Vol. 8 No. 97 WE COVER THE WORLD Thursday September 10, 2009

Ilse Wilczek Expresses Herself

     The India express industry has made a strong plea to the Government to facilitate better trade opportunities.
     At a recent seminar held to discuss the constraints of the express delivery sector in India, it was felt that while the country gets into free trade agreements with nations across the world, it was essential for the government to give a serious thought to local agreements for assisting the industry to build a single integrated market.
     On the sidelines of the seminar, Ilse Wilczek, Chairperson, Global Express Association (GEA), and Group Director Public Affairs of TNT, the Dutch-based mail and express company, found time to talk about India, the express industry and more to ACNFT. The GEA, she informed, was the global trade association of the express delivery industry that serves over 215 countries, carrying over 30 million packages each day, all of them guaranteed to be delivered within a specified time frame. “This guarantee has made express delivery unique in the global transportation industry,” said Wilczek.
     She pointed out that there was one thing that “unites us all: the competitiveness of the Indian economy.”
     India, she emphasized, has always attracted foreign trade partners and investments and “is one of the most crucial strategic markets to TNT, as it is for the entire express sector. That says a lot. In less than 15 years, India has developed into one of the most attractive economic partners in the world.
     As head of the GEA, Wilczek felt that “the maritime shipping routes of the past are the express delivery networks of today.”
     Comparing today’s jet speeds to the days of old, she said, “In the seventeenth century, international contacts proceeded at a speed of seven knots. Nowadays, millions of shipments are sent around the globe every day. New Delhi is no more than a guaranteed two-day delivery network away from Amsterdam.”
     Providing her vision to the express industry, she said that the single most important message that she wanted to project was: “Openness and free trade are not dangerous. Protection and isolation are. The history of economic relations proves that. Market access and legal guarantees are essential conditions, also for the development of the Indian economy.”
     As members of the GEA, she emphasized: “We are proud of our contribution to creating a modern global economy and making it accessible to all. Express delivery services are facilitators of industry and trade . . . the express sector enables manufacturers and traders—whether they are big or small —to engage competitively in international trade and to deal with the demanding time frames of the global economy.”
     However, the efforts of the international express industry would be defeated “if government polices and restrictions undermine the ability of express delivery companies to facilitate trade, investment and productivity across the wider economy”. She trotted out some examples of the restrictions imposed by countries—and that included India—like the unclear definition of postal monopolies; complex licensing requirements; inefficient customs procedures; restrictions on access to aviation markets and ground handling systems and/or restrictions on foreign investment.
     She then went on to say that “steps to remove restrictions on the express industry would encourage increased trade, investment and productivity. I would like to stress that the natural migration of international express handling goes far beyond the constraints of traditional courier and mail type products and includes fast freight and logistics in response to business needs.”
     On her part, “GEA is of the opinion that customs regulation and practice needs to keep pace with the economic aspirations of strongly developing markets such as India.” She pointed out the importance of the WCO models to the development of existing partnership opportunities between administrations and the express industry throughout the world.
     A strong advocate of the liberalization process—especially one that is going on in India today—Wilczek mentioned that the “sustainable development of the Indian economy really took off when the Indian Government adapted the market economy, and, under the leadership of your Prime Minister Mr. Manmohan Singh opened its doors to the world and linked its markets to the world economy.”
     Given the fact that India was more open today, Wilczek said, “We are competitors and partners at the same time. But, that makes us both stronger. By challenging each other and keeping each other alert, we can maintain and boost economic growth.”
     The GEA, she said, has a strong track record in working closely with regional and national associations and what she wanted to bring about were strong partnerships, operating at the world level.
Tirthankar Ghosh

An Air Cargo News/FlyingTypers Original

   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

Budoor Al Mazmi	Lisa Schoppa	Tulsi Mirchandaney	Donna Mullins

Düsseldorf Building Airport City

     Düsseldorf brings much to the table as the third largest airport in Germany, although as compared to FRA & MUC the gateway is rarely in the headlines.
     Christoph Blume, (left) the airport CEO notes the gateway offers great transport connections and the location is at the center of one of Europe's most important commercial regions with millions of people, but also benefits from the dynamics of the Düsseldorf region.
     DUS also offers room to grow.
     Currently Flughafen Düsseldorf Immobilien GmbH (FDI), a subsidiary of Flughafen Düsseldorf GmbH, is planning, designing and developing the property.
     For Düsseldorf International Airport real estate development represents an important component of corporate strategy for the systematic buildup of the location.
     Centerpiece at DUS is the development of Airport City.
     Overall concept was developed by Düsseldorf International Airport in cooperation with the architectural office JSK that has also designed the airport's new terminal.
     “Flughafen Düsseldorf GmbH is constantly expanding its range of services all around aviation,” says Christoph Blume.
     “An important growth sector is, for example, the non-aviation business.
     "We will continue to expand our offer, develop new products, and orient our plans to our customers' requirements," says Blume.
     “As example, a series of buildings with a total of some 250,000 square meters of gross floor area can be built here.
     “Since the size of various construction sites can be varied individually, allowing for structures to be designed from 3,000 to 30,000 square meters of space.
     The DUS sites are sold to investors who then execute their projects. More than half of the sites have already been sold.
     The first construction phase - covering about one third of the total area - has already been realized.
     The airport expects that the entire site will have been sold to investors by 2013.
     Currently 77 airlines call at Düsseldorf serving 180 destinations around the world, with about 625 departures and arrivals a day.
     “DUS Airport City is located at the center of an economic region with immense potential.
     “Nine million people live within a radius of 50 kilometers, 18 million people within 100 kilometers.
     “The market compares in size to the markets of London and Paris.
     “In terms of importance, ten of the thirty DAX companies are based right here at the heart of the North Rhine-Westphalia, and some 400,000 companies operate in the Rhine-Ruhr region.”
     Air cargo has been steadily growing and as mentioned at the gateway offers room to grow with potential throughput of 300,000 tons annually.
     It’s worth mentioning one of the truly original ideas and businesses to come to the fore in the past few years, leisure Cargo that serves the cargo needs of 18 carriers, is based at DUS.
     Gerton Hulsman (right )is managing director of DUS Cargo Logistics, the major handling agent at the gateway that operates, 24/7/365 as 100% subsidiary of the Düsseldorf International Airport Group. DUS Cargo employs160 at the airport.
     “We guarantee outstanding quality combined with short handling times thanks to a top-grade location with direct access to the apron and state-of-the-art equipment,” Hulsman points out.
     “As example, we have become an active member of the “Cool Chain Association (CCA) since 2008.
     “We support our customers to be the best in providing world-class service and we will use and constantly improve our know-how to remain best in practice.”
Geoffrey

Jade Air Logistics Link

    ''During the past months, our flight operations at Chennai, India and Sharjah, UAE have been well received by our customers.
    “Now it is time to move forward with development of those markets,'' Kay Kratky, CEO of Jade Cargo said as Air Logistics takes over as General Sales and Service Agent for Jade Cargo India and the Middle East.
    "Appointing Air Logistics Group was logical,'' stated Reto Hunziker, EVP sales and product of Jade Cargo International.
    ''Jade Cargo has had the good fortune of gaining first hand experiencing with Air Logistics in Europe.
    “In expanding our partnership in new regions, we and our customers benefit from continuity and predictable reliability.''

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

September 9: Happy Birthday and best wishes to Christian Fink, MD Lufthansa Charter who celebrates 09/09/09. Going to play Lotto in New York with that number!

September 9: “We will not see increase in all cargo frequencies until belly capacity has been mopped up,” Alwyn Rautenbach, MD of Airlink Cargo and Chairman of South Africa’s Air Cargo Operators Committee told SA Business Day.

September 9: Egyptair Cargo named three new GSA’s including Mondial Airline Svcs. in Austria R-BAG for Hungary, Slovenia, Slovekia, Czech Republic, Poland and AD-Cargo in Romania.

September 9: TAP Groundforce adds V4 software from Hermes. “Allows Cargo 2000 requirements & quality and value,” said Fernando Melo (left) , CEO of Groundforce.

September 9: Atlanta Air Cargo Association raises tons of money to help others & holds its 2009 Golf Classic Tuesday, October 6, 2009.www.atlantaaircargo.com.

September 9: Really big show Sept. 29-Oct 2 Scottsdale, AZ as Msg & Courier Assoc. (MCAA) and Nat Trans & Logistics Assoc (NTLA) combine. www.mcaa.com.

September 9: German Ministry of Transport & Logistics Council Germany (LCG) team at Asian Aerospace in Hong Kong.

Empty Talk

     “Challenging,” ”tough,” ”uncertain times,” and every other buzz word to describe the world economic condition in 2009 are now verbal shorthand in news reporting, business conversations, TV commercials, and many other aspects of daily life around the world.
     While we understand and sympathize with the hurting, we are also sick and tired of hearing these “know what I mean?” words from a politician- government official, bailed out bank or auto builder and a host of others, who are either trying to sell something or explaining why their recent figures look like they fell off a cliff.
     So while we will continue to report the news fair and simple and straight forward, our take is that it is time to move on.
     Since everybody knows the world has been in the financial jackpot (whoops we did it again) some altitude to our attitude beats another poke in the eye.
     Forward thinking is looking out and up with new ideas and solutions that can be realized by raising the dialogue at all of our gatherings this fall and winter.
     What we say reflects as well as effects how we feel.
     Time to kick things up a notch.
     A good way for air cargo to fill up some empty holds is to reject empty talk.
Geoffrey

Contact! Talk To Geoffrey

Dear Geoffrey,

     Saw your note in Flying Typers about the lack of attention to the CO2 emissions from ocean cargo.
     I wanted to advise you about the U.S. EPA’s SmartWay Transport program changes for 2010.
     In the SmartWay 2.0 program there will be a model for both ocean cargo carriers as well as asset based air carriers.      You can find out more by contacting them at smartway_transport@epa.gov.
     EPA is currently looking for asset based air carriers to join as Charter SmartWay 2.0 members.
smartway_transport@epa.govThe model is not quite ready yet but they will be looking for these Charter members to have the first look when it is ready.
smartway_transport@epa.govFor more info on the air carrier Charter program, the contact at SmartWay is Dick Kridler at kridler.dick@epa.gov

Best regards,
Heidi Maschmann
VP of Information Systems / Inventory
ELITEXPO Cargo Systems, Inc.
www.elitexpo.com

Dear Geoffrey,

     I would like to commend your piece on Ram Menen.
     He is truly one of those rare individuals that made our industry what it is today.
     I had had the privilege to meet and share with Ram the developments that have marked Air Cargo through the years and worked with him closely in TIACA and he is indeed a gentleman a true professional and most of all a good friend.

All the best,
Isaac Nijankin
knijankin@aol.com

FRA Small Hotel Is A Dream

          “There’s a small hotel
          “With a wishing well
          “I wish that we were there
          “Together.”
     I have always loved small hotels, like the kind described above in a Rogers & Hart song about a place in Bucks County, Pennsylvania.
     But unfortunately in the 21st Century finding a great small hotel near any airport is near to impossible.
     However there is one near a cargo area in Europe that I’m reluctant to write about because I don’t want it to get too famous and change.
     At Fraport there is a spot just off the main runways where the U.S. Air Force once utilized Rhein Main as a military base to support U.S. activities in Europe, Africa and the Middle East as well as South East Asia as a logistics hub for troops, dependents and all kinds of airfreight.
     Today the area is referred to Cargo City Süd.
     The small hotel is called “InterCity Airport Hotel.”
     Once upon a time this place served the families travelling back and forth across the pond as a stopover spot in the late 1940’s.
     The building here were once a billet for pilots that flew the Berlin Airlift
     In an era when location is everything, InterCity at FRA lies within walking distance of the biggest, most important air cargo area in Europe.
     Just out the front door of the hotel you have a couple of choices, all on foot.
     You can go to work across the way at the airport, strolling past the silent reciprocal piston DC6 & DC3 aircraft parked at FRA at the Airlift Memorial that started all this air cargo business 61 years ago, or you can walk along a foot path in another direction and visit the Zeppelin Museum that recalls the time when giant airships called at FRA.
     The museum is open all year.
     Best way to describe InterCity is the place is what it is.
     The rooms are bright and neat.
     They may be somewhat small for some but are well thought out.
     In tandem with a nice restaurant and location this place just works, period.

Mr. Wüstefeld (right in picture left) is pictured with ACNFT publisher Geoffrey Arend inside the hotel's neat little memorabilia-packed vest pocket saloon called JU52. Harri (in picture left) welcomes customers to JU52.

     Behind a modern cladding, the hotel after all is out of the A2 leather jacket and goggles era of Terry & The Pirates as a location where scores of early air cargo and transport layover pilots ate and drank and grabbed some winks before firing up the engines and roaring down the runway off into the heavens to some faraway destination with a strange sounding name.
     The small hotel carries photos of another era as its badge of ongoing service at FRA since the late 1940’s.
     A short walk up and down the halls of the first floor is a true step back in time with fabulous pictures of airport operations during the historic early post-war era in Frankfurt.
     The airport operations portrayed here are simply great but the topper is the original theme of Frankfurt Main in the form of a globe of the world sitting atop an obelisk topped by a bird of peace with a palm branch in its beak.
     In summer and autumn, tables are arranged in the outside quadrangle courtyard of the hotel where you can have a drink or a meal while dining as people once did at the airport during the 1930’s.
     Credit InterCity general manager Anton Wüstefeld for a fine and deft touch at creating and maintaining this hostelry as a unique experience at the airport.
     InterCity FRA is a wonderful place to stay, get a simple well-prepared meal anytime of day or just talk over old times in the JU52 saloon with bartender Harri surrounded by some priceless memorabilia.
     Harri somehow balances things in JU52 neat and fine as his vest pocked sized place, and can always be relied upon for a hot and right plate piled with wiener schnitzel late into the night that with a tall cold one will hold anyone ‘til morning.
Contact: InterCity Hotel, Frankfurt Airport