Winner of the Innovation Award 2014 is the Eisberg Group from Switzerland with their "BBQ Grill Mix"—a new convenience product for barbecue enthusiasts.

Innovation Award Second Place went to Home Harvest Salads Ltd, UK for their "Oriental Mixed Living Salad."

While most of air cargo that attends events were networking and thinking big thoughts at Air Cargo India in Mumbai, Fruit Logistica in Berlin was doing business like crazy, setting records for innovation and attendance by more than 60,000 as the top transportation and commodity event in Europe in 2014.

It has to start somewhere . . . A dozen or more companies from Pakistan participated in Fruit Logistica-2014, in Berlin, Germany. Exports of fresh produce from Pakistan are targeted as an important step toward building solid trade according to Pakistan Ambassador to Germany Abdul Basit. “Pakistani exporters should give due importance to fruit processing and packaging for longer preservation of perishable products,” Basit said.

     Fruit Logistica 2014 took place from February 5th until February 7th in Berlin, Germany. The general consensus of those who were there, regardless of their role, was it was worth the trip.
     For all stakeholders in the perishable trade—producers, transporters, manufacturers of harvesting equipment and seeds, wholesale or retail sellers, consumers or buyers—interesting and noteworthy news was presented with the multitude of updates and information.
    There was something for everyone.

     Dr. Christian Göke, CEO of Messe Berlin GmbH, which hosted the event, concluded that "the leading global trade fair FRUIT LOGISTICA 2014 can report an increase in the numbers of both exhibitors and trade visitors, thus making it a major catalyst for the fresh produce sector, and the key industry event (for the perishable trade)."
     According to a Messe Berlin press release, “exhibitors and trade visitors consistently praised the presence of sector decision-makers, as well as the excellent contact with fruit and vegetable producers, wholesale and retail traders and import and export providers.”
     Also, 98 percent of trade visitors rated their business results at the trade fair positively.

     So did Fruit Logistica 2014 deliver on their promise to be “A catalyst for the global fresh produce sector”?
     According to surveys taken by Messe Berlin, an overwhelming majority of both exhibitors and trade visitors think the event indeed delivered.
     Over 62,000 visitors from 141 countries attended, above forecast, and a record participation so far.
     The “Future Lab” lecture series were very well received by visitors, and this unique vehicle of presenting a glimpse of the perishable trade industry’s future was something which was felt both new and useful.

     The innovation award 2014 was awarded to the “BBQ GrillMix,” a convenience product of vegetables in an aluminum wrap, ready to be thrown on the grill—something a visitor dubbed as a product “which might even convince Hank Hill to let go of the Pronghorn burger.”
     Second place went to a product called “Oriental Mixed Living Salad,” a combination of coriander, bok choy, mustard, and tatsoi, offered by a UK seller, notably.

     While exhibitors identified their key objectives for attending Fruit Logistica as “presenting their company, strengthening existing customer relations, and developing new business,” more than 90 percent of exhibitors confirmed that “these objectives had been well achieved or even exceeded and that their participation at the trade fair had a positive impact on business.” 44.3 percent of all exhibitors indicated that they had received new orders at the trade fair, and even a whopping 89 percent of exhibitors reported a “positive overall impression of this year's Fruit Logistica.”

     These satisfaction numbers are significant as they actually far exceed numbers of the same metrics taken amongst attendees of events such as the IATA WCS, which despite being one of the top-priority mixers and networking events in air cargo receives a meager 65 percent satisfaction acknowledgement in regard to the tracks and usefulness of information conveyed to attendees.

     These quotes from stakeholders attending the event probably sum it up best:

Oliver Blum, Head of Perishable Team, Lufthansa Cargo:
     "We enjoyed a very successful FRUIT LOGISTICA. The customer contacts established here will have a big impact on post-exhibition business."
Ernst Schulte, Managing Director Germany/Austria, Chiquita:
     "FRUIT LOGISTICA was a resounding success for Chiquita Europe. We are extremely satisfied with our business contacts and the way in which we were able to strengthen existing customer relationships."
Daniel Lücker, International Sales, Boix Europe:
     "We were able to create a good atmosphere for discussions here at FRUIT LOGISTICA. This had a positive impact. Our customers felt very comfortable, and we will now be writing a lot of offers. Packing machines are not items people buy just like that at an exhibition."

      These three statements from very different stakeholders certainly underline that Fruit Logistica 2014 was worth attending; it’s likely the best one can say about such an event and probably the only statement which truly counts.
Jens

(Thailand Exclusive)—When thinking about Thailand, most people inside and outside the industry focus upon Bangkok—Khrung Thep, the city of Angels. Some may even recall the Golden Triangle-cum-hill tribal area of Chiang Mai, or the holiday destinations Pattaya or Phuket.
     Fewer people have heard about Udon Thani, the booming capital of the Thai Northeast, called Isaan in Thai.
     This, however, may change soon and people from within the industry likely will have Udon Thani on their personal radar in the near future.
     The Isaan or Thailand’s Northeast has traditionally been the poorhouse of Thailand, and most commonly it used to be known as a resource for cheap labor.
     Until 2004, Udon Thani was a pretty unremarkable, dusty, and rather dilapidated provincial city. Since then things have changed.
     The Central Plaza Shopping Mall has been refurbished, and the new UD Town shopping site features dozens of restaurants, shops, stalls, a night market, and other attractions.
     That, however, is just an outward sign of the boom in Thailand’s Northeast; the city of Udon Thani grew from about 280,000 to about 400,000 between 2000 and today, while the province of Udon Thani has just above 1.5 million people.
     The airport of Udon Thani (IATA: UTH, ICAO VTUD) has experienced remarkable growth in the recent past and is currently undergoing upgrades after having already been refurbished completely in 2006.
     While UTH handled a total of 4,711 civilian flights and 606,240 passengers in 2004, these figures grew to 5,123 flights and 1,179,598 passengers in 2012.
     Although 2013 figures have not yet been finalized, Ms. Amphawan Wannako, Managing Director of UTH proudly confirmed that the total number of passengers has exceeded the 1.3 million mark, a growth many other airports would be happy to enjoy.
     Most impressive about this is that this growth is purely local in nature, e.g. these figures refer to passengers arriving and departing locally. Currently, there is almost no transit traffic.
     This being said, UTH is also an active military RTAF (Royal Thai Air Force) airbase and home of Wing 23, 2nd Air Division, which is currently operating Alpha Jets acquired second hand from the German Bundeswehr in 2001.
     While Khun Amphawan admits that cargo tonnage count is in the area of “just about a few thousand (metric) tons per year” and so far the only source of incoming and outgoing cargoes are the bellies of the short- and medium-haul passenger aircraft types currently serving UTH, this may also change soon, since demand is up and rising.
     With its 2,048 meter runway equipped with ILS (Instrument Landing System) and DVOR/NDB (Doppler Very High Frequency Omni-Directional / Non-Directional Beacon) equipment, UTH can accommodate any aircraft up to 747 types (as a matter of fact, UTH was used for the temporary storage of large aircraft at times).
     So what are the reasons for UTH’s impressive success?

     One should look at the even more impressive and interesting history in order to understand the present.
     Starting out as an RTAF airbase in the 1950s, UTH gained significant military importance during the Vietnam War as both homebase and headquarters for Air America and its predecessor CAT (Civil Air Transport) since 1955, as well as a frontline facility for USAF Forces from 1964 to 1975, hosting the 432nd Tactical Recon Wing.
     When CAT started operations in September 1955 with the operations of three C-46, hauling food and supplies within former Indochina, its convenient location 40 air minutes from Hanoi made it one of the most important U.S. air logistics hubs for South-East Asia.
     Most notably, UTH supported operation “Eagle Pull” (the evacuation of U.S. personnel from Phnom Penh on April 12th, 1975) and operation “Frequent Wind” (the likewise evacuation of U.S. and South Vietnamese personnel from Saigon on April 29th, 1975). It was also the frontline facility for the air war against the “Pathet Lao” forces during most of the 1960’s and early 1970’s.
     The worsening political climate following the fall of Saigon and the subsequent withdrawal of U.S. troops from former Indochina led to the deactivation of UTH as a U.S. military facility effective December 23rd, 1975; the last U.S. personnel were withdrawn in January 1976.

     Still, the longtime presence of U.S. troops and civil personnel in UTH had of course led to tie-ups between U.S. personnel and local population, which resulted in a sizable number of marriages. The latter formed the core of what these days is a sizable expat community in Udon Thani, boosting travel and demand for air shipped goods and providing a considerable flow of U.S. and other foreign currency into the former Isaan poorhouse since the 1950s.
     In present times, the province of Udon Thani shows the highest number of all Thai provinces in extra-national marriages.
     But make no mistake; the average Isaan girl does not befit the stereotype of the sweet looking and demure Asian woman.
     With sizable investment into schools and universities within Isaan, women in middle and higher managerial positions are not just on the rise but a fact of life; both top UTH airport management post holders are women—Ms. Thippawan, the Operations Manager and Ms. Wannako, the managing Director—so let’s do away with the stereotypes here.
     True enough, there is still poverty and lack of education in Thailand’s rural areas, but much less so than in the years before because the Thai government has poured sizable monies into improving the Isaan infrastructure.
     As for the reasons, opinions are mixed—while a minority argues that the governments of former ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra’s “Thai Rak Thai” party and the current government of his sister Yingluck Shinawatra’s “Pheu Thai” party have allocated these monies to improve Isaan infrastructure purely out of self-interest to gain support of rural voters, the majority of the Isaan citizens seem content and in support of such politics.
     Without judging Thailand’s political forces, the fact is that Isaan infrastructure has improved significantly and so have living conditions for the people.

     So what will the future bring for Udon Thani and its airport?
     Likely, further success. The predominant U.S. and German expat community in Udon Thani has settled there for good and more and more people are discovering the rustic charms of the Thai Northeast, which—until now—is blessedly not as overrun with Farang tourists like Phuket or Pattaya.
     While currently only domestic flights operated by Thai Airways, its low-cost affiliate NOK Air, Thai Air Asia, and Bangkok Air are connecting UTH to Bangkok, Chiang Mai, and Phuket, further destinations should be added soon. Since UTH enjoys the status of a customs airport, numerous charter flights (mainly to other Asian countries) have been operated from there and establishing regular international connections will seemingly come in the near future, given the desolate state of Aviation in the neighboring states of Laos and Cambodia.
     Being one of the most important border points between Thailand and Laos and the “Friendship Bridge” between Nongkhai in Thailand and Vientiane in Laos, Udon Thani moves a sizable portion of this traffic; for lack of reliable air services into Vientiane, many passengers (and a sizable number of cargos) go to UTH and onwards by bus, car, and truck.
     It is noteworthy that UTH does not need to compete with other Thai or foreign airports, which gives it a pretty unique marketing position.
     As for neighboring airports in Cambodia and Laos, the underdeveloped air transport system and air transport facilities in both countries effectively prevent any competition.
     As for other Thai airports, most of them (28, including UTH) are owned and operated by the Thai Civil Aviation Authority, while the two most important ones, Bangkok-Suvarnabhumi and Bangkok-Don Mueang, are operated by AoT (Airports of Thailand). One (U Tapao) is operated by the Royal Thai Navy while another one (Surin) is operated by the provincial government of Surin.
     According to Khun Amphawan, this system works pretty well and the Thai CAA seems to balance the budgets allocated to its respective airports in a most reasonable manner. This statement of hers obviously has merit, since the mandated ICAO Security Audits have neither shown significant deficiencies nor are the facilities lacking in standard.
     So indeed, the Thais seem to get something right here and the sustainable development of Udon Thani’s airport is sufficient proof that things are well on track in the Isaan—a place where fascinating history merges with a sustainable present and a prosperous future.
Jens

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Here are two opinions on FlyingTypers coverage this week, "Voices From UPS Flight 1354."    Since in many ways we are a family, FlyingTypers people follow familiar patterns, including occasionally disagreeing.    You too are invited to join us.    What do you think?

     Every passenger flight leaving the U.S. for Europe is essentially a night flight.
     Last year I flew Vienna to Tel Aviv—a 4-hour flight that left VIE at 8:20pm and arrived TLV 01:30am.
Examples are numerous worldwide for pax flights operating during the night.
     Yes, they also operate a lot more during the day, but there's much night flying involved.
     Same aircraft, same airports, not sure I understand exactly where's the beef.
     Conversations among crew members in the cockpit often involve complaining about the airline executives and the big bucks they make while the pilots work so very hard—all of 80 hours a month.
     Many operations staff, flight planners, aircraft dispatchers, flight controllers and so forth work around the clock, also long nights and many hours, and don't make anywhere near what a pilot earns, and while not observing the computers doing their magic in flight, they bear significant responsibility for safe and secure flight operations.
     And they have no ALPA holding their hands either...
Ted

      I basically agree with several points you make.
     But to your words 'not making anywhere near what a pilot makes,'—according to the Comair accident report, the F/O made about $41,000 USD a year, which is not unusual when you work for commuter airlines.
     Now balance that salary against the fact that a pilot must pay off his initial pilot training, which generally costs between $150,000 and $300,000 USD, against a salary base driven by the fact that almost nobody wants to hire a F/O with less than 1,500 flight hours.
     Also a pilot must purchase expensive insurance to cover against disability.
     For example—if you fail your annual medical rating, you're out of a job!
     I spoke to a Ryanair F/O who said that he earned 1,600 Euros gross a month and continues to live at home with his parents, since his loan for training and initial B737 type rating costs about 750 Euros a month.
     In an interesting development, I also learned that Ryanair has hired self-employed pilots that are paid a contract fee all-in . . . netting about 4,500 Euros a month.
     While that sounds like a lot of money, these people that have chosen a flying career need to cover insurances, taxes, and everything else, including their cost of living.
     You are absolutely correct to point out that load-planners, ramp agents, etc are seriously underrated (and underpaid).
     Been there, done that, LOL.
Jens

RE: A Sentinel Of Seaboard

Geoffrey,

     All too often we forget the people and companies that set the foundation for the growth and success of air cargo.
     Letting the Seaboard sign fall into disrepair is an indication of this. I, for one, will gladly send the NY Port Authority the money to fix the sign.      It is just that we all need to respect the people and companies that have preceded us.

Bill Boesch
Editor's Note: In 2009 at JFK Seaboard stalwarts had a reunion. Bill Boesch in brown jacket in photo above.

Dear Geoffrey,

     Over the last year or more, I have often come across "historical" stories about, and references to Seaboard World Airways, which is all well and good, but NO-ONE ever mentions the fact that this name is relatively "recent", and that the original name was Seaboard and Western Airlines. Why is that, I wonder?
     I recall seeing SWA C-46s, and later CL-44s, at FRA in the late '50s & early '60s emblazoned with this name the length of the fuselage.

Best Wishes,
Martin
Martin Bleasdale
freighterdata.aero


Dear Martin,

     Thanks for writing.
     I recall seeing a SWA Container a few years back sitting by the Lufthansa Cargo Hangar at JFK, and then spent the rest of the day thinking about that great airline with Jackson and Mahoney and Boesch and Martin, and the photographer Cyril Morris who took all these wonderful Paris Air Show pictures in 1974, including the immortal 20-footer on a truck bed in traffic near the Arc.
     But to your questions . . .
     Seaboard World Airlines was always the name, to my knowledge, after Western was dropped April 4, 1961.
     The name of the airline in either format was a lot of letters, and the length alone probably would have tipped the sign over, even in nice weather (Vince “Seaboard Foreign Legion” Chabrol wrote about its being tipped into the snow at JFK. Vince, BTW, is still at JFK Cargo with his own GSSA).
     But let’s go back for a moment and enjoy some pictures Cyril took at the Paris Air Show in 1974 on assignment from SWA P/R guru Steve Moran.
     Also gaze for a moment at SWA Headquarters at Federal Circle Idelwild/JFK, which was demolished to make a parking lot.
     Thanks for getting me started all over again about SWA.
     The memories are sweeter than wine.

Geoffrey

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