If you are not satisfied with the status quo and you wish to have something better for yourself and others, you could say in Spanish that you want “màs” i.e. more. In this instant interview with Robert van de Weg, the new CEO at mas, in Mexico – and Mexico is a Spanish speaking country – you have a glimpse on why mas actually means more for its customers.
     FT asked van der Weg to offer a vantage point from his current position. Despite his heavy schedule, Robert was immediately available and here is the ROI that he made with us.

FT:   How and why you assumed commend here and what your near term goals are?
RvdW:  As a company mas has great reputation and track record since its inception and development with long term leader Luis Sierra and my immediate predecessor Andres Fabre. The aim is to capitalize on this and profitably grow the company further in terms of both fleet size and airline partnerships. 

FT:   What would you like your customers and potential customers to know right now about masair commitment to the cargo business?
RvdW:  We are all about cargo! We live and breathe that throughout The company in all teams be it commercial, maintenance, flight operations and finance and administration, I found an incredibly motivated team here.

FT:   How are you dealing with the situation of cargo capacity, higher rates, and general uncertainty in the marketplace?
RvdW:   2025 is a year that could turn in a few directions mostly due to the external environment around trade conditions. The underlying markets are solid right now plus there is an ongoing shortage of wide body freighters, which will not be solved quickly.

FT:   How much impact are challenges on the ground affecting with all going on between USA and Mexico affecting masair business?
RvdW:  We will have to see what really happens, but usually in my experience significant external shocks on the short/midterm bring more opportunity than problems for the pure cargo operator.

FT:   Any new products and or enhanced tools? Digital, AI, etc.
RvdW:   That´s a work in progress, clearly there is immediate potential for us here especially in working more closely with the 3 established booking platforms.

FT:   Where do you see growth, which global sector, currently and in the future?
RvdW:   e-Commerce to Latin America, there are so many markets to be developed still.

FT:   How important are your freight forwarder partners or do you see a different course/relationship with the traditional forwarder partner?
RvdW:  Very important. Freight forwarders are an essential part of the supply chain, the days that they were operating as a large extent as ¨agents¨ are long, long gone.

FT:   Address your strengths in terms of your customers and your experience and understanding of the role of service. Anything else that you might like the industry to know.
RvdW:  mas is a real cargo operator and our staff feel that deep in their veins. This means the company is dynamic, flexible and approachable. Our A330F´s are doing a great job and provide for the right unit costs especially for the markets reachable within 4-8 hours from our hub at NLU which is an airport with incredible facilities and potential.  

FT:   What trade shows will you be attending in 2025?
RvdW:  For sure Air Cargo Europe in Munich.

FT:   Which moves you most, the joy of winning or fear of losing?
RvdW:  Ah! Tough one - but I learnt that hard and mostly consistent effort, while respecting the people we work with both internally and externally will pay off, meaning you will end up winning at more occasions than you´ll be losing.  

This was an interview on the run, but the meaning is significant and it shows that mas is so focused on its customers’ requirements it cannot miss an opportunity, through its organisation and consistent teamwork. We look forward to hearing about their progress in the near future. We shall not miss the opportunity.  
Geoffrey Arend/Marco Sorgetti