They celebrated a ninth annual Air Cargo Association Air Cargo Day at JFK International Airport in New York last week on Thursday March 19.
     At a grand luncheon during the compact one day event, Willie Mercado who serves as top Aer Lingus Cargo executive in USA, although cast in the unlikely role of master of ceremonies, delivered a list of thanks to the many people that helped make this annual touchstone of springtime here a success.
     Willie also led everyone in a simple yet haunting tribute to New York air cargo stalwart and transportation icon Bill Greenway who died on March 7 at 87 years of age.
     But perhaps the most revealing thing that Mr. Mercado said was in a personal public aside when he explained why he continues to serve the club and the air cargo community.
     “They came at me to ask that I serve as ACA Club President and I wanted to hide somewhere,” Willie said.
     “Then I started to think about all the other board members and the people at this airport and how much these folks mean to me and I signed up.”
     At table number three Jim Larsen who held Willie’s post for a record 12 years smiled and said:
     “This is one of the first times I have gotten to eat a meal at one of these air cargo fests.”
     Bob Arens,Willie Mercado and Ginger Priolo in New York; Harold Hagans, Robert Kennedy, Rachel Worley and Kevin Madden in Atlanta; Bettina Hickler, Stephan Haltmayer, Mathias Jakobi in Frankfurt may not be names that you know.
     But all have one thing in common.
     They are people that for months and years put themselves out for the common good, at times irrespective of their own priorities, to support airport cargo communities.
     These people like a thousand more at airports everywhere are the glue that hold the air cargo business together.
     They set up the golf outings and send out the mailers and make the late calls and emails and count the money and pay the caterers and generally bring to everybody the best of the air cargo business.
     Make no mistake about it, the future of the air cargo industry needs good local clubs.
     The 2008 edition of the air cargo annual in New York sold out the hotel ballroom for lunch and filled the narrow display hall with booths with arm to back attendance.
     An early morning panel of several of the usual suspects on the speakers’ circuit talked up subjects such as security, air cargo real estate and handling, India and China future-speak, and other subjects in a breezy two-hour format that allowed for plenty of networking before lunch.
     The event also served to mark the 50th anniversary of the air cargo club although the airport actually opened for business in 1948, when presumably the early Pan Am and other world carriers were carrying some air cargo.
     At that time and forward into the early 1970s more than 80% of all international air cargo traveled overseas from USA via the New York/New Jersey airports.
     Today that number has shriveled to maybe 20%, still sizeable, but in truth a mere shadow of former glory.
     Air cargo traffic at JFK has departed to other USA gateways with growing air services and more aggressive business programs, including facilities development and better highway and rail access.
     It’s worth noting that while many new air cargo terminals appeared at JFK, several carriers at this pioneering cargo airport are still operating out of the ancient first generation facilities.
     Some older cargo buildings including the former Varig and Alitalia cargo sheds sit empty and unused and appear crumbling as the seasons change.
     Elsewhere last Thursday in New York at JFK the conversation on nearly everyone’s lips in addition to uncertainty driven by runaway fuel costs, was about how to cope with the downward pressure of enhanced security and looming 100% screening plus other TSA air cargo mandates and demands.
     But cargo people are nothing if not resilient and always seem ready to launch another set of city pairs and new options aimed getting the goods to market.
     “We are developing great connections via our London to destinations in Europe and into the Middle East including four gateways in Saudi Arabia,” said John Ryan, (left) US CSM at bmi air cargo.
     “Our A330 flights from Las Vegas offer west coast shippers a raft of unique service options beyond London as does our outbound daily Chicago service for east coast and middle America shippers,” Mr. Ryan added.
     “Much of what a carrier can offer can be realized from being inventive with service options while tailoring actual flights to bring air cargo to destinations that others have either overlooked or chosen not to serve,” said Guy Hardy, Head of Cargo Sales, Brussels Airlines.
     The longtime air cargo executive (in photo right) and his colleague in America, Dave Sharma (left) both spoke of the great success Brussels Airlines is realizing moving cargo from destinations around the world via gateway Brussels into Africa.
     “Sabena almost never turned profits but Brussels Airlines is making money both above and below deck with our service,” Dave Sharma added.
     “Once we were hotels and catering and all kinds of asset-driven business,” Guy Hardy recalled.
     “Now we are the default champion of passenger and air cargo service delivery to Africa with flights to Angola, Burundi, Cameroon, D.R. Congo, Gambia, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Liberia, Morocco, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Uganda—you name it.”
     Interestingly Brussels Airlines in its rebirthing of Belgium international commercial aviation has chosen not to resume line services into New York.
     “Our code-share with American Airlines is working for us now,” Mr. Sharma said.
     “Africa and our culture for service—Sabena to Brussels Airline—is building our future,” Guy Hardy said.
     “Next will come even more aggressive development including a low cost carrier subsidiary based in Kinshasa with service to several new cities.”
Geoffrey

Big Chill For DHL

     DHL said it has a new global partnership with Envirotainer to utilize temperature controlled air cargo containers.
     DHL will use Envirotainer’s specialized equipment for temperature-sensitive shipments worldwide expanding capability in transporting chilled and temperature-sensitive products, such as pharmaceuticals and medical equipment, for the life science and healthcare industry.
     As part of the agreement DHL has added Envirotainer training and audit program across its network, to reach ‘Qualified Envirotainer Provider’ (QEP) status.
     First successful audits have already taken place at several locations.
     Robert Krautheim, President of Life Science and Healthcare at DHL Global Forwarding, commented:
     “This global relationship with Envirotainer supports our initiative to establish dedicated competency centers and regional hubs in the cold chain market which support our customers’ requirements.
     Aligning our DHL programs with Envirotainer’s ‘Qualified Envirotainer Provider’ program means that we can offer the highest levels of quality to our customers, worldwide.”