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   Vol. 14  No. 87
Monday November 2, 2015

Carmen Taylor's Air Cargo For All Seasons

Carmen Taylor's Air Cargo For All Seasons

A couple years back, in 2012, Carmen Taylor, managing director of AA Cargo’s Latin America sales division, which includes South America, Mexico, Caribbean, Central America, and the southeast region of the United States, was recognized by Miami World Trade Center for “exceptional leadership in promoting and enhancing free trade and international business.”
     Regarding her success, the three-decades-plus veteran of American says simply:
     “I love my job.”
     “My philosophy is make the customer successful, and they will also make you successful.”

Carmen Taylor

The Year That Was 2015

     “At American Airlines Cargo, our top priority continues to be our unique focus on delivering an enhanced service, including offering an expansive, incomparable network and a diverse selection of flights to choose from, all while exceeding our customers’ expectations.
     “We do this by providing a valuable, top-notch experience from booking to pick up.
     “Looking at the big picture, the customer experience starts with our employees being engaged and well informed. Focusing on ensuring we have the tools and technology needed for our customers to excel remains top of our list.
     “The standouts are in Latin America. On an always-positive note, the last four months of the year mark the peak season for northbound perishable traffic.
     “This year, we’re ready (and excited, of course) to see a high demand for space from Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Peru, Uruguay, Brazil, and Central America—routes which are fortunately very solid to the USA, but also to Europe (LHR, CDG, AMS, MAD) and Asia (NRT, PVG, HKG).
     “This is an example of how we truly make effective use of our growing network.
     “For example, our ability to link Asia with Latin America enables us to provide express transit solutions to our customers. 2015 was a big year for us—and there are more improvements and advancements to come.”


Cuba, Si?

     “In the past, American has operated flights to Cuba, only with charter service from Miami and Tampa to five key destinations, including Camagüey, Cienfuegos, Havana, Holguín, and Santa Clara.      Just this year, American and Envoy will operate nearly 1,100 charter flights to the island.
     “The bilateral aviation agreement between the two countries dates back to 1953, so we’re working to reduce barriers that currently exist and hope to have more positive news to share in the future around commercial routes.
     “Overall, American is the leading carrier to the Caribbean with up to 150 daily flights to 31 destinations in the region.”


An Olympian Effort For 2016

     “I spent some time in Rio de Janeiro in July and found the airport—and the city—very busy. [We are] working hard to ensure the daily operations would be ready for this world event scheduled to start less than a year from now on August 5, 2016.
     “We are confident these summer Olympics will drive an even stronger demand for air cargo—and we should see the impact starting early in the second quarter of 2016.
     “The impacts of such major world events, such as the Olympics, remain a significant part of our objective to provide a world-class service, no matter the day, location, or nonstandard situation.”

USAir paint job


Just Merged

     “Our merger with US Airways allowed us to become the largest airline in the world with over 6,700 daily flights, thus offering a unique and exceptional network to the destinations our customers need to reach most frequently.
     “On October 20, 2014, American Airlines Cargo fully integrated with US Airways Cargo and, as of that day in our history, we were able to combine the best parts of both airlines and gain synergies that allowed us to operate more efficiently and, therefore, more effectively.
     “From that day going forward, Cargo customers were able to tender shipments, regardless of the airline equipment in which the shipment was flying—using one Single Air Waybill (SAWB).
     “Since then, we’ve had the ability, and pleasure, of offering one set of products through one set of operational procedures.
     “Our small to medium Cargo customers became eligible to earn awards through our Business Extra program as recognition for their loyalty and support. And most importantly, we were able to greatly benefit from the combination of two teams into one single and dynamic team, co-locating in 154 stations.
     “The integration of these two teams has had a tremendously positive impact on our operations and customers—and that, in effect, became the building block to our current and future success.”


Why We Love Carmen

     Born in Lyon, France, Carmen says of being a woman in air cargo:
     “The demands are there to deliver all around, no matter who you are.”
     “We are very proud of the role we play in facilitating international trade and helping consumers worldwide gain access to a large variety of goods available in the market.”


Mark NajarianOn The Mark

     “In July 2004, [our] good friend Mark Najarian, (pictured here) who was at the time our VP Cargo Sales, gave me an incredible opportunity to run our Cargo Sales business in Miami.
     “Although I was a little nervous at the beginning—since I knew very, very little about the cargo industry—I quickly learned that the cargo business is a ‘people-to-people’ business.”
     “The experience of being ‘real’ with people had an immediate impact:
     “Once you have built credibility within your customer base, they will support you.
     “Working in cargo for the last nine years has truly been a very rewarding experience.
     “I feel extremely fortunate that my work with American Airlines has given me the opportunity to travel across the globe,” Carmen Taylor said.


Looking At Tomorrow

     “Our still-growing fleet of 777-300s and the recently added 787 Dreamliner deliveries have played a huge role in supporting American’s expansion plans to Asia—including services from Dallas (DFW) to Honk Kong (HKG) and DFW to Shanghai (PVG).
     “Decreasing the age of our fleet to improve overall fuel efficiency (thus, range) and customer experience (for passengers and Cargo customers) helps us truly visualize where we’re going as a company—modernization and continuous evolution of our products and services will allow us to ensure our employees are the best in the business and our customers are happy above expectation.
     “This continued growth in our fleet has also allowed us to offer an additional three flights a day to PVG from Chicago (ORD), Los Angeles (LAX), and DFW.
     “On a similar note, we’re very excited about the newly announced service from LAX to Sydney, Australia (SYD), to be launched on December 17, 2015 (pending final approval), while we also wait for the return of our Tokyo (HND) from LAX route, sometime at the end of this year.
     “In addition to growing and improving our fleet, we’re building on our network facilities and investing in modernized structures and advanced processes.
     “This past spring alone, American Airlines Cargo moved 71 of 116 total CSafe units over a three-week period.
     “Just about any medications you see advertised, whether prescription or over the counter, require distribution in a temperature-controlled environment and we have seen a growing interest in utilizing our new facility in PHL.
     “We continue to conduct regular tours with our customers and the pharma companies to let them see the benefits of our facility firsthand and the advantage of special handling that our new facility offers for these time- and temperature-sensitive shipments.
     “We’ve also begun implementing improvements to our facilities and equipment at warehouses across the system.
     “Starting with our Dallas hub and Miami, one of our most strategic locations, [we’re] focused on connecting the U.S. to key international markets, including South America, Mexico, and the Caribbean. We’ve [already] implemented several new efforts.”


It’s All About Service

     “American Airlines Cargo continues to identify new ways to better serve our customers, whether it’s through technology, our products or our network.
     “Because Latin America continues to be one of our strongest performing regions, we are expanding our network further into the international arena as we also continue to invest strategically to strengthen our network and customer relationships in this area.


Carmen Favorites

     “I feel extremely fortunate that my work with American Airlines has given me the opportunity to travel across the globe.
     “In reality, it is hard to find any city that does not appeal to someone!
     “Whether it’s the local people, architecture, history, culture, music, or landscape, I always find something special and unique when I’m in a new city.
     “My favorite city in the world remains Paris, as it offers something no other city can.
     “Every time I am in Paris, I find something exceptional, whether it is an old building, a bridge, or a great antique store.
     “Plus, with my family living in France, I am able to make many stopovers in Paris while en route to Lyon, my hometown.
     “I love activities around the arts, including music (opera), live theatre, movies and, of course, like most French people do, I enjoy eating and cooking. I used to be a pretty good skier, but living in Miami Beach makes it easy to enjoy golf. Most weekends I join my husband on the golf course…”


Time For Latin America

     “Latin America is a region with great potential.
     “Just as American Airlines has been investing heavily in Latin America, so, too, have other companies.
     “This is opening many doors to consumers and industries.
     “For many years, the majority of shipments originating in Latin America had the U.S. as a final destination.
     “Now, a very large share of that traffic ends up in the European countries and Asia, too—including Japan and China.
     “Overall, I am very grateful to enjoy great health, wonderful family and friends, and working for a company that I love as if it were my own!” Carmen Taylor said.
Geoffrey

 

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