech Airlines. The Czechs are the fourteenth carrier on Aero Cargo’s steadily growing list of clients. The member of the SkyTeam club decided to shut down its cargo sales department in Germany this summer, launching a tender on extremely short notice, “Which we won after presenting our key strategic concept to CSA’s head of cargo, Jan Grabmueller, and his right hand for sales, Eva Vondrusova, in Prague,” explains General Manager Antonio Oliveira of Aero Cargo.

RE: Where In The World Is Joe Berg?
  Dear Geoffrey,

     Many thanks for your article on Joe Berg. It is long overdue. He was and remains one of the most creative minds in our business. As originator of the 10 ten rate to Europe and an earlier supporter of blocked space with Seaboard and Flying Tigers, Joe helped establish the gateway concept as an industry standard. I learned much from his attention to detail and market development during the late

 

 Vol. 10 No. 98                                                               Saturday October 8, 2011
Does Hermes Get The Message?
 Hermes doesn’t act God-like…
 Hermes was the wing-footed messenger God in ancient Greek mythology, but he was also the patron of commerce, travelers and thieves, making him a very colorful character for different social groups to worship.
 By adopting Hermes as the brand name for its logistics’ offspring, the Hamburg-headquartered mail order group, Otto Versand, was surely guided by nothing but the messenger qualities closely associated with this godhood.   Measured by the criteria of success, this decision proves to be in accord with the messenger’s long-time performance, as a recently published analysis of the German express and courier market verifies.
IULDUG Meet In Florida—Independence Day For Asset Management
 This is the 24th annual general meeting (AGM) of what was once known as the IULDUG, formerly an IATA interest group, and its first AGM as a private, independent group, sans IATA. This declaration of independence is such that IATA couldn’t even be bothered to send a representative to the inaugural meeting, despite the fact that the ULDUG vice chairman, Air Canada’s Urs Wiesendanger, is the chairman of the IATA ULD Panel! The mysterious workings of this association . . .
  The meeting was very well attended, with 113 delegates consisting of 47 airlines, 59 suppliers, a combination of various manufacturers, pooling companies, leasing companies and 7 industry guests, including FlyingTypers as exclusive media, and more importantly the FAA and the UK CAA.
A Ship Without A Rudder—Emirates SkyCargo Moves Rudder Seoul-Dubai
  All hands on deck as Emirates SkyCargo moves a 36-ton rudder shaft from Seoul to Dubai.
 The rudder stock—9.16 meters long and 1.05 meters wide—was moved to aid a ship stuck under repair in Dubai, and was the single heaviest item ever carried by the freight division of Emirates Airline.

Rest In Peace Steve Jobs
  For as long as I can remember, we have had Apple computers in my family. My mother used the first Mac Plus to edit and publish Air Cargo News, and that operation has only grown larger; now she uses a Mac Pro Tower with two screens and an overlapping display. She says, “I remember going into the printer's and sitting with people that were setting type on machines, cutting type and pasting it on a board and then corrections were made by cutting individual letters.
     “When we got our Mac Plus, it had 40MB on it, but I could input type and correct it instantly. I could lay out pages the way they would look in the newspaper—it was instant, changes could be instant and the control was all at my fingertips.
     
Flying Deuces Harvest Moon
 Our Octoberfest is never complete without lighting the first fire at home and hearing at least one version of the 1931 tune “Shine On Harvest Moon.”
 Of all the music that continues to be heard during this time of year in America, none is sweeter or more poignant.
 We have absolutely no explanation as to why Stan Laurel & Oliver Hardy stopped the show during the film The Flying Deuces to do this version of Harvest Moon.

 

 Vol. 10 No. 97                                                               Wednesday October 5, 2011
United Cargo-Everything Coming Up Roses
  Some Ex-COns, now United Cargo people are pictured. UA team: Andres Torres, Mildred Garcia Bog, Tim Nara IAH, Maddy Marrero Mia and Michael Cano SFO.
  Columbian President Juan Manuel Santos presided over opening ceremonies of the biannual Proflora "best floral trade show" in Bogota last week.
Sea Air Slips As Air Rates Dip
   Low air freight rates are reducing the cost advantage that has typically seen forwarders and shippers use sea-air options on Asia-Europe trade lanes.
  Last year Europe embarked on the major process of restocking following a recession volumes spike, but this year they have subsided in alignment with volumes and air freight rates, although operators are hopeful of a third quarter improvement in flows.
Lufthansa Cargo Charter Agency Celebrates 10 Years
   While everyone is raising high the roof beams in celebration of 100 years Of German Air Cargo this year, another milestone worth noting just occurred on October 1, as Lufthansa Cargo Charter Agency celebrated ten years to the day since its founding.
 Lufthansa Charter, headquartered in Cargo City Süd at Frankfurt Airport, operates a global network of distribution partners as a wholly owned subsidiary of Lufthansa Cargo, with competence centers in Chicago, Dubai and Hong Kong.

Cargolux To Accept B747-8s
  Cargolux said that it has a tentative agreement to accept both B747-8s that the air cargo carrier rejected at moment of delivery in September.

Andy Rooney—Road Slows To Hell
   “It’s amazing how long this country (USA) has been going to hell without getting there,” said Andy Rooney in his weekly resident oracle report on the CBS television news program 60 Minutes.

 

 

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  We are the original Air Cargo News founded 35 years ago in 1975 in New York City, USA. Edited by Geoffrey Arend, the acknowledged dean of air cargo publishers, we are the go to source for the air cargo industry worldwide. In-depth and knowledgeable coverage of the air cargo market. No advertorials, no press releases, no dubious awards. Just market savvy.
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