Jade Goes Into China

     Jade Cargo has a new service offering their international customers transportation of air freight shipments in the belly-hold compartments of passenger planes to major cities in central and western China.
     "We have just successfully concluded a very ambitious pilot project with our partner and majority stakeholder Shenzhen Airlines," explains Jade’s Managing Director Captain Kay Kratky.
     According to the agreement, Jade transfers imports destined for inner-Chinese destinations to their partner airline at their hub in Shenzhen. The goods are then flown from Baoan International Airport in the bellies of Shenzhen Airlines passenger aircraft to cities like Wuhan, Lanzhou or Chengdu, just to name a few of the more than 60 routes.
     "This collaboration gives us access to the entire domestic network of Shenzhen Airlines and enhances our presence and consequently our reach for imports and exports within China," states Capt. Kratky.
     Further, he announced in an interview with ACNFT at Munich’s Transport Logistik exhibition that Jade had to abandon flights between Frankfurt and various cities in Latin America due to a legislative change imposed by the EU.
      According to Brussels, a non-European ACMI carrier is not entitled to offer capacity between a member state of the EU and third countries like Brazil, Colombia or Ecuador if a EU-based cargo airline is able to serve those routes alternatively. Since Lufthansa Cargo has grounded some of their MD-11Fs due to the present lack of volumes the regulators at Brussels argue that the German air freight carrier has principally got the capability to conduct these flights with their own equipment.
     “This decision by EU politicians forced us to pull out of South America last week,” Capt. Kratky says.
     Instead Lufthansa Cargo will be operating the weekly flights to Viracopos near Sao Paulo, Curitiba, Quito, Bogotá and Curacao in future, he announced. The Frankfurt-based airline has a 25 percent stake in Jade and manages the Chinese company.
     Presently Capt. Kratky and his team are looking for further market opportunities in Africa, northern Europe or other regions.
     “We’ve got some promising projects on the agenda but some are subject to obtaining traffic rights,” he says. Within the coming four to six weeks his management will present first results, freeing Kratky to set a timeframe for new network initiatives.
     A second project he is attempting to push forward is new alliances, either with other carriers, forwarders or even shippers. Within the Lufthansa Cargo group there are plenty of opportunities for a closer linking of businesses he says, namely with newcomers like Austrian AUA or Belgian Brussels Airlines.
      “Right now we are evaluating a number of opportunities for closer traffic ties,” he states. In addition he emphasizes that other carriers outside the Lufthansa circle could be possible business partners, too.
     “We are already in talks with some airlines,” confirms Kay Kratky.
Heiner Siegmund

Gopi & Deccan Part Deux

(Mumbai Exclusive)—Captain G R Gopinath brought low-cost airline travel to India and then took the money and sold his Deccan Air to Kingfisher, founder Vijay Mallya.
     Capt. Gopi apparently can’t stay away from the business having recently launched an air cargo airline called Deccan 360.
     Capt. Gopi says his cargo airline will change India logistics business by offering overnight cargo delivery to 75 cities across the country.
     For openers Deccan 360 will include a fleet of five aircraft—three Airbuses and two ATRs.
     But Capt. Gopi notes that Deccan 360 even in its opening stage will have more cargo lift currently offered by all other carriers operating in the country.
     “The domestic express cargo business in India is only $500 million as compared to $5 billion in China and $35 billion in Europe,” Capt. Gopi says.
     “So the potential is huge.”
     Nagpur will serve as hub for Deccan 360 connecting flights with a fleet of trucks that Capt. Gopi says will cut delivery times in some cities from weeks to overnight “totally revolutionizing logistics for India.”
     Capt. Gopi says although he has personally invested $25 million he is still looking for another $25 million to get his venture off the ground.
     Deccan 360 will fly to Shanghai, Dubai and elsewhere internationally although Gopinath notes the logistics company’s main focus will be directed to delivering inside India.
     The entrepreneur is also reportedly talking to international carriers serving India looking for delivery tie-ups.
     Interestingly Capt. Gopinath most recently has spent quite a bit of time running for office (MP) in Bangalore, India’s IT engine, where infrastructure is in shambles with lousy roads and spotty electric and water service to residences and business there.
     Maybe worse, despite a highly educated professional base, the aforementioned recent elections drew only about 40% of the electorate as apathetic voters shunned the voting process entirely.
     One can only imagine, when the votes are finally counted, if he wins, which priority Capt. Gopi will address first?
     One thing for certain, Gopi’s claim of faster delivery for air cargo all over India must be considered, given the terrible condition of infrastructure in Bangalore where more than 600,000 have solid professional IT jobs.
     Captain G.R. Gopinath, the airline dreamer and doer earned his way into a small select club of ex-airline executives who changed things for a lot of people.
     Gopi seems certain that his special brand of lightening can and will strike twice, this time in air cargo.
     But G.R. Gopinath is now also a politician.
     The common thread among other things is that in both cases he is out there making promises.
     Avinash Narula who heads up Vote 2 Change and who also comments on these things said recently of Gopi:
     “In going to contest the Lok Sabha elections 2009 from Bangalore, I would urge Capt. Gopinath not to contest the elections as he is not suitable for the job.
     “Past experience of electing celebrities like Govinda, Hema Malini and Dharmender as well as big time business people like Vijay Mallya clearly shows that they have interest in working to improve the country.
     “They just don’t have the time.
     “They are so busy running their business empires that they do not have the time to even attend the Lok Sabha sessions.
     “Also, their interest is more in getting the perks of being a MP rather than working to improve the life of the citizens of the country.
     “In truth Capt. Gopinath did a lousy job of managing his airline.
     "I have nothing against an entrepreneur who fails but I certainly feel that the entrepreneur cannot take his customers for a ride.
     “There are a lot of dissatisfied customers of Air Deccan who suffered financially.”
     Anybody who has driven down a Bangalore road or tried to get a package from India to anywhere else can hope Capt. Gopi delivers all around.
     Stay tuned.
P. Singh