Lisa Schoppa Is Just Outstanding

     Some people in air cargo are great positive forces for good both in air cargo and company as well.
Continental Cargo’s Lisa Schoppa is an exceptional builder of both.
     As Manager QUICKPAK Product Development, this 25-year veteran of Continental Airlines not only handles a tough job at CO Cargo, she also manages to get out and put something back into the business at AATA - Animal Transportation Association where she has been a member and served since 1996.
     At AATA, Lisa has tackled several posts of responsibility including serving on the Board of Directors and also as President of AATA, the top post she has held since 2007.
     Lisa is also involved with IPATA - Independent Pet & Animal Transport Association and has been a member since 1996.
     Little wonder that CO Cargo gets high marks by any measure for innovative and hands on concerned animal transportation including having received the Dr. Robert Campbell Award from AATA 2004.
     CO Cargo is considered “best in the business” when named Most Pet-Friendly Airline by Animal Fair Magazine 2007 & 2008.
     CO was also called Airline of the Year by petsfly.com in 2007 and honored with IPATA Award of Excellence 2008.
     But when it comes to what drives Lisa we can put that answer into her own words from a letter we received Sunday June 28 responding to the question:
     Where are we now?
     “In today's world, we've lost so many of our pioneers and the companies they built.
     “This year we are celebrating 75 years of Continental Airlines
     “I think that many people love to hear something of the history of companies like CO.
     “To think that it all started as a cargo airline flying U.S. mail and parcels from El Paso to points in the West.
     “Then came the iconic Robert Six who married Audrey Meadows (who played Alice on the TV series “The Honeymooners” with Jackie Gleason).
     Some would say those were the glory days but there is so much more history to write!
     “Then another icon, Frank Lorenzo, came along and took CO through a couple of bankruptcies, and laid the groundwork for our survival.
     “And finally, another larger than life guy, Gordon Bethune, literally saved us from the brink of financial disaster.
     “Mr. Bethune had the wisdom to know what we needed and he brought those financial and business minds to our company and most are still here today and are guiding us through these tough times.
     “This industry is about learning to manage crisis (one after another).
     “I believe it will continue to take real gutsy men and women to see us through.
     “I also think others (especially my colleagues at other struggling carriers) would be encouraged to hear that you can be on the brink of disaster and almost shutting the doors, and then turn around and go from "worst to first" (to quote Mr. Bethune) and even be touted as the turnaround story of the year by Wall Street.
     “Although things look bad right now for the legacy and smaller carriers in our industry .... There is hope.
     “You can survive!!
     “Continental Airlines at 75 is proof of that.
     “ Many of us here at CO truly believe there's so much more history to write about us.
     “And how many more pioneers will come along and take the reins to guide us?
     “I can't wait to read the rest of our story in another 50 or 75 years from now.”
     Lisa Schoppa, as you might have gathered by now, represents the best for company and air cargo as well.
     She has moved from the crowd to become an outstanding air cargo executive with passion and compassion for everyone and in everything she does.
     CO may have a thousand or more take offs and landings every day.
     Lisa Schoppa lifts everybody.

   Our exclusive series “Women In Air Cargo” asks our readers to send some words and a picture about somebody that you know who is female and has made a difference in air cargo.
  This effort is not limited to just success or failure, it is meant to raise awareness about the legions of unique women who in most cases are unsung heroines in the air cargo industry.
  So write and we will share your story with our readers around the world.

Women In Cargo Hall Of Fame

Karen Rondino

Olga Pleshakova

Lucy Ntuba

Susanne Keimel

Marx Exits SAS Cargo

     Kenneth Marx, SAS Cargo’s President and CEO has quit his job.
     The manager informed the executive board of the Scandinavian carrier that he intends to step down from his present position during this summer. Until a successor has been nominated he will stay on board if wanted, Marx told CEO Mats Jansson of Scandinavian Airlines.
     His resignation does not come as a major surprise to the international cargo community.
     During the last six months the air cargo industry has experienced an unprecedented downfall in volumes and market demand due to the international economic crisis.
     With this backdrop SAS Cargo had to downsize the organization, axe numerous jobs and implement the Core Cargo strategy that focuses on providing air cargo capacity on routes served by the SAS passenger airline. The strategic turn includes SAS Cargo’s concentration primarily on the Scandinavian home market, the sale of subsidiaries like handling service provider Spirit Air Cargo and agent Trust Forwarding.
     Further Core Cargo also led to exiting bilateral capacity agreements with Air China, Emirates and Korean Air, thus notably reducing the carrier’s international business opportunities.
     Marx took the helm of SAS Cargo in 2004 by succeeding predecessor big Peter Groenlund who moved into another form of transportation, as SAS prospects were dimming.
     Marx has since opted for a widely independent strategy of the Nordic air freight carrier by loosening closer ties to former partners like Lufthansa Cargo and the WOW allies SIA and JAL Cargo. Under his command SAS Cargo has introduced new business standards for air freight equipment and processes like the newly developed temptainer, e-freight, and quality as well as environment certification.
     He got rid of the more than twenty different products SAS Cargo was once offering and boiled their number down to two instead.
     The transformed SAS Cargo is a specialized carrier with a high quality profile, innovative ideas and a more regional rather than global focus. However, only time will show if it can sustain itself as an independent player.      “SAS Cargo is now geared for the future, and it seems natural for me to step down, and let new forces take over,” states Marx in a release.
     Obviously he intends to leave the SAS group for good by announcing that he wants to seek new business challenges elsewhere.
Heiner Siegmund

     Air Cargo News FlyingTypers leads the way again as the world’s first air cargo publication to connect the industry to the broadly expanding and interactive base for social commentary—Twitter.
     Here are updates from Twitter so far this week. To be added to this 24/7/365 service at no-charge contact: acntwitter@aircargonews.com

June 29:  Boeing joined wing to fuselage on its new B747-8F that flies later this year. Seventy eight sold saving 16% over B747-4 while carrying 16% more Boeing said.

June 29:  Radioactive seeds of iodine tubes "lost" by China Eastern PVG/HKG last week. Cargo handlers missed tiny cubes sending "empty" tray to PVG.

June 29:  Royal Jordanian President/CEO Samer Majali resigned effective August 1. No successor has been named. Majali joined RJ in 1979.

June 29:  Northern Capital Gateway Consortium, (Fraport) will get deal to operate St. Petersburg Pulkovo Airport starting in early 2010.

June 28:  Permanent Bedtime blank screen recording of BBC radio weather forecast for shipping. Soothing female voice Scottish accents melodious and poetic. www.s3fm.co.uk/permanentbedtime

June 28:  1939 Pan American World Airways flew very first scheduled service from New York to Europe. Special FlyingTypers remembers.

June 27:  Airlines gain revenue and perishables capacity with incentives/levys to dump foam and use cool chain services.
www.bjelliott@abf1consulting.com.

June 26:  China Airlines adds US$176 million, sells 602 million shares adds working capital after six losing quarters- will try sell more in autumn.

June 26:  At LAX U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters wants more screening for belly cargo. “Most cargo is loaded without being screened for explosives," she said.

June 26:  India's Jet Airways in tax beef there reportedly owing US$83 million. Service tax liability not collected for last five years is reported
.
June 26:  Qantas defers 15 and cancels 15 troubled and now further delayed B787s.

June 26:  Gal Amit is new cargo manager the Americas for El Al Cargo based in New York. Amit was security employee of the year in 2000 serving in BKK.

June 26:  IATA said cargo was up 3% in May over April but inventories remain 10-15% higher than normal. Demand expected to be 12-15% below 2008 ahead.

June 26:  NCA keeps fleet at 8 B747-400Fs until early 2012, freezing plan to expand to 24 aircraft by fiscal 2013. New routes & planes unwise, NCA said.

June 26:  USA & EU unfair advantage complaint to WTO against China for refusal to export bauxite, coke, magnesium, zinc and silicon metal.

Contact! Talk To Geoffrey
Re: FTypers06.28.09

Geoffrey

     Nice article... Margaret is indeed a wonderful woman!
     My Dad Noel Gavin was a coxswain and moved to Foynes from Dublin in 1945, leaving in 1956 to work in Shannon.
     Later the Lifeboat service was incorporated into security at the Airport . . . .
      Thanks for remembering.

Best regards
Niall
River International Forwarding Ltd.
Unit 3C, Western Business Park, Shannon, Co. Clare.
Tel 353 61 360777 Fax 353 61 360035
www.rifl.ie

Click To View Videos

Geoffrey,

      I saw your article and thought you might want to send it along to the Port Washington News - http://www.antonnews.com/portwashingtonnews.html.      
      They are always looking for local news and articles that have to do with Port Washington.
      We (my wife and I) live about 7 miles from the Town Dock – Pan Am dock and a member of our church (Congregational Church of Manhasset) worked for Pan Am. He is about 85 and not in great health but has wonderful memories of his days at Pan Am.
      I have fond memories of Pan Am as well and was heart broken when they went out of business, so thanks for writing that lovely piece. My first flight on a jet was Pan Am – a 707 from JFK to SFO.
      Thanks for memories!

Warmest Regards,
Jim McLaughlin
Transborder

Geoffrey,

     I always love your nostalgic reviews.
     We should not forget the aviation roots that got us where we are. I wanted to send a footnote, that the Pan Am flying boats went on to form the basis of another airline, World Airways, that faltered at first from 1948-1950, then the dynamic      Ed Daly bought it (but discontinued the B-314s) and made his own history, taking World on a journey that continues today as a leading transporter of U.S. troops and a widebody charter cargo operator.

Steve Forsyth
Director, Corporate Communications
Global Aviation Holdings, Inc. (World Airways and North American Airlines)

Dear Steve,

     Thanks for writing.
     I have a picture somewhere of five B314s up on their beaching gears in 1946 at Floyd Bennett Field in Brooklyn that were sold off after WW11 to World, either some or all of them.
     Have not seen that picture in ages and wonder if you have it?
     If so send it along and we will show it to everyone.
     I liberated a B314 model from aircraft carrier Intrepid and hung it from rotunda ceiling of Marine Air Terminal LGA twenty three years ago where it still resides.
     Ed Daly had a six-shooter in his office last time I saw him in Oakland when Jeff Lehman was cargo manager at World.
     Quite a guy.
     Jeff too!

Greetings,
Geoffrey