Senior Vice President and Chief Cargo Officer for Delta Air Lines Tony Charaf characteristically sounds positive and ready for what is next as he heads down the long and winding road of retirement from the carrier starting August 1.
     This gentle, well-spoken man, who has always been of good humor and maintained a thoughtful presence, remained rock solid even as his retirement was splashed in the news from a leaked internal office memo earlier this week.
     The official announcement from Delta poured accolades upon Tony. And Tony upheld every word of praise—as an airline man and a true technocrat, Tony possessed a wisdom accented by a penchant for solving problems, and he consistently made money for the company.

Always Tony

     In any case, no matter where he landed during his exceptional 18 years at the Atlanta-based airline, he was always Tony. All of us that ever knew him, both outside and inside the airline, will probably not see the likes of Tony Charaf again soon.

Mr. Unflappable

     I think the thing I like best about Tony is that he is unflappable.
     He is also that very rare individual who can be dropped into the middle of any situation and know very quickly exactly what needs to be done.
     It’s little wonder that Tony was able to move with some ease from a job as Director of Engine Maintenance to Senior Vice President – Delta Air Cargo in 2000, returning to TechOps in 2004 as Senior Vice President and up to President Delta TechOps in 2008.
     Early in 2012, Tony turned his focus specifically to Delta’s maintenance, repair, and overhaul business, transforming that operation into a big money-maker.
     Later in 2012 he returned to the cargo operation, again as Senior Vice President and Chief Cargo Officer.

 

Let ‘Em Eat Cake

     We spent some time with Tony for the first time at Newark Airport, just after he had taken the top job in cargo in 2000.
     There was Tony, touching up glasses with Daniel Parker, regional sales manager, northeast cargo region Air France Cargo, as SkyTeam Cargo partners Delta Cargo and Air France Cargo obtained approval from the U.S. Department of Justice to form a joint air cargo venture, the first in the air cargo industry. He was standing with a big ceremonial knife behind a large, freshly baked cake covered with frosting.
     I watched him at that party and assumed that he probably wished to be anywhere else; as somewhat of a homebody who enjoys small, intimate enclaves, the pomp and circumstance, and sometimes the sterility of corporate events is often lost on me. But as he spoke to the crowd of employees and customers, I realized something: in those moments, we were all the most important people in the world to Tony Charaf.

Systemic Shift?

     The saying goes, “When one door closes, a window opens.” So you can imagine how quickly the air was sucked out of the room, when, along with the announcement of Tony’s retirement, it was also announced that the job and title of Chief Cargo Officer was being terminated completely, starting August 1. It seems we’ve closed a door without knowing when, where, or if an open window will even appear.
     The spotlight is now also shining on speculation about what is next, as the structure of Delta Cargo’s operations in the future enters stage left as Tony exits stage right.
     The restructure news as companion piece to Tony’s retirement may have momentarily drawn attention away from a fine career in both airline and air cargo, but Tony never cared about the spotlight all that much, always willing to stand up even as he prepares to stand down. It’s easy to ignore the spotlight when you possess your own luminosity.
     Like we said, this guy is one in a million.

Delta Cargo (formerly Delta Air Logistics) as referred to in above quotes.

     Today the various cargo divisions at Delta Cargo, such as sales and operations, are readying to commence reporting to the related divisions in the passenger airline.
     But give us a break from all the “sources said” prognosticators who sprung up in the media like stink weeds of summer.
     Truth is many of the “sources” read like they either compete with Delta Cargo or imagine they have a better idea from the shadows of anonymity.
     Delta has put up huge funding to lead the pack in e-commerce and has also spent a bundle to enhance the air cargo prowess of its technology, equipment, and people.
     From our vantage point, at first blush what can be wrong with two vice-presidents looking at cargo instead of one?
     Decrying something, before it is proven one way or another, is unhelpful, if not plain dumb.

Reality Check 2014

     Anyone who looks at air cargo playing a pat hand is missing the point in 2014.
     New thinking and innovation are the new normal, as cargo struggles to gain lift and new customers.
     The idea that Delta Cargo cannot work in its new stance after August 1 we think is utter nonsense.
     Just look at who the keynote speaker is at the last big cargo trade show of 2014 as TIACA meets at Incheon Korea October 7-9.
     The keynoter is a non air cargo motivational speaker “business guru” named Kate Vitasek.
     Her speech “Breaking Barriers, Creating Opportunities” makes the point that “companies must shed outdated win-lose mentality and rethink their approach to commerce.”
     “Delegates will get back to the office ready to apply Nobel prize-winning thinking that supports shifting from a "What's in it for Me" mentality to a "What's in it for We" approach to solving some of the toughest challenges facing our industry,” she said.
     Does that sound a bit like what might be going on at Delta?

Never Say Never

     Having lauded the ability of one man to do anything at an airline, and having personally lived through the rise of Continental Airlines, where a group of very smart, not necessarily airline people created a helluva transportation company under Gordon Bethune, who is to say that the new deal at Delta Cargo will not work?
     One thing is for sure: it is unimaginable that DL would give short shrift to its cargo product, its customers, and its own people.
     For now, our wish for dear Tony is for happy trails and clear blue skies, always.
Geoffrey/Flossie