A Crystal Meeting Of Minds

     Thousands of cartoons, movie scenes and press photos add motion and life to a performance graph on a screen playing to an audience of transportation professionals inside a packed boardroom at Frankfurt International Airport.
     Often the pictures speak louder than words, as faces in the crowded room nod in approval as images of figures and upward thrusting graphs sweep by in rapid order.
     The graphics demonstrate the ups and downs of a certain industry or trade or specific company and reach back for many years demonstrating changes, developments and trends, serving as benchmarks for the road ahead.
     Etihad Crystal Cargo is conducting its 2005 sales meeting with some 30 worldwide cargo partners attending.
     Austrian-born Sandra Taglieber who heads up Etihad cargo marketing, has figures for one year, the first complete calendar go-around of a new airline–that burst upon the global stage in 2004.
     However, solid progress to report here, by any measure.

As Etihad Crystal Cargo celebrated completion of its historic first year of operations, Ingo Roessler Executive Vice President Etihad Crystal Cargo (left) presented recognition of a job well done to Aircargonet International’s Max Lederer and Hiram Houx Sri Lankan sales and marketing manager.

      All the numbers that began on the ground or at zero went up for Etihad Crystal Cargo in all categories during 2004/2005.
     We are told that Etihad in its stated quest to become a major global player in international airline business in record time, still has its eye-on-the-prize, with a solid financial foundation to back up the dream.
     Looking around the room it is clear that Etihad has brought in some top-notch people to its air cargo program while also fielding the youngest aircraft fleet in the world.
     Elsewhere we also learn the carrier is hard at work creating the respective facilities needed to cope with projected continued rapid growth ahead in all areas.
     But while Crystal Cargo surges, a keen eye on 2005 airline business reality is also observed.
     For example the “we do it all” approach to Etihad Cargo is as outdated as all cargo DC3s, so start-up fixed costs in a volatile airline business have been neatly side stepped with Etihad Crystal Cargo opting to appoint agents in every market and station served. When the desire of top management is to grow a cargo business at “turbo-speed,” the human resources needs of a company (to cover different disciplines, countries and job-levels) are not an issue.
     Etihad has created a joint venture environment, making the GSA or handling agent a partner in the air cargo mixture with an offer that is hard to refuse.
     “Bring in the business and build yourself a fortune in a growing success all around.”
     A rising tide lifts all boats (or dhows) could be a slogan at Crystal Cargo.
     But lest someone think there is no heart to all of this go-go atmosphere, Crystal Cargo did find some time at this first annual cargo meeting to bestow some awards of recognition and thanks for a job well done.
     Yield is a key issue these days as certain overcapacity markets narrow options for airlines—to fly the shipment at contribution to cost, or refuse it?
     Crystal Cargo thinks it has found an option somewhere between high rates and give away tariffs with an internal quality initiative labelled “United Kargo Kare” (UKK).
     At this first annual cargo meeting, Etihad Crystal Cargo recognized its GSA in Thailand for achieving the highest station performance goals for the airline.
     Awards also went to Raven Services in Mumbai, India that achieved highest revenue of all the Crystal Cargo stations.
     In Delhi, the Etihad GSA utilized capacities in a very selective manner and won recognition for highest load factor on a freighter, during a particular movement aboard the carrier’s A 300-600 F.
     Elsewhere in the award stream, Aircargonet International, Etihad´s partner in Germany was recognized for loading record tonnage aboard passenger and cargo flights out of Munich and Frankfurt.
     Winning highest station tonnage is remarkable, because Germany is the most competitive market in Europe, not only because of several other cargo carriers serving the country, but also because the German freight forwarders are known to be much more demanding than in other markets.
     It should be noted that Aircargonet International follows the “100 percent to the agents only” policy of Crystal Cargo management.
GFM