Vol. 8 No. 109                                                                  WE COVER THE WORLD                             Wednesday October 14, 2009

 

Rise Of Fall In Air Cargo
PART VI


August Wilhelm Henningsen
Chairman Of The Executive Board
Lufthansa Technik

FT:   How has 2009 been so far?
AH:  Up to this point we have not been affected much by the present global turmoil in aviation. In contrast to the air freight carriers that suffer immediately when stormy times come up, the MRO providers (Maintenance, Repair & Overhaul) feel headwinds much later. Aircraft do always fly and have to be repaired and overhauled. However, at this point I don’t exclude harsh times for our industry and LH Technik either..
FT:   What lies ahead for Q4?
AH:  Generally speaking, planes do always fly and have to be repaired and overhauled. From July 2008 to July 2009 worldwide aircraft movements have been reduced by only 3.1 percent. This is not a really frightening figure. Since we are serving 650 clients and are responsible for keeping about 2,000 aircraft in excellent technical shape we don’t forecast major negative impacts during the coming months.
FT:    How does early 2010 look?
AH:   As far as I can see, no brightness or darkness. What’s worrisome is the massive shift of passengers from first and business to economy, which many carriers suffer from. Cargo airlines are especially under enormous financial pressure due to shrinking tonnage and dwindling rates. More parking of freighters and passenger aircraft in deserts or at airports means less work for MROs. All in all I wouldn’t exclude further bankruptcies of airlines in the near future if things don’t turn for the better. Personally I expect the aviation industry to recover no earlier than 2011.
FT:   What is LH Technik doing to weather the awkward business climate?
AH:   Quite a lot. We save costs wherever possible, postpone not extremely urgent expenditures in infrastructure, set up additional lean production programs and streamline our logistics processes. Besides saving money we invest heavily in research and development to defend our position as global MRO market leader and get ready for maintaining and overhauling new Boeing, Airbus and Embraer variants like the A380 or B787.
Heiner Siegmund

Part I
Part II
Part III
Part IV
Part V

Salma Ready To Do Business

      Salma Ali Saif Bin Hareb is the Chief Executive Officer of JAFZA and Economic Zones World.
      She is intelligent, unafraid, beautiful, dynamic and she handles her wide-ranging executive responsibilities in the Jebel Ali Free Zone as well as other management roles in the public and private sectors, nationally and internationally with great style and class that lifts everyone around her.
      Ms. Hareb was the first lady in the Middle East and North Africa to be appointed the CEO of a free zone.
      She currently oversees the Jebel Ali Free Zone (Jafza); Jafza International; Dubai Auto Zone (DAZ); Techno Park; and Al Awir Zone. Jafza International was created in 2000 to meet the requirements of overseas governments and private investors seeking to establish a free trade zone, or any other type of Special Economic Zones, within their own territorial borders.
      Today, Jafza International is involved in Tangiers Free Zone in Morocco, Djibouti Free Zone, and Port Klang Free Zone in Malaysia.
      Now that these entities operate under one umbrella—Economic Zones World, Ms. Hareb is thriving to meet the challenges of successful global presence.
      Ms. Hareb is also a Board Member of the newly formed Ports & Free Zones Board that is responsible for the oversight of the ports and free zone businesses operated by the Group.

      She was also recently appointed a Board Member of the newly announced Dubai Export Development Center (EDC) in which she plays an active role in supporting and promoting manufacturing exports in the UAE.
      As Jafza CEO, Ms. Hareb led the implementation of a new business model based on a customer-centric approach.
      Ms. Hareb is a graduate of Al Ain University. She pursued post graduate education in Medical Lab Sciences at Cardiff, United Kingdom.
      She minces few words and goes right to the point:
      “If business is your passion, Jebel Ali Free Zone, Dubai is the right place.
      “Our free zone has the most conducive economic conditions to cultivate entrepreneurial ambitions anywhere in the world today.
      “We are an investment destination par excellence, situated in the middle east, with a thriving work culture that helps achieve aspirations.
      “Our host of integrated and value-added services facilitate business to go further.
      “Excellent logistics capabilities, state-of-the-art communications infrastructure and ancillary professional services are available for all our clients because Jafza believes in supporting a vision and ambition for the future.
      “As one of the primary catalysts for business development in the GCC and Middle East region, we are keen on brokering new partnerships and to help capitalize on emerging opportunities in Dubai, the UAE and the whole region.
      “So come step through Jafza’s doors today, and let’s talk business.”
      Air Cargo News/Flying Typers is honored and proud to share what we discovered about Salma Hareb, an outstanding Woman In Air Cargo.
Geoffrey Arend   
 
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

Contact! Talk To Geoffrey

RE: Why Ecuador Flowers

Geoffrey,

     You stumped me with LAC in the Ecuador Flower piece in today’s FT.
     After unsuccessfully Googling… does LAC mean Latin American Countries?
     I enjoy the articles – I need to catch up on the freight forwarding lingo!
     Thanks as always,

John

Dear John,

     Thank for writing.
     Google does not lie.
     LAC indeed means Latin American Countries and we are remiss in not spelling that out before abbreviating it.

Greetings,
Geoffrey

Groomsmen Sunday walking to a wedding. (L to R)—actors Vincent Kartheiser (Mad Men)and Mike Damus (Trust Me) with Ralph Arend, Geoffrey Arend II, Geoffrey Arend and Daniel Gritzer as Geoffrey Arend II wed Christina Hendricks in Manhattan.