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   Vol. 24  No. 27                                                       

Thursday June 5, 2025

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Where Do We Go From Here

     Early June 2025 and big thoughts from leading global logisticians are rolling around the cavernous halls of the Munich Germany Convention Center as Transport Logistic and Air Cargo Europe continues through June 5.
     You may not know much about the U.S. based Airforwarders Association (AfA), but certainly almost everybody knows of the group’s Executive Director, Brandon Fried.
Brandon Fried and Rhodes Fried     Brandon Fried seems to be everywhere and can be considered amongst the smartest and most dedicated opinion makers in the air cargo industry; he is easily the most vocal and well-known forwarder anywhere.
  Of all the associations (and people operating them) out there, the one absolutely vital link in the chain are the freight forwarders.
     Into the equation comes this rather compact and busy man who can most often be found either up on the USA Washington Capitol Hill, a short distance from his office in Washington, D.C., or writing a guest editorial defending an association or the forwarders’ point of view.
     Brandon can also be found conducting sessions at any one—or seemingly all of—the trade shows.
     Brandon Fried is also out there at one air cargo club after another, delivering a keynote or pushing his or the industry’s agenda at monthly meetings in Atlanta, New York, or East Timbuktu.
     Brandon Fried, like the weather, is always there.
     The idea that you can “lift air cargo everywhere, almost all at once” is wonderfully quixotic, and there is no one else who does it better than Brandon Fried.
     For someone who travels the world we wondered if there was any city that he  would like to visit?  
     Brandon answered that one at once declaring:  “Tokyo has always been on the bucket list, where, coincidentally, my wife Kim and I will be traveling to this month, along with Kyoto and Osaka. The Japanese culture is fascinating, and we can't wait to ride the bullet trains!”
     Brandon also shared a couple of movies he loves to watch, “my most memorable and favorite movie is "Bridge on the River Kwai", where British POWs are ordered by their Japanese captors to construct a bridge of strategic importance and are happy to sabotage and delay the progress until their commanding officer orders them to continue the work unhindered to its completion, presenting a conflicting question if his actions are tantamount to collaborating with the enemy. It won the 1957 Academy Award so it's a good watch.
     “Another of our favorites is "Out Of Africa", the story of Karen Blixen's travels to Africa from Denmark in the early 1900s. The cinematography and musical score always leave us breathless!”

     But as Air Cargo Europe continues, dear reader, here are some thoughts from someone who shares, and from whom a whisper of the word can help lift your business, and  maybe even yourself, to new heights.

FT:   What is your assessment of Year 2025 at its almost mid-point and what will happen? (Best case)
BF:    2025 has been a year defined by cautious optimism. We’re seeing gradual improvement in air cargo volumes and stronger demand in key verticals like e-commerce and life sciences. However, uncertainty remains a persistent theme—especially due to recent tariff hikes and the evolving U.S. de minimis shipment policy, which are creating significant planning and compliance challenges for forwarders. The best-case scenario for the second half of the year includes greater policy clarity, a stable global economy, and improved supply chain fluidity.

FT:   Major forwarder challenges and what to do about them?
BF:    Navigating regulatory uncertainty is top of mind for many of our members. Between shifting trade policy, security program updates, and infrastructure demands, forwarders are constantly adapting. The solution lies in staying informed, staying engaged, and leaning on industry associations like AfA for guidance, advocacy, and connection.

FT:   Next AfA event and why Orlando matters?
BF:    We’re proud to say that AirCargo 2025 in Dallas was our most successful event to date—in terms of attendance, engagement, and energy. It showed how vital face-to-face connection is in an industry built on collaboration. We’re already looking ahead to AirCargo 2026 in Orlando, and planning officially begins next month. Orlando matters because it offers a dynamic venue to gather, share insights, and shape the future of air forwarding together.

FT:   What are the essentials of leadership?
BF:    Strong leadership today means being grounded yet adaptable. It’s about listening more than talking, being transparent in uncertainty, and knowing when to lead from the front versus support from behind. In our industry, where no two days are the same, consistency and communication are everything.

FT:   What can we all do better to handle change/challenges today and tomorrow?
BF:    We need to stop thinking of change as episodic—it’s now the operating norm. Embracing that mindset shift is crucial. Equally important is collaboration across companies, sectors, and associations. When we share data, insights, and best practices, we become much more resilient.
     That’s the spirit we aim to foster at the Airforwarders Association every day.
Geoffrey Arend



Ram Menon

     Somebody once said that "The Apple Doesn't Fall Too Far From The Tree".
     That phrase came to mind as we learned today in Munich that Ram Menon Jr. with a successful ACE Munich under his belt was just named Chief Operating Officer for the Wallenborn Group.
Wallenborn Group Muncih Booth No.     Wallenborn Group, the family-owned business, headquartered in Luxembourg features a growing network of 16 offices in 11 countries across Europe, with operations in Dubai and Sharjah.
     Ram Jr. Joined Wallenborn Group just over a half decade ago after spending about the same amount of time with Amazon where he served as Senior Regional Manager - EU Aviation Security & Regulatory Compliance.
     We recall Ram Jr., son of Ram Sr. and his wife Malou Menon as an engaging sweet, decent and very smart young man, raised to hit the ground running, not unlike the exciting and wonderful couple that delivered and nurtured him into the world.
     Ram Menen, Sr. led the team in Dubai, that built Emirates SkyCargo from the ground up into a world super power, during an exciting era for air cargo worldwide.
     "It has been a fun journey thus far on the ‘commercial side,’” Ram Jr said of his new posting, “whilst working in the background for the last 6 months on the operational side, am now looking forward to formalizing the transition and pushing onwards with this next chapter,” Ram said.
     About Wallenborn, a statement Sarah Siebering Wallenborn Group Program Manager delivered on the company website is worth noting:
     “Wallenborn 4PL services, transcends the typical trucking company model.
     “We prioritize logistics, ensuring needs remain at the forefront of our operations.
Customization is integral to our approach, as we align our goals, driven by the desire to enhance your experience.
     “Focus here is on fostering long-term partnerships that allows us to innovate continuously, ensuring that we remain at the cutting edge of the industry to deliver exceptional service and meet expectations."
     Pass it onto the next generation.
     The way it ought to be!
GDA


Vaughn Moore
     
     Vaughn Moore, CEO of Chicago-based AIT Worldwide Logistics is at Transport Logistic segment of the big show in Munich that opened today June 2.
     Vaughn is situate in the AIT Germany GmbH Booth 112 in Hall B2.
     We asked the always available and outspoken executive to describe what are the most important aspects of a leader?
     “My mantra," Mr. Moore declared, “throughout my career has always been never be afraid to hire better than yourself.
     “Following this philosophy creates a dynamic where we push each other to improve, and it enables our team to achieve goals that may not have been attainable even just a few years ago.
     “Logistics is wonderfully unique,” Vaughn Moore declared, ”and challenging!”
     “Every day there’s a new obstacle that we can’t control, but we collaborate, find options, and proactively communicate solutions.”
     When AIT Logistics went into business as Air-It-There, Inc. 46 years ago come this September 4th, 2025 from Chicago, few might have imagined the big company that today has morphed itself through inspiration, hard work and imagination.
     Brandon Fried, Executive Director, Airforwarders Association told FT, “We’re proud to count AIT Worldwide Logistics among the distinguished members of the Airforwarders Association. Our membership is filled with many shining stars, and AIT—under the dynamic leadership of Vaughn Moore—stands out as a brilliant example of what it means to grow with purpose and integrity in the air cargo and logistics industry. The company’s continued expansion and ability to reach new milestones is matched by its deep commitment to shaping the future of our industry. AIT’s active participation on our Board of Directors and various committees reflects their leadership and dedication to collaboration and progress across the freight forwarding community.”
     “AIT customers around the world trust us to deliver shipments that are incredibly valuable, sensitive, or even lifesaving.
     “Logistics is an industry that touches everyone’s lives in one way or another and that’s incredibly fulfilling,” Vaughn Moore concluded.
Geoffrey Arend

FlyingTalkers podcastFlyingTalkers

Air Cargo Munich



     At Air Cargo Europe this week, the all-cargo pro for every season, Peter Scholten, Chief Commercial Officer for Air One Aviation is in Hall A1 Booth 112.
     Air One was established in 2009 and is headquartered in the United Kingdom.
     The neutral global sales agency that connects an in-house team of aviation and air cargo professionals, and global client base of freight forwarders, logistics providers and charter brokers, claims during the past 12 months to have generated “over 275 million kilos of cargo bookings for 2,500 full freighter flights, and connected over 50 of the world’s premier air cargo airports and markets in Europe, Africa, South America, Asia Pacific and Australia,” according to Air One CEO Paul Bennett.
     “Air One holds long-term, exclusive Global Sales Agency contracts with worldwide freighter operators under multiple AOCs, and we are proactively looking to work with new airline partners to help their owners achieve their growth targets.”
GDA



FTM2025


     Here is Francesco Parisi pictured here with his son, Matteo attending a Munich Air Cargo Europe event.
     Francesco Parisi Casa di Spedizioni S.p.A. is a Shipping and Freight Forwarding Group of Companies established in Trieste and operating in Central Europe since 1807.
     The Trieste-based freight forwarder has been a regular at transport logistic exhibitions Air Cargo Europe for many years.
     In fact Francesco Parisi, assisted by his sons Tomaso and Matteo, manages the most historic forwarding company in Italy, now in its eighth generation as a family business.
     On January 1, 1807 while Napoleon was busy attempting to take over the world and was situate at the Castle of Finckenstein in East Prussia, in Trieste the first Francesco Parisi, opened a shipping company in search of new outlets, coming from Rovereto, IT, in which the silk-spinning family business was suffering.
     Within the continental Austro-Hungarian Empire, Trieste was rapidly developing its new great harbor, attracting initiatives and businesses from the Slavic, German and Italian provinces, without forgetting the Greeks, Egyptians and Turks, all flocking to the new hub.
     Trieste is closer to the Ukrainian border than it is to Naples and sits at the same distance from Turin as Munich, Vienna and Budapest.
     This explains the prevailing interest of Trieste for central European traffic.
Fast forward to 2025, little wonder that an evening spent in Munich at Air Cargo Europe with Francesco Parisi in 2025 at Tuesday evening's reception at Hall B3, Stand 103-204 offered the rare opportunity to open up an overflowing amount of information, ideas and plans for the future from a man who has continued an incredible 400-hundred year plus traditional freight forwarder family business, whilst also serving as President at FIATA International Federation of Freight Forwarders Associations (2013-15) and leaning along the way lending expertise at leading European logistics organizations.
     Did you miss the reception?
     Well, as history in the case of Parisi seems to repeat itself, wait for the next Air Cargo Europe, or better still maybe jump over and greet Parisi today.
GDA


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Publisher-Geoffrey Arend • Managing Editor-Flossie Arend • Editor Emeritus-Richard Malkin
Senior Contributing Editor/Special Commentaries-Marco Sorgetti • Special Commentaries Editor-Bob Rogers
Special Assignments-Sabiha Arend, Emily Arend
• Film Editor-Ralph Arend

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