#INTHEAIREVERYWHERE

“For American Airlines Cargo, 2016 was a year full of accomplishments—and we’re proud to say it,” AA Cargo President Jim Butler told FlyingTypers.
     “Our success really underscores that the investments we made to improve our operation delivered real value.
     “We introduced infrastructure and process enhancements, backed by the strategic investments we made in our aircraft and network.
     “All in all, we’ve been consistently delivering an exceptional operational experience with support from our remarkable field teams, product specialists, and Customer Experience groups.”

Thank You Goes Wide

     “We can’t thank you, our partners, and our customers enough for the multiple industry awards, such as Cargo Airline of the Year. I would like to personally thank the Airforwarders Association for the James Foster Memorial Award, which is a great testament to what the team does each and every day to advance American Airlines Cargo and the industry as a whole.
     “American is winning as well with the youngest fleet of any domestic carrier, adding its 150th widebody.
     “Our new 787-9 is already making a name for itself in Europe.
     “We have unique network connections and recently announced new routes like Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW)-Rome, Italy (FCO), and DFW-Amsterdam (AMS).
     “AA has also invested in the tools and technology needed to help streamline our business processes, which benefits our employees and enhances the shipping experience for customers.”

What’s Next? Just Listen

     “From a cargo standpoint, we have big plans for 2017,” Jim Butler continues, “and we know you’ll be pleasantly surprised at the process and product enhancements we’ll announce throughout the year.
     “Our enhancements are a direct result of feedback we’ve received from customers and our industry peers.
     “We experienced impressive eFreight year-over-year growth in 2016 and we will continue our focus in 2017 as it ensures faster delivery times and the ability to support new technology, making everyone’s job easier and more efficient.
     “Ecommerce is also a growing sector full of opportunity and we need to be a part of that growth.
     “In the end, it’s our people that we’ll invest in most. Without them, we couldn’t provide the top-notch customer experience for which the industry has recognized.
     “These folks deserve all the credit for our success, and I know they’ll continue amazing me in 2017.”

Big Move At AA Cargo

     “We have just moved our cargo headquarters building to a new location in the DFW area that offers our team a more modern setting with larger meeting rooms and open work spaces.
     “The increased collaboration I have witnessed in the first few days has exceeded already lofty expectations.
     “I am confident this will translate into an even more seamless customer experience.
     “Of course, you’ll see new routes launch and more new aircraft delivered throughout the year, maintaining our status of the youngest fleet of the U.S. global carriers.
     “But our products are the core of our business and we are constantly looking at ways to innovate.
     “This year we added more service options out of Europe by dramatically expanding our trucking network and using London Heathrow to connect across our extensive network.
     “Our temperature-control product is receiving increased internal training to support its market growth and CEIV efforts.
     “In 2016, we added even more capacity to carry, hold, and charge more active containers than the previous year—and now offer the full suite of Envirotainer products.
     “With the success of our PHL facility, we’re growing our dedicated pharma spaces, most recently opening one in San Juan (SJU).
     “We were also humbled to receive the DHL Care Award, which was a huge and appreciated acknowledgment of the quality of our temperature-controlled program, ExpediteTC°.”

Systemwide Strength

     “American Airlines offers the best connectivity between Asia and Latin America with service to 85 cities in Latin America and nine in Asia, as well as all-widebody service to 72 unique destination pairs and one stop connectivity from our LAX and DFW gateways to GRU, EZE, and SCL.
     “We’ve been investing heavily in people and equipment to solidify our operation,” Jim noted, “and to have industry-leading performance that our customers can count on.
     “Some specific facility improvements included new dock doors in Miami and a brand new material handling system in Dallas, all designed to speed transaction time for our customers.
     “From small businesses to large organizations, we want to be the carrier they prefer.
     “We’re committed to leading positive change and exceeding expectations on a daily basis.”

Taking eFreight & Other Issues All The Way

     “The recent success of eFreight is an example of what can be accomplished if we all drive toward solving some of the issues facing the industry.
     “Carriers have made significant progress driving toward worldwide adoption and I am proud to say that our growth this year has materially surpassed the industry standard.
     “This hasn’t been an accident.
     “We have worked with our customers to find ways to move this initiative forward with the ultimate goal of improving the accuracy and speed of each shipment.
     “So, yes, as an industry, it’s increasingly important for us to collaborate with each member of the supply chain.
     “To grow, we need to better understand all needs involved for participants in the shipping process, whether that’s the forwarder, manufacturer, or end user.”


Up, Up, & Away!

     “We expect 2017 to be a year of growth. With the addition of service to Sydney, Auckland, and Tokyo-Haneda (just to name a few), we’ve increased our reach with nonstop options from the U.S., plus additional trucking and interline options from these new destinations to places we can’t necessarily touch on our metal alone.
     “Thus far, we’ve seen an increased demand for perishable goods (produce, meat, flowers) and auto parts out of the South Pacific, which is great news for air cargo as a whole.
     “It’s a great story for American and our customers, as our network allows us to provide valuable new trade connections between key markets in Asia and the Americas.
     “We’re the largest operator of widebodies between North and South America, and that’s a big selling point for our customers.”
     Regarding their aircraft plan, American says that it already fields the youngest fleet of the U.S. global network carriers and the new deliveries scheduled in 2017 will make the fleet even younger, more modern, and more efficient.
     “We expect to add 68 new planes in 2017,” Jim said, “including our favorites from a cargo perspective, like the 787-9, with flights between Dallas (DFW) and Madrid (MAD) and São Paulo (GRU).”

What Needs To Change In Air Cargo?

     “To continue evolving, there are some basic things we’d change in how we do business from an industry perspective.
     “And it’s simple:
     “We need to continue collaborating with our customers and adapting to new technology that allows us to digitize our exchanges with vendors and customers. These steps mitigate risks during the communication process while increasing customer value. Doing so will ultimately lead to our overall goal of increased visibility into the shipping process and the faster transport of goods for customers.”
Geoffrey