Vol. 13 No. 3                                                                                                                                    Friday January 10, 2014
#INTHEAIREVERYWHERE 
THE AIR CARGO NEWS THOUGHT LEADER  




A photo Study Of Pakistan

t will be a year of discovery; new board members, a great world meeting, plus an unparalleled push into new frontiers for The International Air Cargo Association (TIACA) and Chairman Oliver Evans hits the ground running.
Evans, if nothing else, seems determined, even fearless as he and his team at TIACA are reforming TIACA forever.
     If he is right, and he appears sure of what he’s about, TIACA could grow exponentially.
     But there is growing vocal dissention and dissatisfaction from what is now a crowd of former high ranking TIACA leadership.
     For his part, the well-spoken and determined Oliver Evans appears to have maintained a grip on things at TIACA, and as 2014 unfolds his view includes a year that promises to be even more challenging for the entire air cargo industry.
     “Of course, there are a number of encouraging economic pointers, and it seems that GDP and global trade will grow at an accelerating pace. But the growth will remain fragile and uneven. More challenging still is the mix of commodities transported by air, which is evolving rapidly, e.g. with miniaturization, increase of value of goods traded, demand for new services, Internet shopping, etc. Add to this potent mixture the pressure coming from overcapacity in sea freight and modal shift on one end of the scale, and the performance of the integrators at the other end. Add again new or evolving business models, freight forwarders gaining access to airside handling facilities, or setting up their own airlift; new sensors of every kind being tested and certified with no clear picture of their impact on liability or customer interfaces. The list of challenges could go on and on.
     “Our industry is indeed complex and poorly connected, and regulators and we ourselves make it more so. FIATA and IATA and many other globally or regionally active associations do sterling work in helping their members, creating paths through the jungle, and developing programs and tools of every kind. And still progress is slow, desperately slow.
     “Therefore the vision set out for the air cargo industry by the TIACA Board in April 2013 is more urgent than ever: networking, leading, simplifying, linking all the various workstreams and initiatives, filling in the gaps, eliminating duplications. This is obviously not a task for TIACA alone; indeed, industry associations (TIACA, FIATA, IATA, but again many others – the CCA, C2K, etc.) need to not only facilitate, but also promote and celebrate each other’s initiatives. This is why companies in our industry see the benefits of joining several associations, vertical or horizontal, regional or global, according to their needs. And TIACA, through its own committee work and the great events it organizes, provides an essential platform to define, bring about, and accelerate change.
     “This is what has persuaded very well-respected captains of the industry to join our Board in 2012 and 2013, so that we now have a more dynamic, diverse, and influential group than we have ever had, representing global companies and SMEs, airports, publishers, integrators, forwarders, handlers, truckers, airlines, and 7 different countries on 3 continents.
     “TIACA has established strong working relationships with many regulatory bodies, including ICAO, the World Customs Organization (WCO), and the U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA), and Customs and Border Protection (CBP). In 2014, we will continue expanding our contacts with these and other organizations, including the World Trade Organization (WTO), the Universal Postal Union (UPU), the European Community’s TAXUD (Taxation & Customs Union), and MOVE (Mobility & Transport). And of course we will continue our work with our GACAG partners in our areas of priority, Security and Safety, Market Liberalization and Trade Facilitation, E-Commerce, Environment, and Infrastructure.
     “But most of all, the industry is driven forward by great networking events, where ideas can be exchanged and developed. TIACA is the proud organizer of an annual Executive Summit; the last edition (in Dallas in April 2013) was a huge success with a format of facilitated discussions in smaller groups bringing together top executives for intense dialogue and inspiration on a range of topics. We simply intend to continue that success at this year’s Summit, in Istanbul on April 24th, while engaging actively with our membership on the next day’s AGM.
     “And last but not least, the biennial Air Cargo Forum in Seoul from October 7th to the 9th: this shall of course be a showcase for South Korea and its great success story of transforming a nation depleted by a long war into an industrial giant and world power in the shortest time. The ACF will attract anyone interested in that nation’s vibrant air trade, but also in the wider Asian scene, or the greatest air cargo market in the modern world; in meeting local and global regulators (ICAO and WCO will be there!); in meeting customers, customers’ customers, and suppliers of every kind. We expect every group to be well represented, from airlines to integrators and forwarders, handlers, airports, IT and logistics companies, and of course shippers and regulators. Don’t miss it!”


     “Swiss WorldCargo is the cargo division of a mid-sized airline, barely making it into the top 50 global airlines in terms of size. But just as Switzerland as a country has remained highly relevant and indeed essential on the global scene by leading such diverse industries as banking, pharmaceuticals, or the watch industry, so Swiss WorldCargo has set out to serve those very same industries on a global scale, connecting Switzerland to the world and the world through Switzerland. And so we are in the absolute leading ranks when it comes to the transport of temperature-controlled cargo, valuables, express or mail, thanks to the great work of our team worldwide, and the many suppliers and partners who collaborate with them. This is our strategy, it has not changed for the last 10 years and it will not change in 2014.
     “But we will be taking things further by leveraging our already considerable knowledge of and relationships within our chosen vertical industries to develop even stronger collaboration and quality assurance with freight forwarders sharing our specialization; by investing more and more in systems to improve data and operational quality, even though we are already consistently outperforming the industry in most C2K metrics; by pushing e-freight: Swiss WorldCargo were the first airline to sign the multilateral agreement; the first to activate it; the first to convince the national aviation authority to accept it; and now the first to implement the e-customs security declaration. These progressive steps are much more important to us than the “numbers game” played by the airline industry with grand targets which are never met. We are simply delighted that the quality of our messaging (FWBs) is far superior to the industry norm, and that is our common achievement with our customers. We thank them for the constant, detailed work to improve things together."
Geoffrey/Flossie



     Lufthansa Cargo lands its new Boeing 777F Jambo Kenya in Asia for the first time as Mumbai gets 90 tons on Thursday at 03:08 am, with no one even breaking a sweat.
     Lufthansa says two of the five B777s ordered are already being used in scheduled operations between Europe and North America.
     But there is no stopping these workhorses that are also being flown regularly to other destinations like BOM with new pilots in training for this type at the helm.
     Next up Lufthansa Cargo B777Fs will join the Frankfurt to Shanghai run from March 2014.



Part I-Click To Read
Part II-Click To Read


     New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said it is “inexcusable” that New York’s JFK and LaGuardia airports have not been redeveloped to keep pace with the best international gateways.
     He is expected to call for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey to give up control of stalled rehab projects at the airports.
     The last time a high-profile politician made these kind of comments was when New York Mayor Rudolph Giuiliani went after the airport(s) operator—The Port Authority of New York & New Jersey—threatening to kick them out, but then he dropped the ball to run for U.S. President.
     Many think Cuomo might also make a run for U.S. President in 2016.
     Let’s hope the Guv’ gets some action as a result of his comments.
     Why should the greatest city in the world not have world-class airports?


     Southwest Airlines CEO Gary Kelly and SeaWorld CEO Jim Atchison shake hands. Southwest Airlines debuts its newest specialty plane, Penguin One, in celebration of 25 years of partnership with SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment, on Thursday, June 20, 2013, in Orlando, FL.
     But amidst revelations of animal cruelty fueled by the popular documentary film Blackfish, this week more than a dozen animal advocates gathered in protest at Southwest Airlines’ corporate headquarters at Dallas Love Field Airport. Detractors delivered more than 27,000 signatures on a Change.org petition urging Southwest Airlines to end its partnership.
     Southwest said that at this point it is in “a listening and education mode” with its customers and with SeaWorld.


A

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In

Air Cargo


     Once upon a time, the top political patronage job in the USA was serving as U.S. Postmaster General.
     But today, USPS is in such financial dire straits, even the power guys and election fixers don’t want the job.
     Heading the Department of Homeland Security has now become a good place to post a loyal political good fellow, or in the case of the last boss at DHS, a good lady: Janet Napolitano departed DHS to run a college earlier last year.
     In December, Jeh Johnson, a Barack Obama operative and member of the President’s original transition team, was confirmed to lead the Homeland Security Department.
     Johnson, a key architect of President Barack Obama's anti-terrorism policies, which have included stepped-up drone use in terrorist hotspots, is the fourth secretary of the department, which was created in response to the 9/11 attacks.
     Johnson raised some eyebrows when during his confirmation hearings he deviated from his predecessors' stated priorities by listing counterterrorism third instead of first among priorities.


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     While many of us are giving thanks to the old year and getting into 2014, I would like to suggest that we also consider and appreciate the people who make business and vacation time possible, and who ensured all those gadgets under the Christmas tree were actually available in stores in time for the annual global celebration.
     Thanks goes to the check-in staff at the airport as well as the baggage handler, the driver of the catering truck as well as the security folks at the x-ray machine.
     Do not forget the cargo staff handling the incoming merchandise (which ultimately became a present of yours) in the warehouse or the courteous but anonymous voice answering your better half’s call in which she is reassured that, indeed, SFML (Seafood meal, for those not familiar with airline meal codes) will be provided on your little getaway to the Caribbean or Aspen.
     The flight attendant serving it would probably have preferred to spend time with kids and family, and flying a commuter plane with a half dozen takeoffs and landings during the busy holiday schedule is neither a glamorous nor a well-paid job.
     It’s a safe bet that the mechanic in his oil stained snowsuit would prefer to be enroute to the Caribbean instead of walking out that ATR on a snow-covered tarmac in Newfoundland or the Yukon.
     No one really likes to line up for hours in front of the baggage drop-off lines and before security. But before you work yourself up about it, remember those folks who lube the mills of modern day trade and travel for a remuneration for which most of us would not consider working.
     These people are the unsung heroes of the modern ages, although their contribution is hardly ever appreciated or commemorated. We hope that you do appreciate their work, since they richly deserve this little token of appreciation.
Jens

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