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Qantas Cargo Price Fix Plea
   Wednesday, November 28, Australian flag carrier Qantas Airways Limited said it had entered a plea agreement with U.S. government authorities regarding “illegal price fixing conduct within its freight division,” and had agreed to pay a fine of U.S. $61 million.
   Chief Executive Officer of Qantas, Geoff Dixon said the illegal conduct involved More Click Here

After Qantas All The King's Men . . .
May not be able to put air cargo together again.
     At least that is the view of some air cargo insiders in Europe.
     The recent announcement November 28 that Australian airline Qantas Airways Limited is making a plea deal with the United States Department of Justice and paying a U.S. $61 million fine related to “illegal price fixing conduct within its freight division,” has lubricated law enforcement for even deeper thrusts amidst more widespread and further scrutiny and investigations around the world - and some more sleepless nights and admissions for other cargo executives.
     The Qantas Humpty Dumpty effect has already taken hold.
     On Thursday November 29, The Sydney Morning Herald said the global. . . More Click Here
Otto Presses Brief Encounter
 In his traditional “Meet the Press” get together that has become a fourth estate tradition here in Germany every late November, Dr. Andreas Otto, Lufthansa Board Member hosted the press Monday November 26 while discussing global trends in the international airfreight industry, touching on fleets & capacities, fuel-prices, logistics providers and of course competition. More Click Here
     

 

Thor Kjartansson, Cargolux Legend & BlueBird Cargo Founder Dies
Thor A Prince Of Air Cargo
   Today we report the very sad news of the unexpected passing of our good friend Thor Kjartansson on Saturday, November 17th.
   Thor died of a heart attack at age 55.
   Many of our readers might remember Thor from a time in the 1980’s when, as Regional VP of the Americas for Cargolux, he established the brand and the carrier’s presence here.
   It should also be remembered that Thor was instrumental in the founding of TIACA, as well as a consulting group named MergeGlobal.
Thor was a very smart transportation guy who also happened to be a complete gentleman in every respect.
   During those days at CV the carrier had an abundance of great thinkers and doers and highly talented people, including Robert Arendal.
   People would joke that the “Iceland Mafia,” had its own cargo airline during those days..
   But Thor was our guy in America. He was a smart cookie and genuine sweetheart, the kind of person you almost never see, let alone get to know. More Click Here.

 

Dubai Air Show Thunderbolt
    Why are these men smiling?
   At the 10th Dubai Air Show over the weekend Emirates eclipsed any order at any air show since the Wright Brothers invented the airplane, took a steamship to Europe and began the first order book for a new form of travel.
   With orders for 120 A350s, 11 A380s, 12 B777s valued at book over US$34.9 billion dollars, Emirates uncorked the largest-ever aircraft order in civil aviation history.
   Here Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive Emirates Airline and Group, and Airbus President and CEO Tom Enders are very much on the same page while apparently seeing even bigger things ahead. More Click Here.
    

Houston Lone Star Rising
   If you ask a Texan why the State of Texas is often referred to as “Lone Star State,” most often what you will get is a polite smile and direction to observe the wonderful flag of Texas with its big star and field of red, white and blue.
  The flag was adopted when Texas became the 28th USA state in 1845.
  The flag colors of both Texas and of the United States, depict blue for loyalty, white for strength, and red for bravery.
  Right now if you wonder which airport gateway has built itself up by the bootstraps and is fast growing to a condition of preeminence not only in the Lone Star State but across the entire Southwest as well, you can capture that knowledge in one word, Houston. More Click Here.
    


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Genaro Peña Video Interview
 


General Paul Tibbets died at age 92 November 1.
     The most famous pilot of the Second World War, General Tibbets was also considered the best pilot in America when he was selected to be commander of the Enola Gay, a B29 named after his mother that dropped the first atomic bomb above Hiroshima, Japan on August 6,1945.
     Today while few remember the name of the man who piloted a second B29 above Nagasaki three days later on August 9, 1945, Paul Tibbets in many quarters is still a household name. whenever the subject is raised.
     Although he lived longer than almost anybody else from that era, More Click Here		   Endpiece     
  It occurred 89 years ago on the 11th day of the 11th month at 11 O’Clock—the exact moment that the “war to end all wars”—WW I was officially over.
  My Gramp told me he believed “that was it,” for armed conflict returning home from France to Toledo, Ohio while dumping his uniform for civilian clothes.
  My Dad came back from WW II and took off his U.S. Navy uniform and was sure of the same thing—“there can never be another war like this,” he said.
  When I came back after having been drafted for two years into the U.S. Army, my Gramp was watching down from . . .More Click Here


 CO Floats Small Packages

At the grand opening celebration of Continental Airlines new New York QuickPak service, from left to right are William A. Meehan, Senior VP Field Services, Angel Ramirez, Director Cargo Services, Newark Liberty International Airport and Jack Boisen, Vice President Cargo.

     “This is the quickest and most reliable way to get vital packages to and from Manhattan.
     “We believe this is a better idea because it cuts hours off the current express options into JFK, said Continental’s Vice President-Cargo Division, Jack Boisen. More Click Here
 



Jail Forwarder Price Fixers
    While the price fixing investigation of fuel and security surcharges to forwarders from their "partners," the world's airlines, strongly indicates that the big consolidators are either wholly forgiven the amounts charged or are heavily discounted, small and mid-sized forwarders must pay the surcharges in full. More Click Here.
    

IATA Raps Keeling Comments
    As pressure mounts in the global air cargo price fixing scandal, The International Air Transport Association (IATA) lashed back at Julian Keeling, President & CEO of Consolidators International (CII) saying, Keeling’s call for the opening of forwarder and airline books by CASS, the official cargo collection agency for the world's carriers, and other remarks Wednesday October 30 in Air Cargo News/FlyingTypers was “ill informed.”
   In our story titled “Jail Forwarder Price Fixers,” Mr. Keeling also charged:
   "Their records would show clearly what the real facts are.
More Click Here.


Arrests Reported In Air Cargo Price Fixing     
    Air Cargo News/Flying Typers learned that first arrests reportedly have been made involving U.S. and Europe-based freight forwarder managers involved in that ongoing investigation over alleged price fixing in air cargo.
  The arrests reportedly were conducted by law enforcement at airports as managers moved about, pinching some managers that were taken away in handcuffs according to one report.
  Questions about the most recent round of law enforcement raids on major large freight forwarders in USA and Europe were raised last week as many wondered why companies such as Kuehne + Nagel, Eagle, Schenker and others had suddenly been targeted in USA, Europe and Africa.
  Earlier Lufthansa and Virgin Atlantic had paid fines and agreed to cooperate with law enforcement during the ongoing investigations.
  “This recent news may answer why so many big forwarders and so-called partners of some airlines seemed unwilling to join the ongoing industry discussion raised as early as two years ago at CNS in Las Vegas, charging the airlines were using small to medium forwarders as collection agents for surcharges while charging near zero rates otherwise,” a forwarder told Air Cargo News/FlyingTypers.
  “If these reports hold up it would indicate that law enforcement based on testimony and other evidence believes that some or all of these major forwarder managers were in league with the airlines, and had arranged their own brand of kick back payments from the surcharges, payments that were not offered to the smaller forwarders.”
  Stay tuned.
Geoffrey


  Our exclusive series “Woman 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.
 Click Here.
 
U.S. Air Cargo Bashing
At FIATA Dubai
    With the Rugby World Cup set to finish in France tomorrow night, the Europeans today got a head start on another of their favorite sports at the FIATA World Congress 2007 – American bashing.
     The first session got underway in Dubai with the question: 100% Transportation Security – Myth or Reality?
     The topic is always an emotive one, not the least because – to the non-American freight community anyway – it seems as if the U.S. decides on security legislation and then imposes it not only on its own cargo industry, but on every cargo industry in every country with which it trades. More Click Here.




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  We are the original Air Cargo News founded 31 years ago in 1975 in New York City, USA. Edited by Geoffrey Arend, the acknowledged dean of air cargo publishers, we are the go to source for the air cargo industry worldwide. In-depth and knowledgeable coverage of the air cargo market. No advertorials, no press releases. Just market savvy.
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