FlyingTalkers By Geoffrey Arend: Recent Episodes

Geoffrey Arend

From the Dean of air cargo journalists off the cuff, right to the heart of the air cargo business. It's the past, present and future in conversations with Geoffrey Arend, Award Winning Editor & Publisher of Air Cargo News Flying Typers since 1975 .Geoffrey is the original Air Cargo News .Our publication was in business publishing monthly eight years before a publication of the same name, now owned by the German DVZ Group appeared in the UK during 1983. Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/geoffrey-arend/support

Great interview with Andreas Obermeyer about employing and retaining the right person in transport and logistics.

Mr. Obermeyer is an expert who has a wide horizon on theglobal labor market in logistics; a first-class consultant who works with la crème of logistics in Europe. Born and grown in Basel, he completed his apprenticeship in freight forwarding after his “Matura”, i.e. the collegecertificate valid in Switzerland.

After positions in Schenker and Danzas, world famous inthose years, Andreas started to work in consulting in 1997, since 2001 in HR executive search and personnel consultancy.

Conversation with Marco Sorgetti read by Geoffrey Arend is20 minutes of power & interest.

Sentimental journey... We recall the life & times of a great Chilean air cargo pioneer Alex Thiermann.

In Normandie as that big D-Day gathering today June 6 will see return of DC3s above the skies above the coast of France ,we visit friends and family there.

Some years since we journeyed to Bernay in Normandie and relived some WWII memories with our Uncle Claude who recalled D Day through the eyes of a child.

As preamble , it needs to be noted five years ago there were maybe 250 veterans of that day visiting aboard a tour from England and this year there were only maybe 10% of that number on the same tour.

“CONFETRA,” said our senor contributing editor MarcoSorgetti based in Rome,” is an interesting report on thestate of air cargo in Italy.

“For me this was a great opportunity to report comfortingnumbers from my home country, albeit with some alarming signs.” This gave usreason to take contact with some of our friends by hop scotching around theworld with the aim to understand difference and similarities, through a seriesof short statements regarding the state of air cargo in their respective areas.

With thanks to Marco plus an illustrious listof participants here we go.

Hello, air cargo fans.

Here is Quick Take India.Well, if you want to say Air India is keen to get back into its prime position as an international cargo player, you wouldn't be far off.

Give us a couple minutes .We give you the world.

Here are some memories of Memorial Day yesterday & todayand some personal observations of my time in the Vietnam war zone as we prayfor peace.

Mike White needs no introduction with our listeners.

Mike has a CV and presence in the aviation and airfreight

industry that is second to none. His tenure in CNS as

President was most inspirational for all of us.

Everybody knows Mike White: his presence is

immediate wherever he goes.

In other words when it comes to clear thinking and

realizing where we are or should be heading as an

industry:We Like Mike! S/H

The question today is that in a business that needs lots

of young executives whose attention may be drawn to

other careers, where will the next generation of air cargo

executives will come?

Latest news from the world beating air cargo market of India.

Look back at some people who built Emirates Sky Cargo in USA and around the world.

Los Angeles Air Cargo Association (LAACA) Air CargoDay at the Proud Bird Grand Ballroom just off the main runways takes off nextThursday May 9.

Doors open at 1100.

The air cargo event of the year at LAX goes until15:00 and is free!

Bruce McCaffrey Did Not Back Down

“The air cargo price fixing saga of 2005 was a-gas.

"A mellifluous malodorous episode in the history of aircargo”.

A story without a happy ending is recalled in 2024 aswe mark ten years since Bruce McCaffrey died February 25, 2014 at age 71 in Bradenton, Florida, from complications of renal failure.

Here are sme further thoughts and a story to not be forgot.

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In a perfect world the following words wouldjust make no sense. Yes, indeed, in a perfect world… We are talking about how much logistics, and air cargo in particular, is missing by overlooking women’s skills, but we are doing this sideways, as it is convenient at the FlyingTypers. Women’s skills can be ignored knowingly or as a habit, in any case it is a missed opportunity at best.

This is not the main concept of this Podcast,but it cannot be ignored if you wish to fully understand its content.An accomplished businesswoman speaks hereunderand teaches us a few lessons.

Make no mistake listening to Donna Mullins is a learning curve.There was so much to learn!

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It begn in February at Louisville Kentucky at Air Cargo and just ended March at Hong Kong at World Cargo Symposium. Here is an up clode and personal look at the people and business scene at air cargo trade show so far in 2024 and a peek ahead to what is next in April

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Doha, Qatar - “Qatar Airways Cargo confirms that Mark Drusch has been appointed as Chief Officer Cargo effective immediately.” This in Qatar’s Press Release: “with over 25 years in senior airline management roles, Mark is a well-known figure in the aviation world. His most recent role was SVP Revenue Management, Alliances and Strategy at Qatar Airways where he led the development and implementation of the company’s revenue strategy as well as managing strategic alliances with key partner airlines. Prior to joining Qatar Airways, Mark spent 20 years at Delta Air Lines, Continental Airlines and Lufthansa LSG Sky Chefs as Senior Vice President where he led the transformation in commercial airline strategy execution, revenue management, network planning and alliances. In addition, Mark was CEO and co-founder of e-Rewards and e-Miles, leaders in online panel research and online advertising.” In other words, we are talking of a man with a distinguished background, were it necessary to remind the public.

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If you want to learn about August Martin, the great aircargo pilot who flew for Seaboard World Airlines during the 1950’s, the name August Martin as an internet search, most often comes up as “August” 28, 1963,the day “Martin” Luther King whose birthday we celebrate Monday delivered hisnever to be forgotten “I Have A Dream,”speech at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. August Martin was agentle man, who would be remembered in history as the first African American to serve as Captain on a U.S. scheduled flag carrier.Put another way,before “Augie” as his friends called him, there had never been a black airlinecaptain on the bridge of any U.S. airline.

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Now hear this here is the true cradle of modern air cargothinking from some airline people long gone and nearly forgotten.Once upon a time there were two giant all cargo airlinesoperating from the USA to pointsinternationally.From Los Angeles to the Pacific & Asia was Flying Tigersand from New York Across the Atlantic to Europe,Africa,the Middle East and India was Seaboard World Airlines.This is about Seaboard World Airlines and specifically some excellent people thatlearned air cargo from its people.On October 1, 1980 Seaboard World Airlines was absorbed byThe Flying Tiger Line, Inc., and on December 16, 1988 The Flying Tiger Line, Inc., was absorbed by the Federal Express Corporation.I was thinking about people in our business recentlywatching Fred Smith on TV talking air cargo.Once upon a time there was John Mahoney at Seaboard talkingair cargo.

That was 50 years ago.

Interesting that the last big time air cargo type, Smith outon the hustings commanding the widest audience of any airline executive in world history (he certainly has alsobeen on top the longest) can look back to a time when big ideas of how to air cargo came from a company he ended up buying.

Here we share some Seaboard thinking and also several directquotes from Mahoney that in 2024 although the talk is aged as we move along 50 years later at jet speed, still makes perfectly good sense.

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Talked to Bob Rogers the force behind ULD Care.

Bob is based in Hong Kong where Christmas and theNew Year was celebrated with the "usual Hong Kong enthusiasm" and of course we are only a few weeks away from doubling down with Chinese New Year as Year of the Dragon approaches asa big celebration this year.

So in January while the world takes off in 2024 is the lastmonth of the Year of the Rabbit before February on the Chinese Zodiak Calendar debuts the Year of the Dragon .

While hoping that we all still got some of good cosmic fortune left ULD Care is out with some good ideas on the subject closest to Mr. Rogers heart and as usual he is kicking the cans.

We also share some further thoughts of our friend Bill Spohrer whose passing we first reported January 8,2023.

Welcome to today's Flying Talkers!

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Return with us now to those glory days of international aviation yesteryear aboard The China Clipper.Speed Gibson is high adventure at 10,000 feet (3,048 meters) and its range was 3,200 miles (5,150 kilometers). Once upon time Pan Am was America's "airline to the world" and Hong Kong was mysterious and aviation and short wave radio were the way to go and tell the story.Speed Gibson of the International Secret Police was a radio adventure series written by Virginia Cooke. It was centered on the adventures of Speed Gibson, a fifteen-year-old pilot who, through his uncle Clint Barlow, becomes a member of the International Secret Police.Our gift to you just for fun.Happy New Year and best wishes for a great 2024 from your frinds at Flying Talkers--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/geoffrey-arend/support

One From The Heart Here we take a deep dive right out of the gate as 2024 debuts into Alitalia and Italian air cargo.

We also recall learning for sure of two fave books in the private library of Pope John Paul 11 .

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One of the joys of Summer, aside from the beach and the Beach Boys’ Good Vibrations and warmed up weather and outside get-togethers is cruising along with all of the same, during August, on a long, slow languorous glide, like the water ride at Palisade’s Park into September. No need to rush, we have time.

Speaking of cruising there seems to be a lot of that going on right now. No need to blush either, boy: we have some other game in mind… The word cruising as well as the world of cruising hold some glamour, in particular in summer, although I can hardly imagine climbing aboard any ship with several thousand people onboard these days or doing anything unexpected now that we are all so much older and wiser, after COVID especially, right?

Elsewhere the pencil and the sword, thin river-boats of Viking Cruises all over Europe hold some allure even here in North America, but they seem to be less daunting, a bit more manageable today than they would have in Lindisfarne about 1000 years ago. We are telling a tale of swift development in logistics and industry, far from battle and invasion.

Great that YouTube and Amazon Prime TV here in the USA have picked up the narrow-boat phenomenon going on in the UK.

Small boats, in fact barges of historical nature, carrying mostly coal in the past, are a history lesson in cargo transportation in the land where you can ply the over 4,000 miles of canals and imagine how these waterways and former tow paths sparked the Industrial Revolution, the Victorian Era and in fact were key in making Great Britain a world power.

Actually the Thames remains today an antidote to London’s stifling traffic for some selected operators and as much as London, Amsterdam and New York have shaped global trade in the last four centuries, both grand and mean, depending… there are still so many smaller details in the waterways of Anglia that their full story cannot be entirely told.

For me especially, during the Dog Days with heavy rain here in New York City recently, confined indoors by the weather, watching a You Tube sponsored series titled “Travels by Narrowboat” for a couple of sessions was informative and fun.

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Where do we go from here? Best Bets Smart advice.You decide...

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As Air Cargo Europe finally meets this week with people gathering from all over the world in Munich, the outstanding development since last we met is the emergence of a company branded PayCargo.

PayCargo is the brain child of Cuban-born Eduardo del Riego, who came to the United States of America as a child and embraced the American Dream. What Eduardo did was invent a well-funded, top financial service company head and shoulders above any we have ever seen, that delivers air and sea cargo flexible and totally reliable financial services solutions.

PayCargo is not only sweeping the nation and in just a few short years has become the best and most favored way to pay quickly and efficiently; right now PayCargo is expanding taking hold all over the world.

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LogiPharma was held April 25-27 in Lyon, France at Palais des congrès de Lyon. The event was slick well-organized and interesting, full of heavy duty business, and lots of people and action at a great venue. If you want to know where many of the airlines looking for business and new horizons post COVID were, they were in France discovering that engaging the pharma in 2023 is good over there, Pierre!

"One From The Heart" recalls the life and times of our friend, the late Joachim Frigger.

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The theme for International Women’s Month this year is “Celebrating Women Who Tell Our Stories.”

Who better to represent air cargo during International Women’s Month 2023 than Tulsi Nowlakha Mirchandaney, who is celebrating over five decades in air cargo. Tulsi is Managing Director and Accountable Manager of Blue Dart Aviation and is our lead off story as we launch Women’s Month 2023.

Blue Dart is based in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India and serves 7 Indian metro cities. Deutsche Post owns a 70% stake in the airline through its subsidiary Blue Dart Express. Blue Dart operates a fleet of 6 B757-200 freighters to leading India cities.

“The only constant in my 28 years here,” Tulsi said unhesitatingly, “has been the enduring passion and resilience of the people who make up this amazing industry, and who have helped it grow and evolve through decades of varied challenges and turbulence”.

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Fruit and vegetable lovers will be 'loving it up' at Berlin’s Annual Fruit Logistica all this week at the massive Berlin ExpoCenterCity and CityCube in Germany, February 8-10, 2023.

It may come as a shock to some shippers to learn that one of the biggest challenges to safe handling of lithium batteries or lithium anything is the paperwork.
Enter an IATA-initiative branded Center of Excellence for Independent Validators (CEIV), a process that now can assure auditing the action and providing confidence for lithium battery shipping.
Created by IATA Cargo in 2021, Qatar Airways and its global handler Qatar Aviation Services just received certification of the duo’s outstanding ongoing handling of lithium battery shipments.
Qatar Aviation Services is the first ground-handling company to be certified in this manner globally.

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A Billion Here a Billion There . . . Remember the Price-Fixing Air Cargo Surcharges scandal that rocked the global air cargo industry in late 2010 when in Europe for example 11 legacy carriers were found guilty after Lufthansa and Swiss threw everybody under the bus and elsewhere got immunity, as eager prosecutors in countries around the world handed out fines?

On again, off again, the case has continued for the past dozen years. In America and elsewhere once young lawyers looking to make political or law careers have entered middle age and still may still file an appeal.

Well, while you were putting your kids through Grade School, High School & most of College if you have been (happily) married, (we hope so) for that long, the airlines have been fighting the price-fixing fines.

Now apparently, finally Air France /KLM beat the rap on December 20, 2022, and were issued an annulment for their €3.9 million fine according to Linklaters (www.Linkaters.com)

I sat down at a favorite watering hole The Oyster Bar in Grand Central Station in New York City with the late Bruce McCaffrey the lifetime Qantas Cargo USA hand who ran North & South America and masterminded the Qantas Freight West Imperial cargo transfer facility at LAX, after he was thrown under the bus by Qantas.

It was 2008 .

In ill health, bowed but not broken, Bruce died a few years later.

Recently Air France /KLM beat the"Price fixing" rap on December 20, 2022 joining a growing list of airlines, and were issued an annulment for their €3.9 million fine according to Linklaters (www.Linkaters.com).

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Bill Spohrer died December 16 in Sarasota, Florida at age 91. Air Cargo lost a giant that quietly walked among us and made one hell of a difference in air cargo, changing the face of Miami Airport completely by innovating that airport some decades ago, into the pole position of global leadership in perishables.

It was Bill that changed "Corrosion Corner" in the air cargo area at Miami International into a huge refrigerator masquerading as an air cargo facility that eventually became a cornerstone of UPS operations at that gateway.

Bill was the driver in the creation of The International Air Cargo Association where he served as that organization's first President. He also was instrumental in the founding of Air Cargo Americas. Both are forces for good in organized air cargo today.

In the here today, gone tomorrow world of air cargo, Bill was for all seasons, and now he should be remembered as among the greatest air cargo builders of the 20th Century.

Here is Bill's story, written in 1993 by the greatest aviation historian R.E.G. Davies, when Ron was Curator of Air Transport at The National Air Museum in Washington, D.C.

Ron died in 2011, after many decades at NASM, having authored 30 books, including more than a dozen detailed histories of the leading airlines of the world and the Berlin Airlift.

Happy New Year 2023!

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Here is an update as trade shows begin to take shape for 2023.
The International Air Cargo Association said its Executive Summit 2023 will be held in Brussels November 6-8, 2023 at the exquisite, recently renovated, historic Skyhall.
Inaugurated in 1958, to receive the many visitors of the first post-war World Exhibition, Skyhall was nothing short of ground-breaking. One of its outstanding features was the 1,800-meter high, glass-fronted transit hall with its seemingly floating arched roof.
Interestingly the TIACA Executive Summit will take place in Brussels almost one month to the date FIATA International Federation of Freight Forwarders Associations closes its World Congress Event (October 3-6, 2023) , making 2023 the year of a big double header win for BRU Gateway.
Dare we imagine some interaction of these two stalwart world transportation organizations?
TIACA said that it is working with Brussels Airport Company to organize a first class conference, which will bring together over 300 decision makers from across the globe to network, showcase their companies and products, as well as learn and debate pressing issues affecting the entire industry.

This story prepared by Marco Sorgetti includes a visit with iconic FIATA activist and airport expert Jean-Claude Delen

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How Miami Landed Its First Asian Scheduled Carrier

Once upon a time in 1994 I found myself in Taipei, Taiwan sitting at lunch with Peter Yap, who was the top cargo executive for China Airlines Cargo.

At one point, Peter looked at me and said:

“The trouble today is finding markets that offer great growth potential and also support from the local gateway.

“Very rare,” Peter said.

“Taiwanese people love to eat fish and we cannot get enough of it, competing with Europe and elsewhere.”

I looked at Peter, who was eager to do business, and thought about Miami.

Our company had personally served and followed the gateway since 1975 with distribution of our Air Cargo News publication. We delivered ACN to the cargo area at Miami, back when it was located in the part of the airport that served the U.S. Army during World War II.

The place was called Miami International Air Depot, or MIAD.

I also thought about the two detailed history books we created about the airport after Amaury Zuriarrain brought us in to meet General Manager Richard Judy.

Legendary Dick Judy green lit the first book and later an all-cargo book about MIA Cargo created for Miami Aviation Director Gary Dellapa.

I looked at Peter and said:

“Peter, come to Miami, bring a freighter into South Florida where all the fish you need will swim right into the airplane, and you will make history.”

Celebrating Michael Chowdry, one of the most successful people in the history of air cargo founded Atlas Air Worldwide 30 years ago.

The Pakistani native began flying in 1993 with one 747 freighter.

Today Atlas is the largest ACMI operator on the planet.

It's been 21 years since that sad day on January 24, 2001 when Mike, who was only 46, died whilst piloting his jet in Watkins, Colorado with Jeff Cole, a reporter on board.

Election Day Strange Choice For TIACA Opening

The International Air Cargo Association TIACA Air Cargo Forum (ACF) begins on November 8 Election Day across the U.S., which means to attend the first day of TIACA, unless you can figure out how to get to an absentee voting center, how will you be in two places at the same time a week from this Tuesday?

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The Garden City Hotel in Long Island, New York with its distinctive cupola originally designed by Stanford White atop the structure, has been a landmark hostelry in New York for over 125 years.

Here was the ground zero center of the global aviation universe for a couple of days in 1927, situated at the exact spot from where a young air mail pilot and soldier of fortune named Charles Lindbergh spent his last moments sleeping fitfully upstairs, resting his head on a pillow for a few hours, while downstairs the press corps plugged in the rest of the world to the news that an attempt was about to take place for one man to fly across the Atlantic Ocean alone.

Soon enough “The Lone Eagle”, as Lindy was dubbed, emerged from his slumbers and took the short ride over to Roosevelt Field in the early morning mist. The flight that changed the world took off in a tiny monoplane, heavy with fuel that caused it to barely skim over the tree tops at the end of the runway. From that point, the world held its breath and followed that flight.

The next evening when Lindbergh landed at Le Bourget Field in France, the Garden City Hotel had hosted the first flier to cross the Atlantic. Today that Garden City Hotel no longer looks like it did in 1927: it was lost in a fire. In its place, The Garden City Hotel in 2022 is a big beautiful modern hostelry. It radiates opulence and success with few traces of its glorious past, aside from the one that has mattered for about 100 years.

Surely this is the best place to celebrate reaching a milestone, with the greatest credentials tied to world avOn October 1st, EMO Trans Global Logistics people celebrated the 50th Anniversary of service to the U.S. In this place so hallowed to aviation the spirit and the finely crafted traditionalist hand of EMO U.S. founder, the late Joachim “Jo” Frigger was fondly remembered by Mr. EMO himself, Eckart Moltmann, who today at 84 travelled to honor and celebrate 50 years of service in the U.S. of the company now branded EMO Trans Global Logistics.

EMO, an endearment attached to Eckart’s name as a young man, ended up being used as an "easy to remember and pronounce" branding device for the company he created in Stuttgart in 1965 as a one-man shop.

EMO on this past Saturday night fondly recalled his friendship with Jo and admitted that he never dreamed that eventually the company he began, “would end in 2022 as a global power.”

But this night’s celebration belonged to the visionary and inspirational leader of EMO Trans, Jo Frigger, his loss keenly felt in an outpouring of affection by those who knew him well.

Today there is no doubt where the heart of EMO Trans beats: the EMO Trans World Headquarters, the seat of the global enterprise, is just down the street from the Garden City Hotel. Jo Frigger, it can be said without hesitation, is the person that put it all together in the U.S., half a century ago.

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Today PayCargo pulled off a show stopper announcement at International Air Transport Association (IATA) World Cargo Symposium in London announcing that the financial service company is spreading its wings beyond North America into Europe, the Middle East and Asia.

PayCargo also revealed that they will be expanding their product offering and will be providing payment solutions for air waybill charges in addition to the ancillary charges they do today.

PayCargo brought in air cargo industry expert Michael White to make it official at the World Cargo Symposium in London.

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Now come a few quiet weeks after which, from September until later November, air cargo trade shows will be front and center.

But wait, the pandemic is still loose and people are still getting sick.

The challenge seems to be for preventive methodology and medicine to position ourselves a half a step ahead of a disease that mutates quickly.

While the dreaded face masks wait in the wings for now, a new global health emergency is rearing its ugly head called “monkey pox” and can be spread via surfaces where it lives for some time.

We are sitting here writing what might take place at The FIATA World Congress in Busan, Korea during mid-September.

Normally organizations are boastful of who some of the higher profile attendees will be.

FIATA has posted this message to their trade show website:

“Please note that the Local Organization Committee (LOC) cannot publish the list of the participants to the 2022 FIATA World Congress (FWC) on its website for privacy reasons.

“Only registered participants will be able to access the participants list through the custom-made 2022 FWC App, which will be made available early September.”

In May we reported several cases of COVID post Air Cargo India and combined meetings of United Airlines employees in New Orleans led to a rash of infections termed “super spreader events” by sources.

So now we are at the doorstep of the Fall Trade Show season with IATA World Cargo Symposium scheduled for September 28th in London and the International Air Cargo Association (TIACA) November 8 in Miami and Logitrans set for November 16-18 in beautiful Istanbul.

So maybe the numbers will be a bit off for these shows.

But what is your strategy if you are going?

What can you expect or at least hope for at one or all of these events?

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Talk about no guts, no glory—an overlooked, albeit quite courageous lady named Michelle DeFronzo has worked as an Airline Cargo Sales Agent (CSA) for 30 years.

In 2000 she formed ImEx Cargo, a global logistics and air transport service provider.

ImEx Cargo like most of us over the past few years fought its way through tremendous negative COVID impacts and was just beginning to recover as a contractor for the largest Russian cargo freighter airline AirBridgeCargo, then came the Ukraine War. ABC, a Russian flag has its own story operating the world’s largest cargo planes, including the now destroyed Antonov AN-225.

Using the airline’s regularly scheduled service, ImEx powered businesses and agency organizations transport products, including pharmaceuticals, PPE, vitamins, equipment, machinery, aircraft parts, and livestock to specific global destinations.

But now due to the sanctions driven by the Russian invasion of Ukraine, ImEx Cargo found its business with ABC Cargo shut down and had to return all shipments that had used Russian transports that were in various customs areas ready for export. ImEx customers including shippers, end customers, and ImEx itself have all been lost to each other at this time in some or all part, orphaned in the fog of war.

Michelle DeFronzo, talks about Putin’s war. She speak about it with great expertise and certainly with more experience that any other top female air cargo executive.

Michelle is straight from the shoulder, right from the heart, telling it like it is.

“I have been in the industry for 30-plus years and have started seeing some positive changes for women over the past 10-15 years.

“More women are coming into the field and taking on more prominent roles; although it is not very common to see women in leadership positions.

“At the top, air cargo is still a very male-dominated business and exponentially more difficult for women to advance.

To secure contracts, I have had to learn more, know more, work harder for less money and prove myself, time and again.

"My goal has always been to continue building this business by implementing strategies for competitive advantages and providing high-value added service.

"ImEx Cargo has a compelling reputation in the local communities, and the community plays an essential role in expanding opportunities for airline partners.

"We have earned the city, state, and federal government certifications for government contracts under the Supplier Diversity Program. This has been a work in progress, and we are developing partnerships for government contacts and companies with supplier diversity goals. We are certified for all states in the U.S., including Alaska and Hawaii."

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Air cargo, it seems, will always find a way to stay close and working together on the local basis almost everywhere in the world. But in truth events that bring together and actually move the marble, whilst searching for some big ideas from a host of attendees feel like they are fewer and further between.

As you read about Ram Menen, a guiding spirit that raised Emirates SkyCargo from an afterthought to a great worldwide cargo resource and Des Vertannes, an innovative original thinker and very effective one time Head of Cargo at IATA before retirement, picture yourself landing and still engaged in some future situation even from double arms distance, and still loving it.

What in some part accelerated Ram and Des to become who they are, and who they are to each other was a vital, energized industry and the people they came up and worked with all during their career.

Right now air cargo is famous, respected and doing boffo landmark business all over the world.

We believe that it’s a good thing to think of ways to preserve the vital open meeting format of the air cargo industry that in no small part produced these two gentleman and throughout the past sixty years, countless thousands of others.

If you agree and would like to comment, or have something else to say, we would very much like to hear from you.

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Listen Up As CNS Partnership Meets In Phoenix

Here is Flying Talkers Podcast with details of last week in Geneva as Glyn Hughes, TIACA DG, and Brendan Sullivan, IATA Head of Cargo headlined the FIATA Headquarters Sessions.

That deal between IATA and FIATA forged in 2016 that was supposed to make the peace between the airlines and the worlds largest organized forwarder group just did not work out.

But something good just happened as revealed in an excellent job of reporting FIATA Headquarters Sessions created by Marco Sorgetti.

Two top flight airline industry executives currently or at one time tied up with IATA gathered in Switzerland last week and participated in open and frank discussions at the FIATA Headquarters Sessions event held in Geneva May 18th.

Glyn Hughes former Head of Cargo at IATA now DG at TIACA and Brendan Sullivan Head of Cargo at IATA were very much a part of the conversation that included whats new and maybe what’s next post COVID for airlines and forwarders.

Both of these gentleman will undoubtedly be situate at Phoenix all this week as IATA Cargo Network Services (CNS) gathers for a 2022 comeback Annual Partnership Conference.

So what can we expect to hear in terms of looking ahead at CNS might be interesting to preview here ?

What is apparent (fingers crossed) is that our world of airlines and forwarders seem in step to working together a hell of a lot closer post pandemic.

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Picking up the pieces of a historical disaster such as the COVID19 pandemic may not be anything one would wish to do, but reading the comments that economy analysts are sending to press this spring you get a chance to ask yourself what are these explanations trying to teach us and wonder. Looking at logistics, airlines and freight forwarders, that is more or less what I have been doing most of my life, your sense of amazed skepticism gains even more ground.

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Living near a street named Utopia Parkway in New York City, I suspect something unexpected could happen anytime. My great city is a kind of utopia in its own way and loyally prepares you for the unexpected. No wonder something unusual can lurk between the trade show resort meeting rooms and the golf course.

Cargo Network Services (CNS) is conducting its Partnership Conference for air cargo in Phoenix beginning on May 23rd, as we just find out. I like the trade show sense of surprise. CNS, like all organized events, insists on some disciplined routine from participants and we shall be disciplined all right.

Rerun In Hope Of A Result

Last year we ran a story about how the hoped for cooperation between IATA and FIATA announced in Dublin in 2016 apparently was allowed to just slip slide away and did not happen.

Since that time with everything else that is going on, we still wonder what happened?

We think that the question deserves a clear answer from both parties:

You raised a lot of hopes at the the airlines and forwarders for a new deal in cooperation between airlines and forwarders six years ago and then after launching some trial balloons in Canada, just let the cooperation fade away without so much as a long kiss goodbye.

Can someone explain to the industry at large what happened?

Get A Job!

Here are some offers and contacts at BRU with a lyric table setter with thanks at the top for some lyrics from The Band.

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On the road again like hundreds or maybe thousands of others in logistics right now, Amar More, the Kale Logistics co-founder and Chief Executive Officer carries a business card that states in no uncertain terms: “Committed to transformation of global logistics industry”. Let us discover together why this is indeed a true statement, as many in our industry already know.

We wonder about some of the drivers that moved and are still moving this company into a greater digital future in transport and logistics. Here you can get a sense of what Kale is all about to create a lead: https://www.kalelogistics.com/ and here are the questions to profile Amar More, who replied to us with his usual soft and effective eloquence; far from being a supercilious person, he even agreed on showing his email address in our feature. If you prefer to contact Kale directly with your additional questions, you’ll have no trouble reaching Amar by email: Amar.More@kalelogistics.com

Joe McBryan & The Legacy Of Flying A DC-3

Joe McBryan is a modern day air cargo pioneer of aviation and air cargo.

Over a half century he has pulled himself and Buffalo Airways up from the bootstraps first by flying supplies to little hard to reach villages in Northern Canada and also as an aerial firefighter, and maybe more importantly by lovingly keeping the art and ability of some 50 and even 80-year old aircraft not only together but also airworthy.

Canada, for one reason or another, forbid Joe McBryan to fly passengers on one of his wonderful DC-3s via a regular schedule from Yellowknife to Hay River.

The puddle jump at a couple thousand feet was a daily ritual used by commuters, business people and tourists turned a six-hour drive into a 121-mile blast from the past air journey.

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Terms of Endearment . . . United Cargo wins Sustainability Award at The International Air Cargo Association TIACA San Francisco Executive Summit March 23. Jan Krems, who never in his imagination would have planned a situation like this, as President United Cargo almost singlehandedly saved the airline with the most ambitious cargo program in airline history, accepted the award saying simply:

“I am proud to be in an industry that is really delivering.”

Stars fell on San Francisco Wednesday night.

At 96 years since its founding in Vienna in 1926 ,FIATA has outlived and in many cases outclassed most industry organizations in transportation. Meet some of the outstanding members of this "United Nations of Cargo" here, and beginning on May 17 when The FIATA Headquarters Session meets in Geneva.

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Bill Spohrer had done about as much as anyone you ever met to lift organized cargo when he served as CEO of Miami-based Challenge Air Cargo. He became a driving force of a great all-cargo enterprise based at MIA that landed four square behind a new idea for a trade show called Air Cargo Americas and also helped lift the comeback of TIACA. Bill celebrated reaching 90 years of age last June 11th.

Today, living quietly and comfortably out of touch in Florida with wife Lynn, Bill is smiling his way toward 91 years of age in just about four months.

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When the 2022 version of Air Cargo Americas/Supply Chain Americas Show launches this week on Tuesday March 8 after having suffering its 2021 version postponed because of COVID, the event venue will look pretty much the same as always.

Maybe after all the uproar of the past two years that continues, 105 booths and 1,500 people signed up with many walk-ins always a factor at this event can be looked upon as some kind of miracle.

For those of us who operate whilst in Miami on coladas and pastries from Vito’s on Curtiss Parkway, the return to this place with its vibrance is always a happy one.

It’s about the people there and that this is the only true airport cargo show in the world sponsored by an airport, Miami International. No other airport in the world has a biennial cargo event of this size and dimension that has lasted as long, nor greeted more members of the air cargo industry

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Say A Prayer For Imma

As Imma van der Walt was undergoing brain surgery at Duke University Medical Center in a nine plus hour procedure meant to arrest an enlarged brain tumor, her Dad, well-known and respected transportation executive Lionel van der Walt and Mom, the always gracious and lovely Ilonka were standing by as the procedure continued all day Monday February 21

I spoke to Lionel, who said:

“Never been this scared of anything in our lives before, but we know the surgery must be done.

“Feeling rather "small" and helpless today.

"Wish there was something we could do to help her, but it's out of our hands.

“The worst feeling ever!”

Here were people that are operating flat out to summon up the courage that is the resistance to master fear during the most challenging moments of their lives together.

Asked what we in air cargo can do at that time, Lionel said simply:

“Thanks to everyone that might say a prayer, for Imma."

So we asked our readers of Flying Typers worldwide to join together and share a prayer for this young lady in her moment of maximum peril.

Well you did, and the amazing team at Duke did, and somebody up there likes Imma, so our news here from the recovery ward today is excellent.

For all we can tell there was some pretty powerful praying going on all over the world.

So here take a moment in everything else going on in our world today to tell a feel good story about something we all did together.

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Happy Valentine's Day

It is that time of the year when love shines. But India’s flower growers/exporters will hardly feel the warmth of love this Valentine’s Day 2022. Cupid will once again bring tears – like last year – to flower growers/exporters. Many had hoped that exports would rise but that did not happen.

Farewell Alfred Kuehlewind

We were saddened to learn of the death of Alfred Kuehlewind this past weekend in Los Angeles.

In 1974 Alfred opened Commodity Forwarders Inc. (CFI) as a one-man office in Los Angeles specializing in perishables products, especially strawberries to Europe by air.

In 2017, CFI became part of Kuehne+Nagel.

A Lunar New Year Story

It is apparent to almost anyone traveling on business that there isn’t enough time to enjoy authentic local scenery. Since no time for anything more than survival COVID business as usual has been unusual, to say the least. But now while the veil seems to be lifting here in the U.S. we can maybe get back and stick our toe in the water.

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For the first time since Daniel Fernandez picked up the baton from the first TIACA DG, the late Garth Davies, TIACA has a running chance as the world emerges from the depths of lockdown and uncertainty to what could be a new deal as an organization.

The place was called The Owl and it was located just outside the airport on the corner of Farmers & Guy R. Brewer Blvd., and what fun it was.

The Owl, a local air cargo haunt operated by Joe “Owl” Mancusi was reportedly an occasional gathering point for the gang that planned and later held up Lufthansa Cargo and were immortalized in a book and the movie “Goodfellas”.

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In this COVID-19 (semi) lockdown early-February 2022 as we receive notes of greetings and good wishes for Christmas cards that were send in early December, we have been thinking, based on the slowdown in the US mail service maybe it is not too early despite the snowfall to think about flowers &. Valentines Day

Always a big part of Valentines Day now less than two weeks away , we are wondering if space demand for floral shipments that always cube out before they weigh out will be severely impacted by demands to move vaccines and other stuff?

Any air cargo force worth its salt would be loathe to cast away the flower markets anytime now as junk cargo.

Think of all those reefers in MIA and elsewhere masquerading as air cargo terminals.

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Before you Google to ogle, think about the implications of balancing a woman on top of a skyscraper like a Christmas ornament. Lady Liberty she ain't.

The latest ad from Emirates features a flight attendant standing atop the almost 3,000-foot Burj Khalifa in Dubai—the tallest skyscraper in the world. Given the context of an ongoing pandemic and the resultant travel woes that have arisen (A recent American Airlines flight from Florida to London that had to return because ONE traveler refused to wear their mask—talk about "you better pipe down back there, or I'm turning this car around!"), one can only hope that most flight attendants do not have to teeter atop the needle point of a skyscraper to earn their keep.

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The apple doesn't fall far from the tree is a phrase that is typically said in connection with children who show qualities or talents that are similar to those of their parents.

When EMO Trans Jenni Frigger Latham appears on the stage in New Orleans at the first panel Wednesday morning to moderate a discussion on sustainability that includes the former Head of IATA Cargo and current President of TIACA Glyn Hughes and the former President of Cargo Network Services (CNS) and current title of PayCargo Lionel Van der Welt, she will be a dynamic freight forwarder leading a discussion of major consequences in a the first welcome back live face-to-face AfA session in two years.

Jenni comes from a dynamic pioneering company building freight forwarder culture built by her Dad Joachim "Jo" Frigger, and her Mom, Karin Frigger who accelerated and built EMO Trans, USA from a small office up a long flight of stairs on Rockaway Blvd next to the main runways of John F. Kennedy International Airport into a global power.

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Just came across an announcement that American Airlines Hangar 3-5 have been cleaned up at LaGuardia Airport

That caught my eye as the notice also mentioned that the original AA domestic passenger facility at LGA Hangar 1 one of the most historically significant buildings on any airport anywhere had been demolished.

Hangars 3 an 5 look OK in the style of the late 1930s and for sure have a lot of history. But to compare them in value historically with Hangar 1 is like trying to match up some pseudo paste with the Hope Diamond.

This is the place that guaranteed that there would be a LaGuardia with airplanes in New York City in 1939.

As the airport was building in 1938 at North Beach , Mayor Fiorello H. LaGuardia still needed an anchor tenant so he set aboutconvincing American Airlines founder CR Smith and the brilliant negotiator CR had just coaxed away from Braniff OM “Red” Red Mosier to move AA's entire corporate headquarters operation from Chicago to New York's new North Beach Airport Hangar1 in Flushing Queens.

Mosier made the deal,New York City awarded American "pole position" in Hangar One at the new airport, and AA set up shop in New York City. LaGuardia emerged as the busiest airport in the world.

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Can't wait to get to an air cargo show?

Airforwarders Association is at just that inside a big downtown

hotel beginning January 17 in New Orleans.

You know all about Cargo in Cabin that saved the world and kept the airlines flying for the past two years.

Did you know Cargo In Cabin was invented and performed aboard 40 long range commercial passenger carrying jet aircraft 60 plus years ago by Pan American World Airways Clipper Cargo?

Thanks to our readers Bob Rogers and Martin Beasdale we discovered some more of our world that we share with you dear listener right here.

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As we say goodbye to yet another year of pandemic caused by COVID lets remember those parted while looking forward to 2022 hopeful that this seemingly endless string of months that now has turned into years of living in doubt, may finally move into the broad sunshine of a new day people all over the world pray is soon upon us.

Bill Boesch has always been the common sense voice in the throng. From the early days at Seaboard World and at Pan Am Clipper Cargo; serving as President of American Airlines Cargo for Bob Crandall, as logistics specialist at Operation Iraqi Freedom where he was recognized with the USA Medal of Freedom for his dedication and service, and most recently as a key player at Operation Warp Speed, Bill Boesch for more than a half a century has been in the thick of the movement to advance air cargo at the airlines wherever he has served.

“For air cargo, Bill says,” 2021 was a year of change.”

Jo Frigger gets a long last goodbye. But I have said goodbye a couple of times since he died April 19,2021. There still is more to say.

Our last words for this year are for you.

Happy,Peaceful and Healthy New Year!

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Greatest Charity Outreach In The History of Air Cargo

Slowly in the U.S. people are getting together, although, in some quarters the feeling continues to prevail that the risk of COVID is still there, so maybe better to lay low.

That's not good at all for some people anxious to get back to life, as they try to help others.

Recently a cargo fundraiser by Lufthansa Cargo at ORD during of all things, a Christmas Party (remember those?), brought to mind Cargo Human Care headed up by Fokko Doyen. CHC with love at its heart, stands today as the greatest charity effort by anybody in air cargo,

Trumpeting progress at the biggest airport for the greatest city in the world is, at best, a dicey proposition. Kindly consider and never forget all traffic at JFK International Airport comes and goes like toothpaste being squeezed through the tiny opening in the tube better known as Van Wyck Expressway. Until someone comes up with a better overland alternative, or launches a cargo water taxi, or comes up with something more than the pathetic and nearly totally useless roadway system in and out of JFK, building for air cargo at that airport is more like a dead heat on a merry-go-round.

This edition includes our traditional "A Christmas Story" recalling the blessings of a Christmastide past.

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Mixed in Thanksgiving, Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and a phalanx of other branded retail days almost too numerous to mention, days between now and Christmas 2021 let's take a deep breath and give thanks to those deliver it by hand to others in need.UPS celebrating 70 years of the UPS Foundation feels like a good place to start.

A Slugger Without A Bat

The exemplary In the game of baseball who is able to hit the ball far distances for home runs and extra base hits just three times times every ten at bats can be called a "slugger"

Hank Aaron was a slugger, Joe Di Maggio was a slugger, Ted Williams was a slugger, as was Willie Mays.

Jerry Trimboli at Scandinavian Airline System (SAS Cargo) was a slugger without a bat; a pioneer industry minded man who also happened to be in my 50 years of service, head and shoulders amongst the best big league airline cargo transportation executives , ever.

Here the exemplary life and times of Jerry Trimboli who passed in February 2020 is remembered.

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Some time ago, shipment of dangerous goods by air and the threat to air cargo from unidentified and unlabelled hazardous materials in shipments was described as “The Wild West of Dangerous Goods".

Now Radharamanan Panicker has decided to do something about that, having gone out on his own and formed his own company: Dangerous Goods Management (DGM) India.

DGM India is a fully recognized dangerous goods training entity in the Indian air cargo market and Panicker is possibly one of the few experts in dangerous goods in the country.

World Cup 2022

In one year’s time (November 21-December 18) begins FIFA World Cup in Qatar, as the eyes of the world will be here watching us which is the biggest single sporting event in the world, with viewing audience of 3.6 billion persons and 1.2 million spectators.

This great tournament will be held for the first-time history in the Muslim and Arab world.

Thanksgiving USA

Memories of the grand traditional American family dinner of Thanks, where minus the COVID, the only thing expected is that you show up and have dinner. Hooray for the Pumpkin Pie!

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Has anyone noticed some ominous changes going on at air cargo leadership like IATA? Most distressing is to witness almost a mass exodus of vital key air cargo staff from the ranks of carriers, even though air cargo was carrying the water for these companies during the last 18 months. Does that make any sense? The answer we think is cutting staff in pieces: if you are always thinking passenger, your mentality will always result in good people of air cargo being swept away. I guess thinking about these things, what concerns me most feels like the loss of great expectations: the apparent short sightedness going on right now. We are losing lots of key people in air cargo positions throughout the industry whilst business booms. Where are the engineers of air cargo who are primed and ready to spring into future action with ideas that would allow an even greater future for air cargo?

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Now Alitalia is gone. As you join us today a 74-year saga of the airline business is now gone, maybe forever joining a very long list of airlines that some of us grew up with and thought might never go away.

We do not pretend to to know all that much about Alitalia. But we know someone who does and shares his observations here.

Marco Sorgetti, the recently retired Director General of FIATA and, for our money, the greatest DG to serve that iconic nearly 95-year old Geneva-based forwarder organization, today is alive and well in Turin, Italy.

Here he tells the story from up close and personal of AZ.

We recall delivering our newspaper, the original Air Cargo News founded in USA in 1975, 8 years before some Brits knowingly swiped our name and started up the now German-owned Air Cargo News in London.

We came across some cargo workers at one stop, who were living in a container outside Hangar 6 at JFK where AZ Cargo operated. As AZ employees, they were on strike for what seemed like years back in the 1990s. Eventually after a couple of years the strike was settled and everyone knew the trouble with AZ was, that no one ever lost their job or something along those lines.

"Now," Marco writes, "with Alitalia gone I wonder if the Italian style that lived so high in the air might be part of the story?

"Maybe too much of La Dolce Vita?.

"Perhaps," says Marco. "Geoffrey is not far from truth, but the picture is far more complicated."

If you wish to continue listening you will get an idea of what we are talking about.

Finnair is 98

In 1939, Finnair was on display at The New York World's Fair promoting planned scheduled services from Helsinki to New York

City for 1940 via four-engined, high-flying Focke-Wulf 200 Condor passenger aircraft.

In 1938, an FW-200 flew nonstop from Berlin to New York City scaring the hell out of Pan Am, which operated big lumbering Boeing B314 flying boats across the pond.

Minus the world at war, Finnair would have been flying non-stop, HEL-LGA in 1940!

So happy birthday Finnair and heartfelt thanks for the memories.

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Newspapers and TV now feature shipping containers as front page news, whilst shoppers frantically clean out Costco, Target and Walmart and other stores to the bare walls as Christmas and end of year holidays fast approach. All in all, 2021 will be remembered for those images and a time everyone was kicking the cans.

IndiGo has initiated a freighter program and is in the process of sourcing four A321 aircraft.

“The A321P2F – Passenger-to-Freighter conversion is the most efficient narrow-bodied freighter available, offering 24 container positions and supporting a payload of up to 27 tons,” said William Boulter, Chief Commercial Officer, IndiGo, adding that “the delivery of our first freighter is expected in first half of CY2022.”

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Peter Hansen died on September 9th in Cape Town, South Africa. He was 87.

For thirty-five years from the dawn of modern air cargo, Peter was most important, and amongst his peers a very respected, down on the ground innovative air cargo builder of the last century.

You may not know him.

We realize that time marching on can be ferocious and people can get lost in the shuffle.

But not this time.

For air cargo, Peter Hansen simply was the whole package back at the beginning when creativity was the order of the day.

Without precedent to fall back upon, Peter was the one with the knowhow to be a driving force for remarkable operations that were created between airline, forwarder and shipper.

It was what Henry James described as “grasping imagination” that created airborne traffic where none had existed before.

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Can you believe it? Scheduled on October 5th for the first time in recent memory, IATA includes an air cargo panel at its passenger AGM titled "What’s Next for Air Cargo After its Heroic Performance in the COVID-19 Crisis?"

"Now we are underway building a new state-of-the-art cold chain facility in Greater Toronto Airports Authority Toronto Airport as the next logical step, that will be a 30,000 square foot facility that fully aligns with the rollout of our initial freighter network, which will serve strong perishable markets," Matthieu Casey, Senior Director Global Sales & Revenue Optimization is very optimistic.

Jens Roemer, Chair of the Working Group Sea (WGS) of FIATA, is a person on the go: Jens and I checked the first part of this interview from his parent’s house in Hamburg, Germany, his hometown, during a short break. The rest was done whilst he was travelling back to Antwerp, where he lives and works.

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“As the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach go from bad to worse we now have LAX at a near breaking point with airfreight storage in some cases costing at 24 hours after arrival in excess of $1.00 kg per day.

“Hang on as this is going to get much more chaotic before it gets better.”

The speaker is Peter Lamy President of Intelligent Supply Chain Management (iSCM) and American Worldwide Agencies (AWA) based in Hawthorne, California.

Cargo facilities at most U.S. airports are inadequate for what’s ahead! Since 2000, cargo improvements at most U.S. airports were almost nil until E-commerce and a pandemic sparked new interest. Resolving the gaps is far more difficult in mature markets where development comes up to the fences. Airports like Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) on 14,000 acres are rare.

Don Lamy was a force of nature when we knew him as top man in the Americas at Air New Zealand Cargo, the airline he served and became famous for building in the U.S..

From Los Angeles Don had that cargo operation humming, and punching way above its weight for decades.

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Bill Boesch is a true air cargo pioneer having served at top posts for Seaboard World, Pan American, American Airlines, Emery, DHL and elsewhere. One of my fondest memories is Bill inside a container with Julie Kupersmit at the TIACA Show in Manhattan 40 years ago drawing sketches for a new container on scrap paper. Little wonder that later that Bill was a force behind Envirotainer. Here Bill who delivers the unvarnished truth about things, and is still quite active with military transport, talks about the state of the airlines today.

Mike White told Los Angeles Air Cargo Association (LAACA) luncheon meeting:

"Due to the stuck in the mud bureaucracy that maybe it is time that TSA not be the agency in charge of air cargo security and maybe taken over by CBP who has more capabilities and understanding of transportation logistics."

Au Revoir Laurent

A great pioneer of air cargo in France, and beyond that a genuinely lovely human being, Laurent Bernet died July 7 in Paris of cancer that he had been battling for the past decade.

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Escape From The World Trade Center The Jim Larsen Story

As the twentieth September 11th since the World Trade Center tragedy in New York City is upon us, somber memorial services and recollections continue around the world recalling that terrible day.

We remember being at home when the doorbell rang on September 13, and there stood our friend Jim Larsen, Manager of Air Cargo Business Development for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.

We were so glad to see him, we hugged, and poured him a cup of coffee. After a few minutes he produced a manuscript of how he escaped from the 65th floor of the World Trade Center, minutes before Tower One came crashing down.

Our FlyingTypers issue today tells Jim's epic story with some pictures of him in our kitchen September 13, 2001. Our FlyingTalkers Podcast today allows you, the listener, a word picture and some extra observations.

Jim, not only got out, but cool as a cucumber he saved lives as well. It's a tale of courage and hope from someone who was inside sitting at his desk on the 65th floor when that first aircraft smacked into the side of The North Tower.

Today Jim and his wife Annette are alive and well, living in Lakehurst, New Jersey. For years after 911 Jim would commute to the World Trade Center site and conduct tours telling his story from the inside out of that fateful day.

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Last week attendees in Miami at the 30th Annual Cargo Network Services (CNS) Partnership, the American-based pioneer air cargo organization dedicated to advancing cooperation between airlines and forwarders, were introduced to a new look as CNS met its new President Frédéric Leger. Frédéric Leger has held several inside jobs at IATA and is referred to as a “right hand man” to IATA DG Willie Walsh.

Both are based and will continue to operate from Geneva .

“I’m very proud to walk in Tony Calabrese’s footsteps, but also the footsteps of successes as we open this 30th edition of The CNS Partnership Conference.”

Nothing To Lose But the Wait

Boston Logan International Airport air cargo stakeholders have some congestion challenges, but help is on the way as Massport, the airport operator have teamed up with Kale Information Solutions, the wunderkind company with the Airport Community System (ACS) that streamlines the entire export and import process for all airport cargo stakeholders.

“Get ready for the Massport Airport Congestion Pilot kick-off meeting September 13 from 10:00a-11:00a EST & on September 16 11:00a-12:00p EST).

Changes At Newark Airport

The prospect of a new 23-acre Amazon mini-hub at EWR is a perfect example of the impacts of growth. The substantial land use requirement will undoubtedly impact other cargo stakeholders to include their leasehold and operations. The likelihood is that new facility models – perhaps vertical – will need to be constructed to avoid displacing existing tenants to other airports. While it all can be done, it will require substantial modification of facilities, adjacent landside and airside infrastructure, perhaps some major access roads, and of course, heavy capital investments.

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As CNS gets underway this weekend in Florida, (August 29-31) featuring Willie Walsh, Director General of IATA, on his first public mission with gravitas after his appointment, I would gladly ask him questions regarding the IATA approach.

Starting with Air Cargo, is One Record the totem for which IATA decided to ditch its IATA FIATA program? Was the entire IATA FIATA negotiation just a straddle strategy?

Time to celebrate 30 years of the CNS Partnership recalling the people that made the "Partnership" go

Meet Francesco Parisi Up Close & Personal When Parisi went into business in 1807 Napoleon was alive and signed a peace treaty with Russia; Ludwig von Beethoven debuted his Symphony Number 4 and Robert Fulton launched his first steamboat on the Hudson River in New York. Today in 2019, the quiet and unassuming Francesco Parisi (third generation) is a constant force for good as former President of FIATA and active builder of global transportation.

Sad to report our colleague Steve Prince of Woodstock, Georgia died of Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis on Friday August 20, 2021.

He was 72 years of age.

Steve had served as publisher of Air Cargo World since 1991 and later he spent many years serving with the Board of TIACA promoting and bettering the cause of the air cargo industry.

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Fall Ahead In New York

22 carriers at Newark Airport's main air cargo handling Buildings 339-340 are about to be displaced and right now are scrambling for space as walking papers are sure to follow the deal the airport operator Port Authority of New York & New Jersey has made allowing Amazon complete control of those buildings—it might be useful to look at some numbers to see how goes the cargo business EWR and JFK . . .

High Road To Casablanca

“Royal Air Maroc is into development of more streamlined, digitized processes, the promotion of our Charter operations using our Freighter and Preighters, and the pursuit of excellence in the handling of pharmaceutical and healthcare products. Royal Air Maroc has joined the Cargo iQ community in 2019. The Cargo iQ initiative intends to determine and put in place quality standards for the Cargo industry. Joining this collaborative enterprise is part of our plan to reach operational and customer service excellence." Play it again Fayed . . .

National Aviation Day

In the U.S., National Aviation Day was celebrated last week on August 19. Aviation Day was established in 1939 by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt after FDR issued a Presidential proclamation, which designated Orville Wright’s birthdate (August 19) to be National Aviation Day.

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Amazing Inception Need Meditation

Amazon is cooking up a deal with the New York New Jersey Port Authority that, if enacted, could end up turning over 23 acres or the heart of Newark International Airport Air Cargo handling via Buildings 339 and 340 to one company, Amazon, leaving almost every other cargo operator at the airport including 22 airlines, whistling in the wind.

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The International Air Cargo Association Summit scheduled for San Francisco for November 8-10 will now take place on March 22-25 in San Francisco. We could not find a location for this meeting but you can check for further developments & location @www.tiaca.org.

When Air Canada Cargo put out the news late last month underscoring the best air cargo quarter the airline has ever seen, we sat up and took immediate notice.

Now with freighters getting ready to extend the Air Canada Cargo brand this Fall 2021—high, wide and handsome around the world, Matthieu Casey, Senior Director, Cargo Global Sales and Revenue Optimization tells it like it is in today's edition of FlyingTalkers.

It's Summer 2021 and what is old is new again as air cargo sets records for delivery of both life-saving serums during the global pandemic and income to the airlines. Here we make the case for greater industry involvement in advancing air cargo, whilst recalling the first breakthrough for air cargo—The Berlin Airlift of 1948.

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Dr Yang Yuntao was born in Changchun, in Northeast China. Changchun means “Long Spring” in Chinese.

During his 20 years serving as the head of legal affairs in Sinotrans, Dr Yang lead the legal work of various milestone events, such as the initial public offering, litigation and arbitration cases, both at home and abroad, bankruptcy reorganisation of listed shipping subsidiaries, etc.

Dr. Yang Yuntao has a simple and natural criterion for being a General Counsel, i.e. serving the company in a practical and down-to-earth manner, so that the leadership and his business colleagues can recognise and confirm the company’s values.

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We can never forget that irresistible determined picture of some comely, nice- looking people masked up out on the ramp and inside Virgin Atlantic aircraft bringing life to otherwise empty passenger cabins .When you think about it, very early in the pandemic Virgin Atlantic Cargo made it clear that the red coats were going to take the bull by the horns and damn the pandemic they stepped out brilliantly with an aggressive, well thought out strategy to move cargo upstairs on aircraft seats, before anybody else.

Oh! By Golly Here Comes Kale...Amar More CEO Kales Logistics: “You never know what you can do until you are pushed in the corner.” If two years back someone would have told me that you can still create world class software with all ! your employees working from home, you can implement systems in as far as North America, South America, Europe, Middle-east, Africa; sitting in India; I would have laughed my heart out. If someone would have said, people can move cargo in and out of large air cargo hubs based on QR codes (and none or limited paper); people would have thought it to be a sci-fi imagination for our industry."

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Twenty five years ago on July 17, 1996 230 people were lost, when Trans World Airlines Flight 800 bound for Paris from John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City exploded above East Moriches, Long Island and fell into the Atlantic OceanI This past weekend more than 200 people gathered in Smith Point County Park near the crash site that contains a black tablet wall inscribed with the names of all those aboard the doomed aircraft.

Will The Real Hong Kong Stand Up Please?

For some time now quite a rather large cross section of the world’s media has bemoaned loss of freedoms in Hong Kong in what is often described today as a Mainland China-controlled city.

So with Hong Kong as the air cargo driver that it is in the world today, with the busiest air cargo enterprise anywhere, we thought it might be good to talk to someone on the ground who is also a well-known and respected air cargo specialist, someone who lives and work there.

The Best GSSA In The World

You cannot mask that, during these lockdown times, Ingo Zimmer, CEO, ATC GSSA and his global team are holding the relationships developed over the years across an expanding roster of service partners "even closer," as Ingo puts it.

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Member of the FIATA Board of Directors, Turgut Erkeskin is a seasoned, yet youthful, energetic and quietly confident presence.

But make no mistake about it, he is all there, albeit just below the radar, a most interesting transportation executive from Istanbul.

Turgut doesn’t shout for attention.

In fact, a major force in Turkish cargo as a long time shaker and mover of UTIKAD, the high energy forwarder association of Turkey, Turgut is best known for his advanced thinking and respected as a reasoned consensus guy.

Perhaps the key quality about Turgut, when you talk to him is that he actually listens, and is able to pivot and broaden his thinking to move things forward.

Turket Erkeskin, as the pandemic finally begins to subside in 2021, emerges as an enlightened force for good in transportation and increasingly FIATA’s man for all seasons.

Sullivan's Travels

Hot Summertime Backroom Buzz

Brendan Sullivan confirmed as new IATA Head of Cargo.

His Linked-in page states that Brendan delivers “20 years of experience in air transport, primarily in air cargo in a variety of operational and leadership roles.

“He is a positive and engaging leader with extensive network across the complete air cargo industry.”

Stay Tuned.

Greatest Aviation Historian of The All

Here we recall the life and times of REG Davies the most important aviation historian in the history of the world. Ron, who died 10 years ago this month, did it all, including create the most important and easily most accurate history of the world's airlines.

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Meet Jason Berry Vice President Cargo at Air Canada. Exciting news last week that Air Canada Cargo is adding freighters to its fleet is some very positive news of the impact and impression of air cargo to the world in 2021.So now with its first freighter due to arrive sometime early in Q4 of 2021, we thought the man carrying the responsibility to make the future Air Canada Cargo plan work might share some insights and industry views as his mighty all -cargo fleet is building.

Summer Rewind ....The Latin words " Speas Ultima Dea " translate in English saying "Hope is the last Goddess".

Marco Sorgetti served as Secretary General for FIATA during a period from 2011 until 2017 serving the 92-year old Swiss-based organization representing the largest group of global freight forwarders. During that time FIATA emerged from what can be described as a self-imposed veil of secrecy, gaining wider attention and acceptance in many transportation circles as a vital force..

In truth FIATA has always been there and actually much longer than many other transportation fraternities..

It was during the aforementioned time-frame that IATA and FIATA inked their historic cooperation that apparently IATA has sandbagged for now.

Now happily retired, sheltered in place at home in Turin, Italy, Marco speaks from a vantage point that includes his experiences as a freight forwarder and his time as the top communicator and a sensitive, always brilliant top executive at FIATA.

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During the last year, the industry has seen quite a change in individuals at key organizations that represent the airline industry. Many senior people have left the associations for other positions. What is worse, we have not seen anyone filling these positions that right now are more important than ever, for an industry that is in a state of dramatic growth.

As if the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) having a lot of people chasing their tails including Importers, Exporters, Carriers, and Freight Forwarders out front of that International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) security edict that takes effect June 30th for 100% screening of all international all-cargo flights was not enough, well look again.

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Will CNS Finally Disappear?

The backroom whispers have always been there, even as legendary Tony Calabrese founded Cargo Network Services (CNS) thirty years ago as a landmark U.S. organization with the mission to create a middle ground between airlines and forwarders and shelter the partnership from anti-trust legislation in the U.S.

“IATA doesn’t really like CNS.”

Well, what goes around comes around in 2021, as the industry learned Thursday that Cargo Network Services (CNS) financial roadmap to tomorrow took an unexpected detour as new management at CNS dusted out PayCargo in a slash and cut job just days after a web-based CNS Advisory Board meeting made no recorded mention to that assemblage that the impending action was anticipated.

In other words, IATA fired PayCargo without consulting the CNS Advisory Board, which apparently was given notice of the action after the fact.

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What became small during the opening stages of the pandemic and is getting bigger now as COVID-19 fades in some places? Why are some publishers and trade show companies and organizations insisting size matters and live meetings are needed in 2021 whilst lockdowns continue in places all over the world?

World Environment Day: Projecting a ghastly reality ahead. Here's hope . . .

Dan Muscatello knows as much about airport marketing as anyone on the planet. Stay tuned as he offers a glimpse ahead of what is in store for cargo at world gateways post-pandemic.

One From The Heart: Lord love a nurse as Karin Krestan retired from Lufthansa Pharma Frankfurt.

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Good thing Sri Lankan Airlines has made some moves to ramp up cargo as COVID -19 has closed almost everything else in the island nation down.

FIATA took a look in the crystal ball at the rest of 2021 and decided discretion is the better part of valor, nixing its plan to hold its big annual conference in Brussels come September. It's June this week as 2021 is moving rapidly toward being half over.

We wish we could say the same thing about COVID-19 but the simple fact is people still cannot travel from country to country in some parts of Europe and elsewhere in the world notably India, the aforementioned Sri Lanka and now Japan.. Question is when will IATA(CNS & WCS) and TIACA still scheduling live events for 2021 , wise up and do the same thing?

As Memorial Day in USA is celebrated as the official opening of Summer 2021 begins ,Jim Larsen and Dan Muscatello share some thoughts about a summer day 20 years ago on September 11, 2001.

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Was I born in this India?

Every morning you wake up with hope that soon fritters away when you look at the newspaper, your WhatsApp group chats that speak of yet another death and extended family members, friends and acquaintances falling prey to Covid-19.

There is, perhaps, no family that has remained untouched.

I lost a dear cousin and another in a few days. Added to that was the fact that the first cousin’s son and daughter-in-law along with their two kids also contracted the dreaded sickness. The son had to be sent to hospital and later ICU.

Pumping Traffic Air Cargo News Roundup ...ACI Europe notes that another 2,000 air routes have ceased operation just this year and estimates that European airports could lose another €29 billion in revenue this year with passenger numbers not set to recover to 2019 levels until 2025.

Listen and Weep Dept.: If you are tied up in any to a 2020 trade show, like it or not the event is probably scheduled later this year.

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Reality is that COVID-19 is the demon, and that demon still impacts life and is a danger in some manner or form more or less in various places as you move around the world.

Being together is something we all want. But jumping the gun is both ill-informed and irresponsible.

Indian aviation is passing through its most difficult phase.

In a financial crunch even before the pandemic started, this time around with the second run of Covid, the aviation sector is predicted to see possible downsizing or as Reuters put it "have their planes repossessed by lessors as a surge of COVID-19 infections roils travel".

What then about cargo?

IndiGo that referred recently to it’s cargo activity below decks as life in the “underworld” is keen to ramp up its cargo operations.

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Often people ask-"Hey FlyingTalkers why not do some short news items?"

Must admit that item news that my friend and early colleague, the late Tony Funnel branded Pumping Traffic News & Comment for us in 1975, which appeared in our newspaper Air Cargo News until 2010 and then online in our E-Zine Flying Typers for the past decade, has gone missing from FlyingTalkers.

Truth be told in the click bait race for readers to jack up otherwise meaningless mass readership claims, others in our profession actually spend all day generating item news that is dispensed like popcorn filling up in boxes with a brand of reporting that clogs up systems and cloud minds.

So why bring Pumping Traffic back?

Maybe we don't know everything, so let's try it for a while in addition to our longer story format, is our thought.

Love to hear your thoughts.

Speed Gibson Is Back.

Early on we played episodes from the 1938 radio classic Speed Gibson. A few listeners have asked what happened to the rest of the series of 12 minute adventures of a boy wonder pilot fighting for truth, justice and the American way?

Truth be told everything has gotten so serious in the past two years, maybe we have forgotten about the restorative quality we used to feel and how listening to old time radio sparked imagination. Truth be told, each of these Speed Gibson episodes stands on its own as a time stamp of another. Once upon a time in America short wave radio and the dream of owning a streamlined reciprocating piston engine aircraft, just like Wiley Post, was all the rage. Some day we will share our story of Wiley who was lost with humorist Will Rogers, both aboard Wiley's Lockheed Vega named Winnie Mae at Point Barrow, Alaska in 1938.

For now join Speed aboard a Clipper to Adventure!

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After many long years of start and stop between the giant association of the airlines IATA and the 100 plus year old international association of freight forwarders FIATA, it looks like that deal we announced and delivered a key-note speech for in Dublin a few years back (2016) is toast.

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My colleague and very best friend Joachim "Jo" Frigger Chairman of EMO Trans died on Monday April 19. Here is the press release from EMO Trans.

Later, after the shock of this sudden and great loss for people all over the world has passed our time of mourning, we will share with you our story of a decades-long friendship and alliance with this truly remarkable air freight forwarding pioneer.

Jo Frigger Inspired Freight Forwarding

Speaking of forwarders . . . Spend a few minutes with FIATA’s Director General Stephane Graber. Stephane delivers the entire package of what’s up and ongoing at FIATA in 2021. Included will be some words describing FIATA's new global agreement with PayCargo.

The settle-up will never be the same is our take.

Today it's FIATA Up To The Minute

Finally hang onto your hats as we wonder if the Air Cargo Agents Association of India (ACAAI) will accept the decision that went in IATAs direction after a nine-year old battle that had been going on at the Competition Commission of India (CCI)?

Will India Agents Kiss The IATA CASS?

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As Women's Month Marched along and the world celebrated International Women’s Day March 8, Jennifer Frigger Latham, Vice President, Sales & Marketing at EMO Trans based in Long Island, New York was hard at work away from the spotlight from home with her husband Paul and the couple’s two small children creating a counterpoint as the faces of love in the world of air and ocean shipping.

What Jenni experienced up close and personal makes for an interesting study of discovery and appreciation of life in the new world that is emerging post pandemic.

How she manages to raise two small children whilst carrying forward her duties at EMO Trans and also giving back, whilst thinking big thoughts serving as an active member of the Airforwarders Association Board is another story altogether.

Slew of latest numbers underscores slow return to normal, continuing to challenge industry otherwise, opening back up.

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This episode of FlyingTalkers is about performance and hope.

We have been aware of the stellar performance of Brandon Fried, President of the U.S-based Airforwarders Association for some time now.

Here we try and make the case why this man and his hardworking association deserve your support.

Lost & Found

Speaking from our recent experience when we finally came around to thinking about life after the two shot vaccination was drilled into our arms, we found ourselves at Max a German restaurant in Astoria, an old neighborhood which is now a very hip area filled with young people under 40 in Queens near LaGuardia Airport.

Talk about the rebirth of simple pleasures. There we were sitting at an outside cafe table with Lulu under the bench, with her water served before our drinks by a waiter that gets it right away about dogs.

Speaking of drinks, as other tables were being served those big quart sized glasses of Koelsch the outstanding draft beer from Cologne, the sun moving across the sky reflected through the beer glasses as the feeling of gemütlichkeit not experienced in over a year welled up inside us.

The red-cabbage, fried potatoes, a wurst platter did not disappoint either.

Returning to work we sent a letter asking some people "what will be the first thing you will do when COVID-19 finally goes to hell where it belongs and you can get back to some kind of normal with your life?

Here are a few responses.

Read these responses and the rest of the story with pictures in your April 12 edition of FlyingTypers out now or at www.aircargonews.com.

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Francesco Parisi's view on the strategic potential of the port of Trieste cannot be clearer: he sees the Adriatic like an enormous navigable canal to the heart of Europe, cutting transit times to the east by almost a week.

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Here we share stories about some interesting new leadership in air cargo that has emerged during the past year during the COVID-19 pandemic. The fact that our conversations were conducted with women, we suppose, fits nicely into the ongoing International Women's Month celebrations. But we have been sharing these stories since we began publishing in 1975.

The fact that the story can now involve many more women in positions of power than when we began is testimony to the expansive thinking going on right now in air cargo.

From Europe we share some thoughts from Dorothea von Boxberg, CEO of Lufthansa Cargo, who as it turns out leads the powerful and important German air cargo resource as the first woman in the top cargo position since Lufthansa carried its first package aloft in 1926.

Later a few words with the ‘Helicopter Lady’ Chaitaly Mehta, Director, EKF Global Logistics Pvt. Ltd.

Next we share some thoughts with Jessica Tyler. Doubt that you have missed that she was named President of American Airlines Cargo last year. For the record, in 2021 Jessica is top executive and the first female to lead the cargo effort for the biggest airline in the world.

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Will Live Meetings & Trade Shows Come Back?

The quick answer is, of course they will.

Right now while you hear this story, COVID-19 vaccines continue to arrive in doses by the millions almost everywhere on earth. At the same time eager cargo events are reaching out entreating us to join a webinar or attend a trade show convention or a regional meeting. The voices, like crickets in summer, will only continue to rise and fall on the wind with greater urgency as populations reach herd immunity, and life thankfully drifts back to normal. Anette Palm, a Director at Worldwide Convention Specialists (WCS) based in Krichenbach, Germany to the rescue.

No Silence For Bad Behavior

So you are a woman today in a professional business situation, or out for a walk and an aggressive unwanted someone decides to hit on you.

What will you do?

Say hello to Priyanka Ann Saini.

“Yes, there have been overtures that have not been appreciated and initially, I did not know how to deal with them as we are taught not to make a big deal of these things and there is no rule book that advises about such behavior.

“However, my way has always been to call out the culprits, confront them head on and condemn this behavior.

“I have done so with the support of male colleagues and have not encountered many who condone such behavior.

“I believe the only way out is to speak your truth, tell your story and call out misogynistic people when you see them."

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Indication that the COVID-19 pandemic has heated up the investment community for air cargo and especially folks deep dish into digitalization is acknowledged as M33 Growth, a Boston-based venture capital firm showed up at SmartKargo with a suitcase full of investment money.

Globalization In Real Decline?

As long as there is cheap labor and low environmental requirements overseas, don’t expect offshoring of supplies to stop anytime soon.

An India Air

Handling the vaccines is Cargo Service Center’s (CSC).

Along with Mumbai, CSC operates cargo terminals at Delhi, Ahmedabad, Bengaluru and Kannur.

Tushar Jani, Group Chairman pointed out that “as far as CSC and Mumbai airport are concerned, we are already the biggest vaccine temperature-controlled air cargo handler in India.

“Our infrastructure was ready and with enhanced capacity and use of new technology for CSC and Mumbai airport, it was a smooth process to accept this challenge."

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One From The Heart

“We benefit from her self-awareness, empathy and social skills that helps to navigate complex situations.

“She is the heart of our company,” Ingo Zimmer, CEO ATC Aviation Services says of Dagmar Hanau.

Why Guillaume Halleux

Guillaume Halleux Chief Cargo Officer at Qatar Airways is a Frenchman, who decades prior began his air cargo career from a split hangar in London that Air France operated with half full of Concorde parts and the other half full of air cargo.

Guillaume, who has since served as an expatriate air cargo builder in several posts around the world, began his climb working nuts and bolts inventory for the Concorde SST section of that hangar in London, where eventually he became fascinated with air cargo.

Greatest Commercial Aviation Historian

REG Davies, who served as a historian at Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum (NASM) in Washington, D.C. longer than anybody else, died a decade ago on July 30, 2011 in Shaftsbury, England.

He remains today the greatest and most prolific airline historian that ever lived anywhere in the world. His legacy to aviation, captured in 25 books and other social efforts, are as pioneering and important in scope as many of the subjects he wrote about.

His works including a private library should form the basis of a special space at NASM where his particular vision of aviation might be viewed by future generations in clearer focus.

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“People have space in their ultimate sanctuary, their homes, allotted for living.

“To make the transition from the office easier and more familiar we handed over office equipment, including ATC laptops and personal computers and also even office furniture for use at home," said Ingo Zimmer, CEO of ATC, the world's leading GSSA.

Too Cool

At a time in life when everything is changing, the McCools, both father Sean and son Ian have collectively been a constant of the Irish air cargo scene for more than 70 years.

Today their company established by Sean in 1989, International Airlines Marketing Ltd. (IAM) is Ireland’s largest Air Cargo General Sales and Service Agent (GSSA), responsible for over 20 percent of all airfreight traffic from Ireland.

Women's Day

Just in time for International Women’s Day March 8, Dorothea von Boxberg , Chairperson of the Executive Board and Chief Executive Officer of Lufthansa Cargo is also the happy face amongst us reporting 2020 delivered the best results in history for air cargo airline in Frankfurt.

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In aviation the letters spoken as a word reporting flying conditions is WOXOF.

"Weather: Overcast, Ceiling Obscured, Visibility Zero in Fog."

Pronounced like it looks: "WOXOF” when spoken most often gets the same response from everyone, especially pilots:

“You're not getting me up in that.”

Here in COVID-19 2021 as the year progresses and Spring begins, through the fog, there are some questions with everyone working at maximum overdrive, whilst delivering life-saving vaccines worldwide.

WOXOF-“Where Are We Now?”

Lord Love A Nurse

Karin Krestan stepped down February 17 taking early retirement as Head of the Lufthansa Cargo Cool Center in Frankfurt.

The lady pioneer of critical air cargo handling, who once served as a nurse’s aide at a hospital in nearby Darmstadt, Germany, joins an unusually large number of transportation professionals that seem to be taking early retirement everywhere across our industry just as demand for top line professionals increases.

Voyage of Discovery

From the mailbag comes a visit to the pioneering flying boat base at Port Washington, New York and a visitor in 1938 that in 2021 is a complete surprise.

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Basil Pietersen Brings The Rainbow To FIATA

As COVID-19 has severely limited public events for the past fourteen months , you may have missed that late in 2019 at it's World Congress in Cape Town FIATA elected Basil L.S. Pietersen, the former Chair and longtime director of the South African Association of Freight Forwarders to serve a two-year term as President of the global organization.As we celebrate Black History Month here in America and elsewhere around the world, it’s important to share that Mr. Pietersen at FIATA in 2021 is one of the very few African born top executives to serve at any global transportation association in the world.

Where The Nights Are Brighter Than Day

Why are we so interested in Qatar? Well, it’s the airways, dear… The airways are the carriers of innovation and prosperity for the world, what else?

Qatar Airways has been turning the moon to gold for the “Night Animal”, as the air cargo industry has been referred to in some quarters for the past 80 plus years. So this airline has become a real thoroughbred in the not so wide club of the best.

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Last week Turkish Cargo Talks a three- hour webinar went out worldwide.

We watched it.

Here is our take.

The event opened with about five minutes from host Smilin’ Sam Chui. Chui is a reality star who flies around and eats dinner in first class on everybody’s airline and shares the experience with his large global audience living vicariously every mile aloft.

We Remember Boubby

Once upon a time in Amsterdam KLM Cargo was operated by a team of people the stars fell on.

This group went out and changed air cargo all over the world and their impact endures yet today at KLM and elsewhere.

There was Jacques Ancher, the top cargo executive blazing new trails, and there was Boubby Grin a marketing and strategy guru, the likes of which our industry had never before encountered, and may never see again.

Jacques is OK, safe at home in Netherlands as you read this.

Boubby Grin died of cancer in Leiden at age 74 on January 28, 2021.

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Having launched FlyingTalkers, a weekly podcast every Monday for air cargo 18 months ago, I guess we could only expect that it would just be a matter of time until someone came along and branded Cargo Talks.

Turkish Airlines Cargo is putting up Cargo Talks, a first-time webinar that takes place beginning at 11:30 GMT Tuesday February 10.

Rates Clobber India Flower Exports

The flower farms at Bengaluru, Pune and a few other places are alive with color but this has not brought smiles to the growers and exporters.

Reason: Covid-19 and its aftermath.

Let’s separate the signal from the noise. Praveen Sharma, President, Indian Society of Floriculture Professionals (IFSP) was blunt when he told FlyingTalkers:

“2020 was the toughest year in the recent past for Indian flower growers for two reasons: the Covid-19 lockdown and the Nisarg Cyclone.”

Kung Hei Fat Choi

It is Lunar New Year: 2021 is the Year of the Ox. The new moon on February 11 heralds a new year that begins on Feb. 12, according to the lunar calendar.

But we are locked down during COVID-19 and going out for celebrations now is not an option.

But we are in this air cargo business and as such, we are also dreamers and doers.

So relax and dream a little dream about your post pandemic business life returning to include an expanded view toward travel.

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For a while most people in air cargo transportation knew Lionel Van der Walt from the time he served as President of Cargo Network Services (CNS).

All of that has changed because for some time now Lionel has served as CEO of fast-rising PayCargo.

The thing about Lionel is that he is a genuine good guy.

He listens well, is not fearful of tough decisions and standing up for what is right. Most endearing, to us at least, is that he is somebody always willing to lend a helping hand.

A money guy with heart, what a concept!

Lionel van der Walt has the milk of human kindness by the quart in every vein.

COVID Will Shut Down 2021 Meetings

OK we get it that you are desperate to get out to a meeting.

But hear this . . . it is February, a grim first anniversary of the world in the grip of COVID-19, and the pandemic is still raging everywhere.

So do the math, and have a reality check:

Truth be told, there is about an ice-cube’s chance in hell that any air cargo trade shows or live gatherings make much sense right now, or will take place in 2021.

The Wings of Man

In a world where timing is everything and COVID-19 has turned aviation upside down, the wonder is how could these folks behind this latest Eastern Airlines start-up attempt not feel snake bit?

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Last year in early March as the COVID-19 began raging and we were all locked down wondering what would happen next, the tulip beds springing back to life around our home sent their quiet message of life and renewal and beauty.

In uncertain times being able to slow down a bit and contemplate the flowers works.

Undoubtedly if you work in the flower business whether growing or selling or shipping you have felt that a special affection endures.

We spoke to Joost Bongaerts the owner and President of California based Florabundance.

Spend a few minutes with this gentleman and you will know what we mean.

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In the U.S. on Monday January 18, our nation celebrates the life and legacy of Martin Luther KIng. MLK Monday comes along just as the nation is about to welcome a new President after many months of political acrimony and unrest, and with COVID-19 still the continued threat to lives everywhere. With a tip of our hat to Rev. King always, we continue FlyingTalkers groundbreaking series covering the courageous women of air cargo and aviation with a look back at pioneering aviatrix Bessie Coleman. Next month America celebrates Black History Month, and March is Women’s History Month; It feels right today to celebrate the life of a beautiful human who is also as historically significant as Bessie Coleman.

To paraphrase musicologist Edward A. Ellington:

"If it feels good, it is good," said the Duke.

Our Martin Changed Air Cargo

If you want to learn about August Martin, the great air cargo pilot who flew for Seaboard World Airlines during the 1950’s, and was also the first black man to captain a U.S. flag air cargo airplane, you better plan on either using your old Funk & Wagnall’s Encyclopedia, or visiting the wonderful high school located near JFK International Airport in Queens, New York City named in honor of the air pioneer. Here is the rest of the story and why August needs to be honored by our industry.

In America, February celebrates Black History Month and March celebrates Women’s History Month, which beggars the question of where to place someone as historically significant as Bessie Coleman.

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When Jan Krems began his tenure four years ago as top cargo executive at United Airlines Worldwide Cargo as President we wrote:

“Winston Churchill said of Franklin Roosevelt that 'meeting him was like uncorking your first bottle of champagne,' which is exactly what best describes talking to Jan Krems, President of United Airlines Cargo."

Face-to-face or on Zoom, take your pick, Jan comes across as a very broad thinker and a brilliant air cargo mind. But he also seems a very approachable guy who knows how to both motivate people and thought and have some fun as well.

United Cargo business is on fire all over the world setting new records, having moved somewhere in the neighborhood of 10,000 cargo only flights. Right Now Krems and his team have UA Cargo out front and pulling away from every other U.S. flag combination carrier in the air cargo business.

A LaGuardia Love Affair

Hard to believe that I have been having this affair in public for the past 43 years. She is beautiful, one of a kind. And still today the very thought of The Marine Air Terminal (MAT) at LaGuardia Airport in New York City makes my heart sing. In 1978 the MAT was an overlooked, slightly long in the tooth run down part of LaGuardia Airport.

Today the MAT is alive and well, and as one of the first buildings on any airport in the USA to be designated a Historic Landmark (1980), you would think her future is assured.

But now some people want to use the MAT and make some changes that are little more than a device to proclaim there own importance.

To that we say, wait just a New York minute!

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There is a celebration this week in New York City. The nearly three quarters of a million people that are mostly commuters going to and from work in New York & New Jersey have been forced to travel pre-pandemic through Pennsylvania (Penn) Station in Manhattan, a daily subterranean dismal railroad encounter since the misdirected destruction in 1963 of the monumental Beaux Arts 1910 version of Penn Station. These commuters will get some relief beginning later this week when a new passenger experience begins on January 1st.

Happy New Year 2021!

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A moving holiday essay from a loving daughter decorates and drives our holiday spirit this muted Christmas 2020 during COVID-19.

Here is how Christmas ought to be, ,once was , and pray will be again, when the Pandemic of 2020 finally moves into the rear view mirror.

Florence Arend(we call her Flossie, takes off the gloves and paints a powerful word picture of her Christmas.

"Every year around this time, I struggle to find new words to offer to our loyal FlyingTypers’ readers. I am not immune to the warm responses inspired by our annual Christmas story, and I would be posturing if I said it doesn’t feel good to know it is so well received. However, the pressure mounts to say something new; to not rehash the things you already know; to provide some meaningful insight into our holiday gathering.

You know we are a family business in an age when most companies yearn to proclaim that simply for the feel-good cachet it affords them. People love a good legacy story. We just celebrated our 45th anniversary and no, you can’t put a price on that. In a world where everything has been commodified, you still can’t buy time or experience."

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Having spent most of my life in logistics, when we started talking about COVID19 vaccines in the springtime I was anticipating the greatest logistics challenge of our times: delivering COVID19 vaccines as soon as available to thousands if not millions of POU’s all over the world. Famously we recall challenges such as the Berlin Airlift which kept west Berlin alive in times of cold war, perhaps less famously but even more challenging we record the yearly feat of delivering the Beaujolais Nouveau wine to the five continents, ready for its grand opening every autumn.

This year of 2020, a year loathed by most, will nonetheless witness the kick-start of the largest logistics operation of all times. We have had ways of understanding that 2020 is one of a kind. This is especially true in logistics, and will be on our records for many years to come.

Here from Marco in Turin is the latest news from Europe as vaccine deliveries worldwide quicken and Christmastide promises to be like none other in recent memory.

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“The vaccine is liquid gold and everybody in the world wants it at once,” declared Bill Boesch, President of Council of Logistics Research.

Mr. Boesch, as has been the case for most of his illustrious career, is once again smack dab in the middle of the action in air cargo, for what is right now the biggest story in the world.

Freeze Dried Vaccines? (Rewind)

As the world awaits a COVID-19 vaccine, a two- shot sequence, delivery to 8 billion people , waiting in the wings is the technique of freeze drying vaccines in a process mostly under wraps for now at Pfizer and others promising big changes are ahead in global medicine,

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Ronald Edward George (REG) Davies is probably someone you may not have heard about.

Davies died in England nine years ago at age 90.

***Simply said, REG Davies was and today remains the greatest and most prolific airline historian that ever lived anywhere in the world.

His legacy to aviation, captured in 25 books and other social efforts, are as pioneering and important in scope as many of the subjects he wrote about including Lindbergh, Earhart, Berlin Airlift and almost every major airline in the world, past and present. His service via his immense output of books and research and work as the very first Curator of Air Transport at the National Air & Space Museum (NASM) in Washington, D.C. is detailed and enormous.***

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This could be the week that the world has been waiting for as that now imminent vaccine is on the boards to begin deliveries. From India to Indiana, the world will be able to breathe a long sigh of relief as air cargo jumps centerstage to commence what could be the greatest airlift in history. But are we ready? Here we talk to some leading transportation professionals of India. The Flying Cool Warehouse "Opticooler protects the most temperature sensitive and risky cargo and is a flying cool warehouse, at any climate and any temperature offering almost unlimited runtime (compared to passive solutions)," says Andreas Seitz.

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Here just for Thanksgiving in America 2020, we step back a bit and widen our scope revisiting one of most famous "airport happenings" in New York City history. The date was February 7, 1964 and the great international airport for New York City John. F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) said hello to the Beatles musical group and the city went wild. Actually the story of that flight has been well documented during the past 55 years in all aspects but one. What about the people that handled the flights and the ground support for that epoch trip? Here we include personal recollections of cabin crew and ground people alike in a romp that also relives the golden days of Pan American World Airways during a time when Pan Am was America's Airline To The World. Thanks to Michael Webber who created this piece , despite the lockdown and COVID-19, we all get a "Ticket To Ride".

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Stanley Lim Pioneering Singapore-based freight forwarder and Member of the Extended FIATA Board says:

“A lot is happening in FIATA: the reset idea is very good, but there are issues. FIATA has gone through a complete overhaul within a few months, in one of the most complex times of our lives due to the pandemic. I am fully committed to assist and my impression is that the new management would have an advantage to count on experienced members who recognize the demanding tasks of the association.”

Knocking Around The Zoo

By now our regular listeners have known Jim Larsen who served the pioneering all cargo U.S. carrier Seaboard World Airlines, and later as cargo marketing manger at The Port Authority of New York & New Jersey.

Jim, as we have learned as we approach the 20th Anniversary of that terrible day, was a genuine hero of 911 as he rescued fellow workers from One World Trade Center.. That inspiring story will appear here on New Year's Day 2021.

Here Jim shares a lighter hearted story of an adventure, knocking around the Calcutta Zoo in 1971.

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In less than two weeks the curtain will ring down on a career that has endured at an airline, nearly 46 years or since Gerald Ford was USA President and Helmut Schmidt served as Chancellor of The Federal Republic of Germany.

In Frankfurt, when Heide Enfield packs it in and retires on November 30 and says her last farewell, she will also bring to close a family affiliation in the airline business that dates back almost as far as the creation and development of post 1950s modern commercial aviation in Germany.

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These days more often than not we hear some new language driven by the COVID-19 global pandemic

“We are OK, safe inside of our bubble.”

I have often wondered how secure some of these perceived ‘bubbles” are.

Also think of our Son’ Geoffrey 11 about 20 years ago the day he left Queens New York and headed out to Hollywood where he starred as Flipper Boy in his first big production movie titled Bubble Boy.

Today I guess we all live in some kind of bubble and like the Bubble Boy in Guffy’s movie, we all have to learn how live breathe and think and move around for some time longer inside it.

Webber Weaves A Tale S/H

Mike Webber has contributed a diverse array of articles to Flying Typers over the years. From data-rich state-of-the-industry overviews to features about the Beatles’ arrivals at JFK and LAX that were shared in music (and Pan Am) forums where Flying Typers doesn’t typically land.

An Autumn Serenade For 2020

“Our look into the future must be guided by intelligence, experience, and common sense.

I have said this before:

“The virus is neither political nor religious; it’s biological purpose is to spread, and we humans are the hosts.

“We can reduce the risks."

Jo Frigger

Chairman

EMO Trans Global Logistics

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CNS Departures Mean Industry Will Suffer

"Now we are witnessing some of the best leadership in our industry departing

when this is the time they are needed the most,",former CNS President Warren Jones

told Flying Talkers.

"With the recent post of Mike White leaving CNS

and some other great individuals at

IATA like Gordon Wright, our industry, while resilient, will suffer."

Kicking The Cans

By now unless you have been living on the moon or accidentally got locked up the a cool box somewhere since 1985, Envirotainer the pioneering cool box company from Sweden says it can deliver all the vaccines needed anywhere in the world with no excuses or let up, and its system is the go-to way to move pharmaceuticals, worldwide on short notice.

Freeze Dry Vaccines? (Revisited)

Now the world awaits a COVID-19 vaccine, reportedly a two- shot sequence, delivery to 8 billion people alongside other therapeutics, that might add another two step that would see that dreaded one-way trip to the hospital turn into a roundtrip. Meantime waiting in the wings is the technique of freeze drying vaccines in a process mostly under wraps for now at Pfizer and others, While this method will not play a large role meeting the immediate need, freeze drying promises big changes ahead for delivery of global medicines.

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“CNS will focus on its core mission on ensuring that the CASS continues to meet the needs of the U.S cargo industry,” came the terse announcement from IATA confirming that our exclusive story of Mike White an icon of change advancing the airline forwarder partnership, departing as Cargo Network Services President at year’s end, is sadly all too true.

After finishing 40 years in the airlines and retiring sixteen years ago, Kari Tikkanen is not only still watching but involved with the industry.

“I began as Finnair Cargo Manager in Helsinki on May 15, 1969 when we launched a Douglas DC-8 Combi jet aircraft to New York with the pallets loaded forward.

“The Finnair first class cabin was located behind the wing on that aircraft,” Kari smiled . . .

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When it comes to air cargo, The International Air Transport Association (IATA) seems to be adapting a bunker mentality in 2020 as top management and other key personnel connected to air cargo are retiring in droves.

Glyn Hughes, IATA Head of Cargo departs IATA in January, and Mike White, President of IATA Cargo Network Services (CNS) will depart by year’s end.

Add to that the diminishing number of support staff at IATA in Geneva, including maybe all the team at CNS in Miami. Some in air cargo may feel like those “Six Characters Looking for an Author” a la Luigi Pirandello; a family of industry people left incomplete by an author who can’t finish the work for which we were conceived.

This June just past – at the height of the pandemic lockdown in India – there was a quiet celebration in the Chennai-based Blue Dart Aviation family (which is part of DHL eCommerce Solutions) celebrating its 24th anniversary on June 17.

Blue Dart Managing Director Tulsi Nowlakha Mirchandaney crossed a huge milestone.

Heard on the radio that soon travelers could be tested for COVID-19 before boarding a flight and then after landing whilst travelling between New York City and London.

The idea is to avoid that mandatory two-week confinement might encourage short stay business and pleasure travel. Florida’s airports are doing rapid tests and the prospect of continued innovative thinking will certainly be better than the punch in the nose our industry has taken from the ongoing pandemic.

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Michael R. White, the well-liked and much respected President of Cargo Network Services (CNS) is retiring December 31, to pursue other interests.

Mr. White joins a parade of recent IATA top cargo management retirements...

Dr. Jan Hoffmann is Chief, Trade Logistics Branch in the Division on Technology and Logistics at UNCTAD (http://UNCTAD.org). In different capacities through our careers, I have been able to meet with Jan Hoffmann several times. Becoming acquainted with Jan has been both a privilege and a discovery for me (http://JanHoffmann.live).

Gusto In Forschung

However, Dr Hoffmann was not born a civil servant, his gusto in “Forschung” (in English: Research) is probably the engine behind his choices, which brought him from his family tramp shipping business Hoffmann Shipping, based in Horneburg, Germany, to many other contiguous interests: import-export agent, seafarer, translator, consultant and assistant professor, before joining the United Nations.

Sky Bar Is Back!

Blast from our past . . . There is some good news this October as Halloween approaches. Sky Bar a great candy bar inspired by aviation in 1938 and thought dead a couple of years ago, is back, and better than ever, being produced in Sudbury, Mass.

Here is a treat from another time that celebrates the excitement and promise of air speed, that also brought a discipline for all time, along for the ride.

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We have been thinking about IATA as air cargo becomes more famous in the mainstream media in regards to COVID-19 PPE flight performance.

In the face of all the attention, IATA has shuttered all its cargo expertise in Geneva and Montreal.

Glyn Hughes, Head of Cargo, and others in both locations have taken packages and are out.

Is Cargo Network Services (CNS) next?

Do we stand to lose the expertise of Mike White and his team?

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A 2020 reality check is in order, with China having unleashed COVID-19 earlier this year and now ending One Country Two Systems in Hong Kong, and also apparently up to a lot of other less than glamorous things.

As the pharmaceutical industry dedicates its resources to the creation of an effective vaccine, one of the greatest challenges will be the design and implementation of an efficient distribution system that will address the demanding logistical requirements. Airports and their partners will be critical elements in the planning and operations.

“We actually make a difference in people’s lives, albeit indirectly - and it is this thought that makes me love my work and inspires me to work harder,” Chaitaly Mehta separates the signal from the noise with an insightful, direct view to best practices moving forward.

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If you count up the years Wally Devereaux, Southwest Airlines Managing Director Cargo and Charters, and a 28-year veteran of the carrier has been a force in air cargo for 14. But to look at him you might think he is a new kid on the block. Wally is a youthful and energetic "Mohair Sam" which is language from the 1940s that was often used to describe someone who is smart, easy going and always comfortable in his clothes. Here the Texas born and bred native talks about Southwest Cargo at full strength the way it ought to be, and he speaks with some spirit and elan telling us the way it is right now.

Harold Hagens died September 10 in Atlanta. A great patron and spirit of the air cargo business is gone, but he shall not be forgotten for all the good he did.

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Sorry, this move toward laptop webinars with six people on a screen has gotten old in a hurry.

I think that split screen face to face from a distance with family and loved ones works with Uncle Claude, young Obishek, Nilu and Zahir.

But for business, while going thumbnail face-to-face did serve to open up our COVID-19 closeted world a bit, today that contact at times feels like what used to be said about sitting in an audience watching a burlesque show.

You've seen one, you've seen them all.

Maybe it's time now to get street smart , and go face- to-face by trying something different.

Also here two industry veterans, Nils Haupt and Isaac Nijankin share a view of the future having served air cargo successfully in the past.

Virgin Atlantic Cargo opens new cargo flights to Italy and Pakistan connecting UK & U.S. shippers.

Cargo Human Care seeks help powering up a new dispensary to help the people of Kenya.

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Labor Day 2020 and unofficial end of Summer in the USA: we step back a bit to the black and white world of 1942 and spend some moments recalling the outstanding cargo movement of WW II by sharing with you dear reader the exact time period when our industry as we know it today, (albeit the modern version) was born.

The China India Burma Hump flights that moved cargo from Assam, India to Kunming, China above the Himalayan Mountains paved the way for air cargo to come to the rescue of Berlin post-war.

From both those movements, air cargo was born via hundreds of surplus DC3 and C46 aircraft, some that were purchased for as little as a dinner for two tab at Sardis here in New York.

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Something I learned early on in our early effort 45 years ago to create a publication quite unlike any other for the air cargo industry:

In order to have a clearer vision of what lies ahead be sure and gather as much information as possible that deals with what has already happened.

So, the first order of business at Flying Typers has always been to cast a clear line to the history of air cargo.

Now with COVID-19 touching every part of the world with every person that you ever met part of a common experience we thought to write to some people who have spent the best years of their lives building the industry but now in retirement might be nudged into venturing forth with some ideas and opinions to share with the folks who in 2020 are actively day to day doing the heavy lifting in our business today.

Thankfully we have something to report for that effort that begins today with Jacques Ancher who created the wildly successful modern air cargo structure at KLM Cargo ,

Ram Menen the man who began on the ramp when Emirates Airline had only couple leased in planes from Pakistan and then for the next three decades was most responsible for Sky Cargo emerging as a world power.

Also, today Dave Brooks who served as President Cargo for American Airlines from year to year shares some thoughts.

American Airlines in 2020 is the biggest airline in the world but the carrier’s cargo enterprise great as a great giant unleashed in many directions all over the world during the Brooks years.

We find it reassuring that although both of these gentlemen put down their sword quite some time ago like many of us the care and passion for our industry has not faded.

As we often have said and it is especially true here, for Jacques Ram & Dave the song may have ended but the melody lingers on.

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As the world awaits a COVID-19 vaccine, reportedly a two- shot sequence, delivery to 8 billion people alongside other therapeutics that might add another two step that would see that dreaded one-way trip to the hospital turn into a roundtrip.Meantime waiting in the wings is the technique of freeze drying vaccines in a process mostly under wraps for now at Pfizer and others promising big changes are ahead in global medicine,

Covid-19 has no immediate of going away. But across India amidst lifting of lockdowns and restrictions, the air cargo industry has battled on.

Forwarders survey across India underscores that this group is strenuously adapting to keep themselves and their businesses going.

Summertime Means Fun...Here we continue the saga of Speed Gibson last heard here on May 31. Slow down a bit.Here radio contact is messages by Morse Code and Short-Wave Radio.In 1938 Speed Gibson, boy hero was always ready to climb aboard a Pan Am Clipper flying boat on the way to another journey to adventure!

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Workers in the fields of life sciences and transportation are laboring diligently to discover a COVID-19 vaccine and researching the means of moving that vaccine to restore the balance of normal life all over the world.

Voices Behind a Mask

The word from our pharma sources is that “deadlines to save lives is uppermost as companies have committed vast resources to develop not only serums but also to secure the vials to carry the precious liquids to people everywhere.”

So, in terms of getting ready to carry relief to billions in an extremely high-charged moment in time, the path to that long-awaited shot in the arm comes into sharper focus.

The consensus is that it will require quite a bit of work and broad cooperation from everybody in all disciplines moving ahead.

Pete Hamill Prince of the City

In New York the reporter who covered everything from boxing to politics for a half century Pete Hammil once wrote, “I don't ask for the meaning of the song of a bird or the rising of the sun on a misty morning.” In 2020 the City that he loved as much as he could weeps at his loss.

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American Airlines Cargo is opened wide & declaring it is “ready to deliver”vaccine and therapies to combat the demon global pandemic.

“While the production of a COVID-19 vaccine remains unclear, we are inspired that experts and scientists around the world are working together to beat COVID-19,” Jessica Tyler President of American Cargo told Flying Talkers in an exclusive interview.

Forwarder Confident Jo Frigger EMO Trans Chairman told Flying Talkers:

“Much will depend on which manufacturer will get the approval for their vaccine. There will be a mad rush and the logistics may be under control of the shipper or importer. It is very difficult to predict where the vaccine will be coming from and who will be the initial consignee. The vaccine could come from Europe, Asia, Russia or North America."

India China Dustup

In the beginning of July, when FedEx and DHL stopped picking up cargo from China for India, it was not surprising. If the Corona Virus pandemic made transportation difficult, ever since the bloody conflict in the Galwan Valley (bordering the Indian state of Ladakh and China) on June 15, 2020 that saw the deaths of 20 Indian soldiers, India’s relations with China have been tanking.The announcement of the move to stop picking up cargo from China came due to “recent delays in customs clearance of shipments into India” from mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau.

FedEx also pointed out that it was “currently facing backlogs beyond our control, leading to congestion at our facilities”.

While DHL and FedEx have explained the reason for the delays, there is another very important reason.

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Flying Monkeys Delivers Hope For COVID-19

In most parts of the world where research is being conducted to defeat COVID-19 and we hear that test vaccines are in Stage Two or Three, the research animal being tested closest to a human being is the Rhesus monkey.

Recall it was the Rhesus that accelerated Dr. Jonas Salk’s search in developing and then perfecting a vaccine for Polio in the 1950s.

Zaha Could Hit The Curve

With some time perhaps for summertime reading, Zaha Hidid comes alive in a new book out next month as a revolutionary and transformational architect whose legacy is seen in buildings she designed from A sports palace in Doha to The Broad Arts Museum in East Lansing Michigan, to The Sheikh Zayed Bridge in Abu Dhabi, and of course her breath taking design of that new airport in Beijing.

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There is no question that when purpose is attached to power, magic can happen.

Right now, Doha-based Qatar Airways Cargo is the largest carrier in the region, having surpassed the likes of Emirates and others in the Middle East who by comparison seem as if they are moving in the slow lane.

In Fact right now Qatar Airways Cargo is the number one cargo airline in the world.

Last week we expressed our opinion that TIACA Air Cargo Forum slated for Miami this November should be cancelled. Here we address another issue

wondering if management of that org is really looking out for its membership?

We receive lots of mail. Here we share a couple letters...

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TIACA Air Cargo Forum apparently is still planning its Miami, Florida debut with Messe München organizing the event, and a couple of industry publication partners handling sales, for November 10-11, undaunted by the global COVID-19 pandemic that once again is sweeping across Florida.

In early July looking over the event website, at the booked booths reveals (minus a small army of publications) maybe 30 exhibitors, but less than a half dozen airlines.

Our view is TIACA/Messe München should be postponed until 2021

That brace of powerful USA aircraft carriers on maneuvers in the South China Sea (SCS) last week sends a powerful message to Communist China that the USA and others will not be driven off those waters that the CCP has been treating recently as its own private lake.

The implications for trade are underscored as SCS drives USD$7 trillion in trade annually.

But in broader thinking about these these things, push has finally come to shove.

If we exclude any type of armed conflict, which for two countries the size and technical sophistication of the United States and China would truly be catastrophic, the objectives and field of conflict become rather clear.

What is going on in this Covid-19 world of 2020 is an economic and world view conflict between closed authoritarian states and open liberal democratic systems of governance.

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EMO Trans Stands Against Racism

“With the current events concerning racism and its effect on our daily lives it is time to clearly state which side we are on,” declares Joachim Frigger EMO Trans Chairman.

Read All About It

"How To Be An Antiracist" Published in 2019, the book "How to Be an Antiracist" by Ibram X. Kendi is a necessary read as 2020 moves full steam ahead.

Christmas In June . . . Spinning the numbers—things may be looking up?

Why Baseball Matters

Today July 4th, The New York Yankees hold their full team workout in three months. Now the real countdown begins so that blessed baseball can come back and The Boys of Summer will move through the remains of the year until Fall with that particular poetic grace of a game that will lift millions of cooped up, stressed out Americans.

"I'm so pumped," youngest daughter Emily Parker enthuses. This one is for Emily . . .

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Air India has been operating charter flights between USA and India to repatriate its citizens who have been held up getting back home by travel restrictions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, but it has also been selling tickets to the public.

USA Department of Transportation (DOT) says the Indian government and regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) have not allowed US airlines to operate same kind of flights to India, creating what DOT termed “a competitive disadvantage for US carriers”.

Right now when it comes to ULDs the modern day boxcars, we stay in touch with Bob Rogers a person that has thought about these things for most of his life examining all possibilities as the spirit and guiding force of ULD Cares.

As he speaks you can imagine if Bob had his way, he might even live in a can and listen to the patter of rain on the tin roof as he thinks his next big thoughts.

The Truckload Carriers Association (TCA) recognized Jill Maschmeier who serves as the National Carriers, Inc. Director of Safety/Compliance, with the “TCA Safety Professional of the Year 2020 Clare C. Casey Award “.

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Italy was sitting in the middle of the biggest pandemic in 100 years, when we spoke to Antonella Straulino , Francesco Parisi, Massimo Roccasecca and Jean-Claude Delen about the events happening around us on 11th of March. It was just before the “Ides of March” 2020 and COVID19 was already ravaging the country and the continent, but the shocking numbers that were gradually becoming apparent had not reached the levels that scared us later on. Italy had just entered the harshest lockdown in its recent history and the rest of Europe was about to follow suit. We shall not dwell too long on the concept: we believe all countries are aware of the consequences by now, the escalating numbers having obliged to open up even the most skeptical eyes.. But things in Italy are opening up now, as the story continues in this exclusive report from Turin .

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While most of the conversation lately has centered on what the world of airlines,forwarders and other players in air cargo will look like moving ahead here are some thoughts from Dan Muscatello an expert in airport Cargo and Logistics strategy and planning. Dan brings an impressive portfolio of more than 40 years of experience, in both the public and private sectors. He has been a development strategist for both the business and physical facility planning of air cargo complexes, and the integration of ancillary and supporting logistics services that make them operationally and financially feasible.

CNS Partnership Stands Supreme

Here is a simple fact. All of the air cargo industry conferences are toast for 2020. And despite the noble effort of TIACA and others including their new and mighty German partners to try and salvage Air Cargo Forum slated for Miami later this year, it looks like the next best chance to gather to meet, greet, network and do some serious business will be CNS Partnership Conference slated for April 20-21 2021 in Miami at The Marriott Turnbury.

Qatar Beats The Bullies

Anybody that remembers the children’s book, “The Little Engine That Could” might recall a rhythmic verse in that lovely tome as the “little engine” at work pulled an overpowering load of toys up and over a hill and puffing out a chant,

“I think I can, I think I can, I think I can!”

Word June 4, that Qatar Airways from Doha, Qatar has stepped up and now is the largest carrier of passengers and air cargo flying anywhere in the world, raises the question, is there any challenge that this inventive, determined airline cannot overcome, or at least figure out a way to pilot itself through?

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With all of the difficulties people are facing in our industry these days , here is some great and hopeful news.

Jessica Tyler, will assume the role as President of American Airlines Cargo.

The announcement expected in a few days will see Rick Elieson current AA Cargo President capping a three- year tour of dramatic change for cargo at the carrier moving on to work his magic for AAs frequent flier program.

Jessica Tyler it should be mentioned will be the first woman President in the 76-year history of AA Cargo, and also FT learned she will additionally have expanded responsibilities over American's passenger operations.

A great & inspiring story!

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Pay Me My Money Down “COVID-19 has undoubtedly changed our lives for the foreseeable future, with those who are fortunate to still be employed now having to adjust to changes such as working from home, managing teams and completing daily activities remotely,” said Lionel van der Walt CEO of Pay Cargo. “In an industry that until now has still been dominated by many manual paper-based processes, this is no mean feat. Count the Money

“One very important issue that COVID-19 has brought to the forefront is that of finance. “Freight forwarders will need to exercise extreme caution in how they finance their customers going ahead in these unpredictable times where shipments are lying uncleared for weeks on end, orders are cancelled, shipments are abandoned as ancillary charges have mounted, and so on. “The cost of doing business is no doubt going to increase and forwarders might need to realign their charges. “Customer segregation for credit lines could be a way ahead. “This is an individual call each forwarder will have to take for themselves,” Keshav Tanna said.

India Drones On Domestic flight operations in India have started. And, it will take a while to get back to Pre-COVID-19 conditions. Meanwhile, India’s Civil Aviation Ministry has moved ahead to look at drone operations seriously.

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How about we extend a quarantine forever on the slew of meaningless air cargo award events?

We have been thinking about awards as the air cargo award party bonanza threatens to begin anew post pandemic after this global COVID-19 lockup ends.

Face it, the day for those under value bow-tie dinners that basically fill the coffers of sponsoring publications and organizations is over.

As the world celebrates air cargo, moving all manner of PPE and other consignments aboard otherwise grounded passenger aircraft we share some recollections from the person that covered the first great air cargo movement in history and turned the world on to the possibilities of "Flying Boxcars" as an alternative way to ship freight. Here from our files is the late Richard Malkin at 105 years of age recalling his coverage of the 1948 Berlin Airlift.

Who sends messages by Morse Code and speaks to contacts overseas by Short-Wave Radio? In 1938, no one but Speed Gibson, boy hero who is always ready to climb aboard a Pan Am Clipper flying boat on the way to another journey to adventure!

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“The COVID-19 Pandemic has challenged us at this point on a sustained level as no time in history, but in our line of work we have remained flexible and kept our team on point to be both inventive and to be in close touch with our airline partners.

“The best surprise is no surprise so our top priority is transparency every step of the way before, during and after the lockdown.

“I am very impressed with the flexibility of our team to work remotely and also the support of our service partners in seeking alternative methods to keep the supply chains open.

“Now as we move forward we redouble our effort to be there for our partners every step of the way.”

ATC Aviation President Ingo Zimmer could barely have imagined (as could any of us) the uproar to business and our very lives during this global pandemic of 2020.

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Here for the COVID-19 world during Mid May 2020 , we offer the opinion of where we are as an air cargo industry and where we are likely to land from some people who are thankfully involved in one way or another and still have it going on as thought leaders.

While everybody is masking up to go outside, elsewhere others are attempting to unmask just what our transportation world might look like in the future. One determined freight forwarder, EMO Trans Chairman Joachim “Jo” Frigger, insists that “keeping it simple is how logistics works best.”

In our transportation business Bill Boesch has done it all as President of Cargo at American Airlines , and before that at Pan Am Clipper Cargo and Seaboard World.

Ram Menen is the person most responsible for delivering Emirates Sky Cargo as world power before retiring five years ago. All three of our participants here are active today either leading, teaching or advising logistics professionals around the world.

In the case of Jo Frigger , the hands on leader of EMO Trans Global Logistics exhibits a solid plan, as that privately held company continues to weather the pandemic , serving the global market while planning to move ahead briskly as the world reopens.

Here in a freewheeling delivery of observations and thoughts these doers and dreamers, plus a cameo appearance from the great Issa Baluch, move the marble, but leave the outcome to us.

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When you think about it, the Coronavirus has advanced our imagination more in the past few weeks than in several generations since the Berlin Airlift of 1948 first advanced the notion of what air cargo might accomplish.

As example, Airbus said last week that it is looking at a system for removal of passenger seats and loading of cargo directly onto main deck cabin floors.

Given the prospect of a slow return of the passenger business, can cargo and passengers co-inhabiting the same deck be far behind?

Into The Glyn IATA Looks Ahead

Glyn Hughes, IATA Global Head of Cargo for nearly the past six years has stabilized that position by being likeable, knowledgeable and someone you can talk to on a wide variety of subjects and come away impressed that here is someone who is a straight shooter.

That is no small feat as IATA Cargo, with a big diverse and at times divided membership, has gone through several years of change at the top.

Dixie Chicks On Truckers Menu

Today when a random act of kindness and caring can often make the difference, Donna Mullins is leading a brave band of ladies that venture out with face masks, rubber gloves and proper social distancing at Hartsfield Jackson International Airport (HIJA) in Atlanta, where they have been delivering food to truckers who had nowhere else to go.

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There is another trait that Italy and India have in common: a sort of fatalism in life, mingled with fortitude, pride, hyperbole and endurance. This is the recipe of so many Italian operas, including one that has never been written. Those who read the New York Times may have heard of the royal family of Oudh

Virgin To Tel Aviv/ Qatar Down Under / Pasi to Finnair

Remembering Jack Zembeck

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Jan Krems is President of United Cargo and with inspirational leadership and no small amount of spirit and élan has propelled United Cargo into the top USA combination carrier position in air cargo.

The payoff right now is that the United air cargo program is adding up as the major revenue driver for the entire airline.

Turns out Jan who was born in the Netherlands where shirts are sold with the sleeves already rolled up, lost no time as the COVID-19 pandemic swept across the world, energizing his team to be onto every account securing positions and flights that now add up to more all-cargo movements per week at UA than several other carrier’s cargo efforts combined.

In just the last 30 days UA has moved more than 500 all-cargo flights worldwide.

Speed Gibson Old Time Aviation Radio Serial from 1939 Returns Speed Gibson during the COVID-19 Pandemic is a regular feature of Flying Talkers. Suspend disbelief and ditch the cell phone and climb on board for flying boats adventure, morse code communication and shortwave radio!

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There is something instantly compelling and so wonderfully appealing in a widely circulated picture of Virgin Atlantic people, cabin crew and all, in face masks moving some medical supplies on an all-cargo VS flight from PVG to LHR last Friday April 3.

It’s about the culture of the business we are in and the people that touch us (from a proper social distance) every day.

Forwarders Get No Respect

In USA, FlyingTypers learned that as many as 30 or more small freight forwarding companies have gone out of business since the COVID-19 Pandemic has shut down the nation and many more are teetering on the edge of insolvency.

“The coronavirus scourge has so far adversely impacted countless companies and millions of American workers,” declared Brandon Fried President of the USA Washington-based Airforwarders Association.

Reporter's Notebook

I once asked Mike Chowdry, who invented ACMI, if the artwork on the tails of all his airplanes was inspired by the giant metal sculpture of Atlas at the entrance outside Rockefeller Center in New York City.

The founding father of Atlas Air smiled and I withdrew that dumb question..

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In USA and elsewhere in the world now feeling the sting of the deadly COVID-19 virus that some poor unfortunate and most probably innocent people in Wuhan, Hubei Province China unleashed on the world, there is growing apprehension that what is unknown about the pandemic continues to out- pace any true understanding of the virus.

Amidst latest reports that possibly a virus lab located just three miles from that wet market where the Chinese Communist Party claims the COVID-19 Pandemic originated from bats, may have unleashed the virus is just too horrible to imagine but the story appeared this week in The Washington Times.

As the world experiences one thing “Made in China” that we all could have done without, COVID-19 has caused pain, suffering and death everywhere.

But now in USA where spread of the coronavirus is reportedly worse than anywhere else, the land of plenty is indeed just that as the government is sending the equivalent of USD$3400 to every family of four in the biggest cash giveaway in history.

By contrast in Kenya where the coronavirus disease has also struck, and where a great many workers have already been sent home without pay, the pandemic has impacted people’s ability to provide the necessities of life, including food to eat.

“The economic consequences of the COVID-19 Nairobi shutdown. especially for the people to whom we provide medical care and care in our homes, are completely incalculable,” Lufthansa Cargo Captain Fokko Doyen who founded Cargo Human Care the greatest charity in our industry told me.

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If you are wondering what happens next, once the world moves past the COVID-19 pandemic, then you might consider the passenger airlines serving as cargo carriers right now. They are thrusting our industry forward as a powerhouse of the new economy.

Not since The Berlin Airlift in 1949, has there been so much global attention directed toward air cargo.

At home, working 12 hours a day Pumping Traffic? Those other people that occasionally appear are waiting to be engaged into your new life.

Go into the kitchen and leave the frying pans and the egg cookers aside. Everybody gets to make Egg Coffee like in Vietnam and Sweden.

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As COVID-19 has shut down Italy talking of what is happening on the ground in Italian logistics right now opens the door for a conversation with some hardworking freight forwarders.

Despite the shut down everywhere else, the logistics industry is open for business in Italy as you hear this update.

As the COVID-19) pandemic story continues to unfold, EMO Trans said that the global company is stepping up to find solutions and keeping business moving for the stability of the global economy.

“EMO Trans is fully operational, and we are all in this together,” declared Joachim “Jo” Frigger , EMO Trans Chairman.

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The China COVID-19 pandemic that exited Wuhan and blanketed the Earth causing unbelievable pain and suffering almost everywhere , has also brought one undeniable fact forward to the population at large, no matter what else happens come hell or high water ,air cargo always flies.

USA President Donald Trump designated last Sunday, March 15, a National Day of Prayer for everyone in the path of COVID-19.

Here, we share our prayers for you.

If there is one thing apparent as the China pandemic rampages around our planet, it is that when it comes to the next chapter in all of our lives, we will all need to depend on each other, like it or not.

The coronavirus has delivered an important lesson for all of us. Mankind does not get a free pass from suffering, and there is nowhere to run, nowhere to hide.

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FlyingTalkers learned that the Annual FIATA Headquarters Sessions in Zurich, scheduled for March 24-28 2020 have been cancelled and will not be rescheduled.

“This decision,” new FIATA Director General Stephane Graber said “is being taken because of recent impact of the COVID-19 contagion in Italy, and now in Switzerland.

“FIATA is mindful as to its duty of care to its membership and has taken this action due to uncertainty, as governments attempt to contain the continued spread of the COVID-19 in Switzerland and Europe.”

FIATA is scheduled to hold its major event the FIATA World Congress this autumn in Busan, Korea October 19-24.

Stay Tuned

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In a time of fear and misinformation some folks who are attending Air Cargo India spoke up with candor that we can all appreciate.

COVID-19 may have dampened air freight growth across the world, but a sold- out Air Cargo India February 25-27, 2020 being held in Mumbai offers a networking venue so that all might get a better handle on exactly where air cargo is heading this year.

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We hear lots of stories of an effect, since the Wuhan China Coronavirus impacted the world.

Looking around air cargo for a sense of the mood, whilst cancellations of flights and services has surely impacted trade shows and events all over Asia, we detect no lack of heart or sympathy for the plight of people in China right now.

Just this week Qatar Airways has volunteered free air cargo transportation for medical relief aid organized by Chinese embassies and consulates worldwide to fight the coronavirus emergency. The country’s national carrier has aims to independently donate millions of medical-grade masks and sanitization bottles to areas in China most urgently in need.

Medical supplies donated by Chinese communities worldwide will be flown by Qatar Airways Cargo freighters through its global network of 170 destinations to its China cargo gateways in Shanghai, Guangzhou, Hong Kong and Macau.

Qatar Airways Cargo delivered the first batch of critical medical relief aid to Shanghai on February 2, 2020. The shipment included 100,000 medical-grade N95 respiratory masks and 2,700 medical-grade disposable latex gloves, providing essential protection to healthcare professionals working around the clock at hospitals in Hubei Province, the epicentre of the virus.

Meantime In Japan—Flags that read “Cheer up, Wuhan” are displayed on boxes of relief supplies destined for China , a sentiment repeated at airports and cargo areas, busy shipping relief supplies to China.

Let’s face it.

Everyone had hoped that 2020 would carry forward the signs of recovery that glimmered a bit in December. Now those hopes have been dimmed by the uncertainty of the Coronavirus pandemic, which has been described by some, including former U.S. Presidential Advisor Stephen K. Bannon as ‘China’s Chernobyl.’

Love Letter To Qatar Airways

Here our award-winning Managing Editor Flossie Arend falls in love with Qatar Airways and uses her creative writing genius, to paint a word picture of pleasures well met, for all lovers, on Valentine's Day February 14, 2020.

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Just when all across USA, everyone was watching The Super Bowl in Miami last Sunday, the U.S. Air forwarders Association held their annual event in Nashville Tenn. As the first event of the long conference agenda for cargo that will continue all over the world almost every month in 2020, AfA gets the gold ring, out of the gate, for tenacity and heart. This is truly the air cargo event "for everybody else." Here is an exclusive first-hand report from Donna Mullins featuring her impressions of the AfA gathering. Last year can be recalled as a time that delivered less than spectacular numbers, with tariffs and trade wars and upheaval in Hong Kong, that turned the most powerful air cargo gateway in the world into silly putty.. So overall, world air cargo chargeable weight dipped by 4.4% in 2019, Air Cargo Data (ACD) reported Thursday January 30. On Sunday February 2, Super Bowl in Miami and The Kansas City Chiefs’ stunning come-from-behind victory was the thing here in USA and elsewhere around the world for sports fans. I have to admit, I look at this big show-stopping football event as the post-game gateway to heaven, meaning the advent of six months of nonstop baseball every year. But this year brought back some memories of being in 1970 in Kansas City, a place that straddles the states of Missouri and Kansas, at (what else?) a trade show. It was the last time the Kansas City Chiefs appeared in a Super Bowl.

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Jan Krems, President of United Cargo, is ready for take-off in 2020.

Jan Krems at United Cargo is compelling and simply irresistible.

Right now, despite the challenges and the gloom and doom predicted, United Cargo, while not immune by any means to these economic trends, continues to outperform everyone else in the U.S. air cargo business.

It is almost as if the stars lined up above Willis Tower at the Chicago headquarters for United Cargo.

As 2020 begins with the glimmer of a rebound in business, this native of Oss, Netherlands, is on top of the world.

“We have really great people, we continue to add more, and we’ve made a few simple, yet vital changes in the way we work together,” Jan says, barely concealing his passion and enthusiasm.

“Once United Cargo had people in what I call separate silos. Everyone did their jobs, but their tasks were made more difficult by the way different groups interpreted overall strategies and a tendency to focus on local objectives.

China Pandemic

Meantime World Health Organization (WHO) continued reports accelerated numbers of people that have been stricken by that widely reported coronavirus outbreak centered in Wuhan City China.

Wuhan , a transportation hub, also known as the Pittsburgh of China, is home to 11 million , more people than live in New York City.

Animals At Lunar New Year

Chinese New Year, also known as Lunar New Year and Spring Festival (to be inclusive of the East Asian diaspora that is not Chinese) began on January 25, 2020. It is the year of the Rat. The Rat occupies the first position in the Chinese zodiac. The story of how he earned that position has many versions, but they all center around a mythical race hosted by the Jade Emperor.

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ATC is new GSSA for Alitalia in Germany effective last week on January 15,2020.

Ingo Zimmer is the immensely appealing, always approachable top flight executive at ATC that has sculpted a worldwide growing organization with a cadre of truly professional air cargo executives, plus an emerging impressive array of young talent.

Most people in air cargo transportation know Lionel van der Walt for the time he served as President of Cargo Network Services (CNS).

A short term perhaps, but it was Lionel who came to CNS as an agent of change delivering a much-needed shot in the arm that favorably impacted CNS, the pioneering global organization.

That a tradition of intellect and decency begun 30 years ago with Jack Lindsey and Tony Calabrese that continues today at CNS with the very capable Mike White.

But what you might not know about Lionel, is that Lionel began his transportation career at South African Airways Cargo, and today is back on the leading edge of change in air cargo serving as CEO of PayCargo, the company that is out to change the way transportation settles up payments.

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When FedEx let go of a reported $900 million annual business package with Amazon last year, eyebrows were raised.

Now finally admitting what most everybody else already knew, that Amazon is indeed a competitor, Fred Smith is at work rebuilding the overnight service that he invented.

“Air Cargo export numbers from USA were a genuine roller coaster ride during 2019,” reports Mike White President of Cargo Network services (CNS).

“CNS CASS numbers through November 2019 reflects the U.S. government agreements with some of its key trade partners.

“Over all,” Mike said, "we have seen a 6.8% drop in U.S. exports reported through CNS CASS.

Mike Webber, the much respected airports air cargo specialist, expert event industry panelist, guest speaker and analyst is also the airport development and planning, go-to executive at Landrum Brown, shares his take on 2020 as January unfolds.

“Being a derived demand ensures we’re in the crosshairs of macroeconomic influences seemingly external to our industry,” he declares in one breath.

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Here we debut a new Podcast allowing us to leverage our nearly 50 years covering the airline industry.

Presented for a more relaxed time of the week, these stories will be shared on Saturdays and be aimed at our abiding interest in the wider experience we all share, working and serving in the transportation industry.

Our first Saturday Bulldog Edition here follows two, pioneering, smart and tough sisters in a place, that despite the passing years remains somewhat remote, while retaining what is left of the American spirit of natural living.

Air cargo across Alaska is an absolute way of life, in a place where flying freight harkens back to the early, high adventure aviation days.

Our contributing writers here, and, as it turns out, shippers as well, are Miki and Julie Collins who live in Lake Minchumina, Alaska.

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Happy New Year! Here we get back to work sharing the views of people that make the global logistics industry go for our 45th consecutive year. Today Flying Typers is the longest continually published industry media source under the same ownership and Publisher/Editor in the history of air cargo. But what will happen in 2020? After a less than memorable 2019 it seems everybody is looking for answers. Will this new decade be the “Roaring 20’s” or as we celebrate Chinese Lunar New Year later this month, will we step off during 2020 as an industry into “The Year of The Mouse?”

Brandon Fried longtime President of the Air Forwarders Association is one air cargo executive in world of change that seems to transcend time. While it has become fashion and even rule to flip and change top executives regularly at other industry associations , there goes “Steady Brandon” out there seemingly unflappable as counterpoint to that action.

Let’s face it we have all more or less have been home surrounded in the sanctuary of family and friends for the past weeks and now it’s back to work. But just as soon as the weekend comes around we will be back home minus the lights and gaiety of the season looking ahead maybe at some unpaid bills and in some climes to nine or ten more weeks of winter. As 2020 begins ,as soon as next weekend might be a good time to watch a movie together at home filled with laughter to bring us all back together once again while the spirit of the holidays still linger on. “The Mouse That Roared” from 1959 is my favorite Peter Sellers movie.

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For the second straight year, United Cargo teamed with nonprofit Wreaths Across America and CEVA Logistics to ship live, Maine-made balsam fir holiday wreaths to Europe. The wreaths traveled from United hubs in IAD, IAH and EWR to AMS for the December 1 event at the Netherlands American Cemetery in Margraten.

President Truman said that the only news is history you don’t know.

Maybe the best argument for continually paying attention to history, is so that we might learn from what we missed.

the story of the Wright Brothers is often told. Here ius something you never heard before.

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The year 2019 will be remembered at Turkish Cargo as a year-long transition whilst the brand continued to build through major investments and expansion of destinations, among other factors. Just four months after Cathay Pacific's chief executive resigned, Hong Kong Airlines, the city's third largest carrier, is hanging onto its license by its finger nails due to a financial crisis, and is being allowed to survive now with government help. It’s happening all over the world. As Christmas 2019 approaches, organized air cargo, at gateways here in the USA and abroad, are wrapping hearts and minds around helping others.

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The International Air Cargo Association (TIACA) named Issa Baluch into its Hall of Fame in a ceremony to be held this Wednesday evening in Budapest Hungary. Mr. Baluch’s daughter Sarah will accept the award on behalf of her father. There have been Hall of Fame inductees for the past 21 years at TIACA including many of the greats of air cargo including Bill Boesch, Jacques Ancher, Ram Menen and Robert Arendal. Bob Arendal by the way was the first inductee in the modern era. He went into the Hall in 1997. In a sentence Issa Baluch invented Sea/Air in Dubai and then sold his company,retired and then became a teacher and humanitarian. But the rest of the story is so much more.

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It's not rocket science but rather the rest of the story. Here Geoffrey offers some further insight of the people operating out of display stands this week at Logitrans Istanbul.

Later we take a closer look into the future mind of Uber in commercial cargo transportation.

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Logitrans Istanbul This Week

As Logitrans Istanbul opens this week November 13-15, the self-proclaimed “bridge connecting the Eurasian region via logistic solutions,” is greeted by Emre Eldener, President of The Association of International Transport and Logistics Service Producers-UTIKAD, the very important market force for good, talking things over with Geoffrey.

Emre’s message to all is straight from the shoulder and right from the heart:

“We are here for everyone,” Emre declared.

Virgin Cargo Teams Up

“Cargo customers in Australia and Japan will be very pleased to see the launch Virgin Australia Brisbane to Tokyo-Haneda services March 29, 2020.

“The daily Airbus A330 flight will offer between 15-20 tons of cargo capacity and will be marketed by Virgin Atlantic Cargo under its longstanding international long-haul sales and marketing agreement with Virgin Australia,” said Dominic Kennedy, Managing Director of Virgin Atlantic Cargo.

IATA Operations Big Meeting In Amsterdam

Who can explain it, who can tell you why? Fools give a reason, wise men never try!

For 26 years Air Cargo Americas has met in Miami every other year. Two weeks ago at the same time as Air Cargo Americas, IATA held some sessions in Amsterdam.

Talk about the cup running over!

Thankfully, while there were two major air cargo events going on at the same time, both were markedly different.

Lufthansa Back To The Future In Miami

“We appreciate Lufthansa for choosing to expand its operations at MIA with cargo-only service. “As the cargo gateway of the Americas, we expect Lufthansa to see continued success on their new Miami cargo route,” Lester Sola MIA Director and CEO declared as Lufthansa launched a weekly freighter.

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“While you are reading a book, it is also reading you,” purportedly words once spoken by Hans Christian Anderson have come to mind.

Take the case of Richard Elieson, who has served as President of American Airlines Cargo for the past three and a half years.

We have spoken often about things, usually at a trade show, or even as we did recently during a short interview/meeting inside American Cargo’s new Penthouse Suite of offices at the gleaming new Skyview 8 headquarters building in Fort Worth, Texas.

Usually it’s a battery of questions and answers as the interview goes on.

But in this case what you are about to hear addresses only one question.

I asked Rick “What are the most important attributes of a leader?”

His answer was direct, to the point and voluminous enough to serve as a course outline for advanced air cargo management.

Rarely, as a reporter, do we experience this sort of volume and depth and fervor emerge from a business interview.

We are moved, and at the same time inspired by these words and thoughts, to continue our pursuit of the leadership series on these broadcasts.

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EMO Trans Big South Africa Win

“The EMO Trans organization proudly announces our new exclusive global co-operation partnership with Bidvest International Logistics (BIL) in South Africa that commences in early 2020,” Jo Frigger, CEO of EMO Trans told FlyingTypers as a blockbuster deal between BIL and EMO was announced Monday November 4.

Nic Has The Knack

What it is about Nic Danton is, this great cargo professional continues to deliver his specialty—the shipping business to and from Africa as the Doha-based carrier moves into top of the heap in global air cargo airlines.

Africa As Issa Baluch Sees It

Issa Baluch may know as much about logistics as anybody you will ever meet. Issa possesses the chops and know-how gained over a career that spans 40 years.

Babar Badat In Cape Town

This year at the just completed FIATA World Congress in Cape Town October 2-5, Babar Badat, President of FIATA hosted, what most folks inside and outside the organization agree, was one of the greatest World Congresses in the 90-plus year history of the organization.

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The best feature of this truly remarkable place might be the one experience everyone gets to visit at least a couple times day.

The new American Airlines Headquarters is a classic grand American building in the tradition of the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington, DC, and our great transportation structures such as The Marine Air Terminal at LaGuardia Airport or Grand Central Station in New York City.

All of these places include a confluent space positioned in the center of all the action, where everyone briefly coalesces on their various journeys—in or out of various chambers of government, or to catch a flight or a train, or here in Texas in this beautiful place, on the way to work.

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With the environment increasingly under the microscope, United Airlines stands alone as the only USA flag carrier to utilize biofuel.

Perhaps overlooked in the general rush of things on June 5th was United’s Flight for the Planet, the most eco-friendly commercial flight of its kind in the history of aviation, as World Environment Day was celebrated everywhere.

For forwarders and shippers, the key challenge of the coming months will come from the higher costs that implementing new environmental shipping regulations will impose on global supply chains.

From January 1, 2020, new International Maritime Organization regulations will put a 0.5% cap on sulfur content in marine fuels globally, down from a maximum of 3.5% now. With oil prices rising, the exact cost of the new fuels is not yet known for certain, but with low-sulfur fuels significantly more expensive, container line shipping executives have called on supply chain partners to share the burden of rising fuel costs, which they describe as an economic hit.

It said that only the good die young. To that, we might add nothing that is good ever dies.

Joe Badamo, a pillar of the JFK International Airport community lost his battle with cancer on Sunday October 13th and passed away in Massapequa, Long Island, New York at age 65.

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“We are delighted to welcome Tel Aviv to our network. It is an important cargo route and we have been extremely encouraged by the level of interest and bookings for both our direct services between London and Tel Aviv and the U.S. connections we now offer over our London hub,” . Dominic Kennedy, Managing Director of Virgin Atlantic Cargo announced as Virgin Atlantic’s first flight to Tel Aviv touched down at Ben Gurion International Airport September 25.

Here once again the incomparable story teller Marco Sorgetti weaves a tale with an up close and personal visit with FIATA stalwart and all around air cargo professional Ivan Petrov.

Marco who served as Director General of FIATA for so many years it could make you cry knows the people and the times of FIATA in 2019 like nobody else.

This heartwarming story ,part of our exclusive series on behalf of freight forwarders worldwide, continues in 2019-2020 .

"Women in Aviation Workforce Report" just published by the group Women In Aviation International, reveals that while women are underrepresented in many areas of aviation, the areas with the largest gaps include technical operations and leadership positions.

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Linda Faces Future Pays It Forward

Linda Eshiwani-Nate, Business Development Manager at Atlanta Hartsfield Jackson International Airport (HJIA) put it on the line: :

“I am really excited.

"For quite a while, US airports have remained far behind their European and Asian counterparts, especially as it relates to the overall airport experience and Cargo handling and operations, as such, I am excited that we (ATL) have arrived here today."

The Trump Effect

The ambitious Trump economic agenda has already started paying off – the U.S. is seeing record low unemployment, robust GDP growth and, for the first time in over a decade, consistently rising wages. Likewise, his muscular anti-immigrant stance has reduced illegal immigration and his forceful brinksmanship on trade has led to more balanced exchange with Mexico.

Bogotá Watching Flowers

Proflora 2019 is being held this week as the self proclaimed “best flower show” opens in Bogotá, Colombia on October 2 and runs through October 6. With 500 exhibitors expected at this year's event (held every two years) you’ll get no argument from us.

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The good news is that digital payment sector is rapidly evolving and PayCargo is leading the way!

Business to consumer (B2C) payment technology trends are being driven by Millennials and Generation Z, with changing consumer habits transforming industries across the world.

This is a great opportunity, but how can we effectively harness the benefits for the air cargo industry?

Kale Logistics Solution has been chosen by Mitchell Cotts a top shipping, freight forwarding, warehousing and transport resource in Kenya to digitize their entire air cargo handling operations at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, Nairobi and Daniel Tanui, MD of Mitchell Cotts could not be happier.

Los Angeles Air Cargo Association(LAACA) and the Airforwarders Association(AfA) with President Brandon Fried did a masterful job of conducting a session last week with 200 in attendance that included Ramon Olivares from Los Angeles World Airports.

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They say that cream rises to the top and that expression is evident all round as a soft end of summer evening Oktoberfest in Frankfurt brings together the most important transportation partners this evening Wednesday, September 18, at “Anglerheim Moerfelden” located in a bosky dell quite close to Frankfurt Airport.

With Ingo Zimmer and Dagmar Hanau hosting , “ATC Oktoberfest” includes more than 800 guests from all over Europe and from destinations far and wide.

Here Come The Indians- Part One. We begin a four part exclusive series as leading freight forwarders of India look ahead to Autumn 2019 and 2020 noting impact of USA China trade war.

As a postscript to that big D-Day gathering earlier this summer when more than 40 DC3s returned to the skies above the coast of France we journey to Bernay in Normandie and relive some WW11 memories through a eyes of a child.

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As 2019 steams on here is the first of series of exclusive overviews of today and tomorrow as Flying Typers asks an elite group of the best and brightest transportation executives of India what they think of the current world situation.

Keshav Tanna is a stalwart in global professional freight forwarding, also gives back serving on the board of the great world organization FIATA is

Director (Airfreight), Links Forwarders based in New Delhi India...

"Women in Aviation Workforce Report" just published by the group Women In Aviation reveals that while women are underrepresented in many areas of aviation, the areas with the largest gaps include technical operations and leadership positions.

The report shows that women make up less than 10% of pilots, maintenance technicians, and airline executives.

In advance of ULD Care that starts this week (Sept 16-18) in Toronto Canada Martin Kraemer the effusive Head of Marketing and PR for Jettainer,”The Jettainer Can Man” shares some thoughts .

Martin is better than bright.

He is always on, and as an uplifting steady hand at Jettainer always seems to be talking the next thing.

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President Donald Trump participated in somber memorial services with First Lady Melania Trump today on the 18th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks In the U.S..

We recall when New York/New Jersey Port Authority Director of Air Cargo Jim Larsen showed up at our house on September 13, 2001 with a manuscript of how he escaped the World Trade Center minutes before Tower One came crashing down.

Here is that story, word-for-word as Jim wrote it 18 years ago..

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“The worst-case scenario, of an airline that’s forced to police the political views of its own workforce in order to maintain the open skies it needs to operate, would be a horrendous one for Cathay,” Bloomberg's Dan Fickling writes. “Driving a wedge between management and staff inclined to support Hong Kong’s aspirations for greater freedom, and between the airline and customers who retain loyalty to it as an icon of the territory’s unique status, could quickly erase the gains from nearly four years of turning around the business. “Waiting in the wings in that event is the risk that the long-rumored takeover by Cathay’s second-largest shareholder, Air China Ltd., could finally come to fruition." Ran into our friend Nalin Rodrigo who we first met on Dubai Creek some years ago when he was fronting the cargo fortunes of Sri Lankan Cargo from his offices in Colombo. Nalin an all-cargo pro was always completely unflappable, energetic and to tell it a great air cargo dreamer and doer. A Louisiana USA Senator named Bill Cassidy, R-La., who issues a torrent of “White Papers” on various subjects including Health Care now wants the federal government to look into possible cargo-based money laundering (TBML) suggesting TBML ,”is one of the most profitable and safe mechanisms to launder money, and it is imperative that Congress act.” “There are certain industries that present a greater risk for TBML, such as couriers, cargo services, freight shipping services, international shipping, and money service businesses," Sen Bill said.

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Ram Menen has seen many seasons come and go, spending more than two decades first as part of the launch team and then as top executive of Emirates SkyCargo where he led that organization to the top of the world. Today, happily retired in Luxembourg and Kuala Lumpur, Ram is a much sought after air cargo executive that readily shares his take on 2019 in an exclusive FlyingTalkers interview.

*Neel Jones Shah is a smart guy and a dreamer and doer.

He is no shrinking violet either, but rather someone who is actively on the front lines of change, having moved rather easily from top management at the airlines into top management at the wunderkind bunch at Flexport where he serves as EVP and Global Head of Airfreight.

Once upon a time, Neel as the head of Delta Cargo, led approximately 2,000 employees worldwide and oversaw over $1 Billion in freight & mail revenues.*

In USA, Bake Me A Wish, headquartered in New York City began in 2005, offering nationwide service for gourmet birthday cake delivery nationwide .

During the past 14 plus years the company has grown to offer more and more of the finest bakery gifts available including gourmet cookies, brownies, cupcakes, pies and quiches.

“There is no better way to celebrate a special occasion than to send a little indulgence from someone who cares,” said company founder Josh Kaye.

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The great race to connecting with air cargo customers on a real-time and all day basis, is nice work if you can get it.

Enter Vanya Bukova and Jennifer Haigh. Both are part of an account executive team that reports to Helen Kristensen, United Cargo’s Manager Strategic Accounts.

When writing of the Hong Kong conflict going on right now in the former Crown Colony, (now a special district) we cannot help but wonder what’s next for air cargo?

So, we figure why not go to someone who carries the credentials of experience, knowledge, passion and air cargo building, Stan Wraight, CEO of Strategic Aviation Solutions (SASI). www.sasi.com.hk

Ex-DSV executive Steve Walker called on FIATA to “become a safe haven for forwarders to discuss a wider new industry strategy,” in the face of vertical consolidation by shipping lines, and the attempt to control data via platforms such as TradeLens, a join partnership between IBM and Maersk.

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Something For A Summer Monday...After beating Hodgkin's lymphoma, San Francisco teenager Skyler Stoba got to wish for anything in the world.

Naturally, it was a toss- up between having lunch with Beyonce or seeing Buffalo Airways Cargo Second World War DC3 cargo aircraft.

Yellowknife Canada-based Buffalo Airways, which operates a fleet of World War II-era aircraft carrying cargo shipments under government contract that are the aerial lifeline to a number of northern Canadian villages , have been featured on History Television's Ice Pilots NWT for several seasons.

A Summer Monday Special continues with the latest Chapter ((1937) of Steve Gibson Aviation Detective Series. Trip back in time just for fun, via Pan Am Clippers and short wave radio, through the eyes of a teenager who loves aviation.

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As Virgin Cargo marked 30 years of service to the U.S., an intimate gathering in summertime Manhattan under the watchful eye of the glorious Empire State Building served as a celebration point.

This was an understated fun event with local cargo people, who showed up and were shown a good time, with lots of great food and conversation in this splendid setting.

Boxcars in the Sky written by the most important air cargo journalist of the 20th century Richard Malkin, was created in 1951 after Richard had just returned from covering the Berlin Airlift. Boxcars is a beautifully written, recently discovered short story predicting things to come , that today nearly 70 years later, for the most part has come true.

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Lior Ron is a 42-year-old Israeli-born businessman, who in 2016 along with Anthony Levandowski and some others co-founded Otto, a self-driving truck company.

Both Lior and Anthony went to work at Uber after Uber bought Otto in 2016.

But then Anthony was fired from Uber after a dustup wherein the executive was accused of stealing Google’s self-driving car trade secrets for use in Otto’s technology..

Ron jumped from Uber after Uber paid Google parent company Alphabet $245 million to settle the dispute.

Well, in 2019 Ron is back at Uber Freight, now that Uber has finally closed the deal for Otto Trucking that is currently operating as a stand-alone entity as part of the Uber firmament.

In the USA, Uber Freight connects 48 states and reportedly generates more than $125 million in quarterly revenues.

“We fundamentally believe there’s a new era of opportunity in logistics,” Ron said.

“Technology streamlines things, connects things and that builds trust in physical networks.”

History & summer magic with a master. Here we take a sentimental journey with REG Davies the greatest aviation historian. Ron sat in the Lindbergh Chair at the National Air & Space Museum in Washington, D.C. for more than 50 years. Along the way he authored more than 38 books on everything from airline histories to the Berlin Airlift. These recordings will continue during 2019.

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News that the Cass Freight Index of North American Freight Volumes moved downward, another -5.3% in June adds up in USA and almost everywhere else to a slow dance of negative cargo volumes seven months in a row 2018/2019.

The Cass Freight Index covers shipments of merchandise for the consumer and industrial economy via all modes of transportation, but it does not include bulk commodities, such as grains or chemicals.

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At Virgin A Really Big Change

“Huge, and we are not underestimating or taking anything for granted,” said Dominic Kennedy, Virgin Atlantic’s Managing Director, Cargo.

“Our entire business model is based on giving customers more choice and flexibility, whether this means more routes and frequencies, new products and services, or the ability to interact with us in the way they want to do business,” he said.

“Now Virgin Atlantic Cargo is set to be the first airline to adopt Accenture’s cloud-enabled, end-to-end AFLS 8.0 cargo management platform to spearhead our future digital experience when AFLS 8.0 goes live in early 2020."

Amazon & Air Cargo In Focus

The smile turned upside down as labor unrest complicates the world, according to Amazon.

Bill Boesch has some answers:

“The first thing to remember,” confides air cargo great Bill Boesch, “is that Amazon is not an airline but a unique e-commerce platform controlling its door-to-door operations to provide free next-day or 2-day shipping for its products.

“As a result, in the U.S., Amazon is not covered by the Railway Labor Act nor is it fully unionized.

“Amazon hubs – unlike FedEx and UPS – are fulfillment centers", Bill declared.

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It is unfortunate and maybe a bit sad to see that a number of different agendas seem to driving the unrest at Amazon.

Strike action is never a happy situation. In today’s world productivity is the key to success and in certain parts of the world, sorry to say, that there are people who just don’t seem to get that . . .

Delhi International Airport became the first airport in India to operationalize a dedicated Transshipment Excellence Centre (TEC). The initiative was taken by DIAL, as per the guidelines of the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) under the National Civil Aviation Policy 2016 to develop Air Cargo Transshipment Hubs at major airports around the country.

“Changing the customer experiences from our interactions, products and services, and mastering the data challenge and driving innovation,” are the orders of everyday at Unilode,” said Benoît Dumont, Unilode CEO.

Meantime ULD Care Readies Annual Event. We are dreamers, Montreal? September 16-19 www.uldcare.com.

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Where is air cargo in Summer 2019? To hear some people tell it we have gone through the best of times into the worst. No doubt, last month in Munich at Air Cargo Europe people were into the wurst. But seriously where are we now? First in a roundup report we note that air cargo rates continue to see weekly volatility, but with the demand outlook tepid and ample capacity available on most lanes, pricing continues to fluctuate, albeit within boundaries far below those enjoyed in 2018. Next we share some thoughts with Air Cargo legend Ram Menen, someone who has been there and done that, and now looks ahead.

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Asked Turhan Ozen top cargo officer at Turkish Cargo how goes business and how was that big move from Ataturk Airport last month, and his reaction is a broad smile, not a weary one. The idea that an airline cargo division could pack up and move half of its operations from one airport to another now accomplished on time and apparently without a hitch, Turhan eases back in his chair and smiles.

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“TempControl’s transport of vaccines and other high-value biopharmaceutical shipments is increasing rapidly,” said Jan Krems, President of United Cargo as the carrier became the first U.S. flag to induct SkyCell temperature-controlled containers.

We celebrate Emery Air Freight's Richard Wiebe, who died on May 29. He was 94 years of age. Thinking about Dick in June 2019, must say he has shone bright in memory, though out of sight for some years now. But his decent kindness will remain with me forever.

Many people thought it odd that a book to save Building One at Newark Airport, titled "Great Airports Newark" and another a year later to save The Marine Air Terminal titled "Great Airports LaGuardia" would also carry the logo of Emery Air Freight.

But one day at a meeting I mentioned to Dick that we should stand for something else in air cargo—and saving our airport history would be a good thing.

Dick, as top corporate communications man for John Emery Jr. picked up the sword and said to me:

“Go ahead and do those books and send us 5,000 copies each," he said.

So I did and he did, and today way ahead of saving the TWA Building at JFK International in 2019, we did our books and managed to save both the Marine Air Terminal at LaGuardia in 1980 and Building One, now the manager's office in 1990 at Newark (with help from Bob Aaronson). Both are national landmarks.

Trade in your jet plane for a four engine piston pounding flying boat and your cell phone for the shortwave radio. It's summer 1940 in the South Pacific. Sally Forth With Speed Gibson, as July 4th approaches, return with us now for some high adventure as another exciting old time, circa 1938 radio program takes off to high adventure aboard The China Clipper.

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Great inspirational Super Summer 2019 ,or anytime story, from the great Marco Sorgetti... "Issa’s background is as remarkable as his success and this fascinates us immensely, so we want to do more than merely celebrate his success. Issa wrote once that “life is about mutual respect” and this is precisely what I believe he deserves. Let me see that his achievements gain a little space in the hearts of our listeners, too.We all know Issa Baluch is a man who has achieved a lot in his life, and not only in FIATA, which crowned him as its President in 2003. Issa is surely not a person to enter a room unnoticed. He is strong, rather tall, still wearing his masculine charm easily in 2019, despite the fact that the young logistics trailblazer he was in the ’80’s has now adjusted into the thoughtful professor and father to a large family while his own multifarious talents have safely landed onto the planet of talent-mentoring in more than one university across several continents."

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Qatar Airways delivered more punch to it's air cargo offering announcing purchase of five B 777 Freighters at Paris Air Show in a ceremony that included His Excellency Jassim Saif Ahmed Al-Sulaiti, Qatari Minister of Transport and Communications. "This is an order that will propel our growth and, I firmly believe, confirms us as the leading cargo operator in the world. " said His Excellency, Mr. Akbar Al Baker, CEO, Qatar Airways Group. Ingo Zimmer, CEO of fast growing ATC, a big winner in the global GSSA game serving 75 airlines, passed up attending the “gala” Air Cargo Europe awards dinner Wednesday June 5 in Munich. Ingo, as dynamic as he is tall at 6 foot 5, had a better idea, delivering a simple thank you to his customers in an extraordinary once in a lifetime setting. Air Cargo Europe bestowed another blizzard of air cargo awards at its “Gala Dinner in Munich. Forgive our skepticism, but something about this rings a bit hollow when air cargo folks sit down to a $75 or $150-a-plate trade show dinner to pat themselves on the back. We picked up a copy of the “Official Air Cargo Europe” daily publication. Printed on extra thick glossy stock, the issue felt and looked wonderful. But then we got to thinking: how can the air cargo industry, which is attempting to project an image of sustainability, allow itself to be presented to the professionals (at ACE) in a series of printed issues that have the look and feel of having been printed on what remains of the Black Forest? Although he was action central in American, German and International air cargo for more than 50 years, and is now retired, a belated special Happy 80th Birthday salute to the great Guenter Rohrmann, who was born on April 15,1939. The essential thing you need to know about GR is that he was an industry builder.

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Latest news that you can use out of Air Cargo Europe last week in Munich has Virgin Cargo making a huge investment in a new IT system to drive it's business forward from 2020.

Elsewhere many happy returns as Achim Martinka takes commend of the vital cargo market in Germany for Lufthansa Cargo.

United Cargo President Jan Krems gets it about challenging times and delivers the best quote we heard all last week about what to do as business 2019 marches on.

Beautiful women artists in evening wear as supple musicians, softened the hard edge of a giant trade show as Qatar Cargo launched Air Cargo Europe on the right note.

Last chance maybe forever...The airplanes that taught air cargo how to fly are in Germany all this week and should not be missed.

Is The Sky Falling?

While the mood in Munich’s maze of exhibition halls last week was decidedly – perhaps surprisingly – upbeat, a deluge of negative data and forecasts were raining down.

And for what it is worth Chicken Little, Henny Penny, Cocky Locky, Ducky Daddles, Goosie Poosie, Gander Pander, Turkey Lurkey and Foxy Loxy are all on the record here.

Yes, our view may be a children’s fairy tale, but isn’t it so that sometimes the gloom and doom forecast turns out like the unexpected last boom in air cargo that no one, including the crystal gazers at IATA Cargo saw coming?

Everyone was smiling at Munich and the band just played on as far as we could tell.

Here is the reality check.

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Airbus & SAS have a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for hybrid and electric aircraft eco-system and infrastructure requirements research. The MoU was signed by Grazia Vittadini, Chief Technology Officer, Airbus and Göran Jansson, Deputy President EVP Strategy & Ventures, Scandinavian Airlines. Collaboration begins this month June 2019 and will continue until the end of 2020. 2020 Sulpher Cap Impact Beyond The High Seas For forwarders and shippers, the key challenge of the coming months will come from the higher costs that implementing new environmental shipping regulations will impose on global supply chains. From 1 January 2020, new International Maritime Organization regulations will put a 0.5% cap on sulfur content in marine fuels globally, down from a maximum of 3.5% now. In EU it ain't just all about Brexit! This year - 2019 – Climate Change has been high on many EU countries “priority” list; in Denmark – as in many other Nordic and EU countries – 56% of the Danish citizen said that “Climate” was the most important issue and numerous demonstrations in Denmark and many other EU countries have confirmed Climate Change as “key issue” to be tackled by EU and national politicians in the coming years.

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If Elliott Paige had any better a handle on what it takes and what Atlanta has to offer as he explains the cargo fortunes of the giant southeastern USA gateway it could only be another revelation..

The Air Services Development Manager at Atlanta's Hartsfield Jackson International Airport is so smart and upfront about HJIA’s cargo program, you can go to school on the word picture he paints.

Bill Boesch started his career in global transportation and logistics

in 1965 working for Seaboard World Airlines. He later joined Flying Tiger Airlines and Emery Worldwide.

If it sounds like Bill was present at the creation you will get no argument from us.

Bill has held top posts all the way…

At Pan American World Airways’ Senior Vice President he

headed both Passenger and Cargo Sales and Operations.

American Airlines Robert Crandall tapped Bill to serve as President of AA Cargo.

When Bill retired from AA in 1998 he and his team had positioned AA as a world leader in the air cargo and logistics business.

Meet Carly and Karen Barry who arrived at CNS with a story to tell of pioneering in the ground transportation business in Southern Florida.

Karen is a working Mom who in 2007 was joined by daughter Carly at her company Evergreen Express trucking.

Karen is no overnight sensation either.

She has operated her company for the past 22 years moving from serving as a school teacher and said she got into founding Evergreen after learning a bit about trucking from her husband who did ad hoc charters.

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Right now in Germany is emerging not only the most exciting but also going away the best GSSA operation in the world. Not only that but to listen at ATC CEO Ingo Zimmer, ATC has only just begun to continue its unprecedented growth plan that has seen the GSSA move from regional European services to ATC spreading it’s wings across America and Canada and into South America and now Asia in just the past five years. Whatever you do this week whilst attending Air Cargo Europe in Munich, (June 4-7) do not allow the opportunity to enjoy a proper German white asparagus dinner slip by. White asparagus or spargel is a very short seasonal offering in Bavaria and it is everywhere this time of year, unique in the world, and so very delicious! When we met with United Airlines’ France Cargo Sales Manager Laurent Bernet in a small, elegant hotel garden in Place Pigalle Paris recently, we discovered a seasoned veteran of the air cargo business. He’s worked both sides of the Atlantic; first at Fritz, where he did an internship in 1992, and next at United Cargo, where he has been comfortably situated for the past twenty-four years. It turns out that during

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Up Close & Personal—A story that you have never heard before . . . July 14, 1964: More than a month ahead of the anticipated arrival of the Beatles at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), management of the Los Angeles Department of Airports had their first meeting with local disc jockey/nightclub owner/concert promoter Bob Eubanks, as well as representatives of the local police and fire departments to plan for two "B-Days" —code for days on which The Beatles would be at LAX.

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All Together Now

FIATA, the freight forwarders organization meets every Spring to listen, learn and share their experiences with friends and colleagues.

The 2019 Annual headquarters meeting held in Zurich Switzerland was a unparalleled success.

FIATA In Person Is Unbeatable

The unique atmosphere one breathes at the FIATA HQ – and even more so at the FIATA Congresses, which have 3 to 4 times more participants – is something you have to try yourself.

Words are not enough to describe the endless opportunities and the meaningful encounters everywhere, anytime FIATA meets!

Even casual words seem to become meaningful in the end, thanks to FIATA.

As I am proudly the one and only FIATA Fellow in the world, having been recognized and elevated at one of these sessions in 2016, I am proud to be a FIATA Fellow and keenly well aware of the efforts that are deployed to make these meetings great every year.

Thanks to former FIATA Director General Marco Sorgetti here is a unique inside look as FIATA Headquarters Session unfolded.

“Time Flies” when your having fun is an old saying.

For Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER) “Time Flies” doesn’t work while you are waiting on an airport.

It has been almost 14 years since construction began in 2006 to develop BER, a world class airport that was supposed to host a spectacular opening in 2012.

Today as you read this the airport is still sitting empty and unused.

Next week as the world meets in Munich share a watchful eye at BER the airport that by now was supposed to be serving the capital of Germany.

Sorry to reports that BER is by any measure the biggest boondoggle and airport construction failure in the history of airports.

Thanks A LOT! A few minutes with a 30 year cargo veteran and "Mohair Sam", smooth operator, Marek Kasiak of LOT Polish Airlines Cargo

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FlyingTalkers celebrates the start of Super Summer 2019 in the USA as Memorial Day is observed May 27. Here is a guide for everybody who loves aviation, and especially folks, that today live and work in air cargo, Right on the heels of a major world gathering—Air Cargo Europe in Munich, Germany at Transport Logistik June 4-7, the 70th anniversary of the ending of The Berlin Airlift that saved a city, is being celebrated in grand style from June 10 until June 18 at Wiesbaden Air Base near Frankfurt and in Berlin. Be amazed . . . for the first time since 1949, more than 40 aircraft from the Berlin Airlift, preserved and airworthy, will fly the original Berlin Airlift routes and later land at the airport and be accessible to the public to touch and feel, up close and personal.. Go to this address for more information: https://foerderverein-luftbruecke-berlin-70.de/ Memorial Day Special continues with the latest Chapter ((1937) of Steve Gibson Aviation Detective Series. Trip back in time just for fun, via Pan Am Clippers and short wave radio, through the eyes of a teenager who loves aviation.

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As he closes in on his second year of serving as President of American Airlines Cargo, it is fair to say that Richard (Rick) Elieson guided the freight fortunes of the world’s largest airline with a steady hand.

Rick Elieson is also a great photographer. Not just great because he knows how to handle a camera. In this age where everybody seems to be a phone photographer, Rick has the ability to snap stunning, original photos of wildlife in their natural settings.

There is a great, if not slightly unknown and perhaps overlooked, industry event that meets September 16 until 19 as ULD CARE opens its 32nd Annual ULD CARE Conference in Montreal, Canada.

For Urs Wiesendanger President, ULD CARE, and Bob Rogers, VP & Treasurer, ULD CARE, kicking the cans has been a joyful lifelong obsession.

To Urs and Bob, the devices are eye candy on the hardstand.

"It’s always a beautiful thing to see them trail around behind tugs and move up from the ramp into the bellies and main decks of waiting aircraft,"Urs declares...

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Shippers planning for the summer peak season received a curve ball from President Trump earlier this month.

With only a few Presidential tweets of warning, the U.S.-China trade talks that optimists hoped would bring an end to confrontation and protectionism instead yielded an escalation as the U.S. raised tariffs from 10% to 25% on $200bn worth of Chinese imports.

At Cargo Network Services (CNS) Partnership in Miami last week, we spoke to Sterling Transportation founder Keith Davis who developed an original idea into a quarter century success story, connecting Los Angeles to Miami with big trucks carrying cargo.

Later we spoke to an old friend named Warren Jones, who delivered to an air cargo conference something rarely seen—a shipper!

Irish Ken Ryan told us that cargo flown into Rockford, Illinois for UPS and Amazon and others, most often reaches destinations in Chicago faster than the same shipments that land at O'Hare International Airport.

Finally from our "Reporter's Notebook," we take a trip back to recall Slammin' Sam Snead.

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As previous reported in Flying Talkers, Amazon’s emergence as a major player in air cargo and logistics has been rapid.

But Amazon is not the only ‘e-tailer’ with an ambitious plan to integrate online and offline commerce by building huge logistics networks. Alibaba is also most definitely causing a stir.

Jack Ma, the co-founder and executive chairman of Alibaba Group, increasingly has the global name recognition and ‘influencer’ status that comes to very few.

A Flight To Nowhere S/H

“When we highlight the disappointing irony of this situation to the lenders, we are simply told that this problem is to be addressed by the shareholders, who should and could have agreed on a resolution plan a long time ago.” That was Vinay Dube, CEO of the now grounded Jet Airways, lamenting the lack of commitment on the part of Jet’s stakeholders to pay salaries to the employees.

Banks and financial institutions who are owed more than $1.15 bn have, till the time of filing this report, refused to provide a lifeline to the carrier.

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(Forget about the fabled gorilla in the room, here we examine the reality of an 800 pound Amazon)

Early last month Bill Boesch, the distinguished and eloquent former President of American Airlines Cargo, and now who delivers Special Commentaries in our sister E-Zine Flying Typers, explained how Amazon has the capability to transform the air cargo landscape.

Follow The Fleet S/H

For example, the e-tailer is already “its own air cargo customer” thanks to its ACMI contracts for Boeing aircraft with ATSG and Atlas which will give it a fleet of more than 50 freighters by next year. This leaves integrators such as UPS and FedEx in the position of both providing services to Amazon – one recent report claimed Amazon accounts for 6.5% of total UPS revenue and 4.7% of FedEx revenue - as well as competing with it for customers and their cargoes.

What’s more, Amazon can easily upscale its air freight operations, either by buying out one of its air charter partners or by acquiring or partnering with an integrator. “Either move by Amazon would change the face of America’s air cargo industry and cause withdrawal or consolidation of the present U.S. cargo charter carriers, and maybe even one of the integrators,” argued Boesch.

Behind the scenes at Cargo Network Services (CNS) Meet the Lady who puts the "Go" in Cargo!

Now we fly to Bangladesh says ABC. But what about life on the ground at Dhaka Cargo says everybody else.

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“The market might be less than a year ago-but it’s not bad,” insists Guillaume Halleux, Qatar Airways Head of Cargo.

“Don’t let people tell you that we are in a recession again—we are not!”

Guillaume is approaching his fourth anniversary atop Qatar Cargo this June.

“I have worked internally to make sure that cargo is a strong contributor to the airline’s bottom line by making sure everyone understands our business and its objectives and possibilities.

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Hot on the heels of Flexport’s latest funding infusion recently, FlyingTypers spoke to Neel Jones Shah, the forwarder’s SVP and Global Head of Air Freight.

Shah has occupied top posts at United and Delta Cargo so he has gained a unique perspective and reputation for advancing keen analytics, frank observations and conclusive projections as an industry voice that is heard in transportation worldwide.

Claiming “to advance JFK International Airport’s place as an international cargo handler,” a “place” that the airport once upon a time dominated from its opening in 1948 until the early 1990s when more than half of all airborne cargo in USA transited the facility, airport operator The Port Authority of New York & New Jersey signed a deal to allow JFK Air Cargo LLC to lease a new 250,000 sq. ft. cargo transfer facility to be built with $70 million in private funds at the airport.

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"A blockchain is a distributed ledger database that maintains a continuously-growing list of transactions in the form of ordered records called blocks." -Wikipedia "If you can't explain it to a 10 year old, you don't know it yourself" – Albert Einstein (attributed, but disputed) Get ready for this. It's spring 2019 and in some quarters the season augurs the air cargo industry awards time of year. There are awards for everything, from Company of the Year to Person of the Year, from Most Influential to Lifetime Service. The awards will be handed out left and right by trade shows, industry organizations, and publications alike.

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“A great opportunity for FIATA Association Members and Individual Members to exchange information and deliberate on important policy issues of our industry," FIATA President Babar Badat told Flying Talkers.

A very popular aircraft from the 1950s and early 1960s that has ended up as a restaurant and often as a bar, usually perched on a concrete buttress, at several locations in the USA. is all or part of a Lockheed Constellation.

Now at JFK International Airport in New York a "Connie" as the airplane is, and was, affectionately referred to, returns as a new on airport hotel opens.

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A300/A310 pioneered twin jet operations worldwide and are still at work today at FedEx. "Gathering Pace Together", a new sustainability report from Hapag-Lloyd as new rules for fuel content ready for prime time January 1, 2020 China India Burma Hump (CBI) If you want to know exactly when a defining time occurred for air cargo in the 20th century, and what led to the development of the industry we know today, join us as we cast a line back to April, seventy nine years ago, and you will discover that modern air cargo was born above the Himalayas as wartime air commerce moved essential consignments between India and China.

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Easter 2019...Takeoff with the Supermarket of the Sky & Vince Ryan... The focus is on the mighty tulip, but roses, daffodils, orchids, and more all get their time to shine. There are English and Japanese gardens, a playground, petting zoo, maze and much more to explore. The Keukenhof Gardens of Amsterdam are open but just eight weeks each spring. This year a special concert April 24 will celebrate 70 years of offering the world a rich opportunity to stop and smell the flowers. Steve Gibson Chapter 5 continues our series wherein the intrepid teenager with his short wave radio and dreams of detective work flies abord the China Clipper on a never ending journey to adventure.

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1. Air Cargo Integrators (ACI) CEO Lionel Smith is surveying the trade show scene at the TIACA Air Cargo Forum that took place in Toronto, Canada, in mid-October 2018.

As he looks up and down the aisle, Lionel, at six feet, seven inches tall, enjoys a unique vantage point.

Born in Kenya and on the scene in Dubai cargo for the past several decades, Smith is a transportation executive that stands out head and shoulders above the crowd. He joins a cadre of special people we have known during our 44 years on this beat.

2. When Lionel van der Walt packed it in as President of IATA CNS a couple years ago, our industry lost a great leader, although we got lucky again right away, when Mike White stepped up. Mike has carried forward admirably as President of CNS and reports a huge annual partnership conference about to take off in Miami, May 5.

Hero's Of Air Aargo.....Recently Deutsche Post DHL Disaster Response Team (DRT) deployed to Beira, Africa where Cyclone Idai damaged hundreds of thousands of acres of crops, and destroyed close to 200,000 homes.

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Bill Boesch is an air cargo pioneer but also a dreamer & doer across a distinguished and exemplary 40 plus year career. Bill served as President of American Airlines Cargo where he put that carrier on the world stage during the Robert Crandall era. Bill is also a key logistician for US military forces who during the Iran & Iraq conflict created methodologies that delivered the goods while saving lives. For his effort Bill was awarded The Medal of Freedom at a ceremony in New York harbor in the shadow of the Statue of Liberty on Ellis Island.. Among his other activities Bill has contributed a series of ten articles exclusively to our sister publication Flying Typers offering his unique knowledge and perspective into the ongoing impact that the administration of US President Trump is delivering to business and air cargo. In “Trump Effect Number 11” Bill goes four square into sharing both an up to date business recap and look ahead into the latest thinking as Amazon and other drivers change the table for air cargo in 2019.. The Air Cargo Forum India (ACFI) has taken on the task to make air cargo popular – both as a profession and a service. A tall order, no doubt – especially when passenger growth continues at a scorching pace prompting aviation stakeholders to look forward to the day in 2024 when if predictions hold, India will become the world’s third largest aviation sector.

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Meet Francesco Parisi Up Close & Personal When Parisi went into business in 1807 Napoleon was alive and signed a peace treaty with Russia; Ludwig von Beethoven debuted his Symphony Number 4 and Robert Fulton launched his first steamboat on the Hudson River in New York. Today in 2019, the quiet and unassuming Francesco Parisi (third generation) is a constant force for good as former President of FIATA and active builder of global transportation.

Go up close and personal at FIATA World Congress October 1-5 in Capetown. Get the scoop on a conference you should know about.

Virgin Cargo gets new handling in Lagos April 10 to serve it's booming cargo business.

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Looking At Latest Numbers Asia was full of mixed signals as airfreight stakeholders entered the second quarter of 2019 hoping for an upturn after a slow start to the year. Ode To Fala Dogs are subject of poetry, best friends of Presidents and First Ladies, and on the half shell upcoming at CNS Miami. Kicking The Cans In Canada There is a great if not slightly unknown, and perhaps overlooked industry event, that meets in Montreal Canada as ULD CARE opens its 32nd Annual Conference September 16-19.. For Urs Wiesendanger, President, ULD CARE, and Bob Rogers, VP & Treasurer, ULD CARE, kicking the cans has been a joyful lifelong obsession.

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Right now and for some few brief few days ahead, the breathtakingly beautiful cherry blossoms in Washington DC, also herald the "Cherry Shipping Season" & United Cargo says it is ready!

Turkish Airlines Cargo set to takeoff big time as New Istanbul Airport opens..

Like A Virgin..Brazil gets Virgin Cargo focus with Sao Paulo debut in 2020..

Women are recognized as leaders in the American trucking industry.

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How Deep Is The Ocean? FIATA Guide to Best Container Practices just a click away! Turkish Cargo moves belly lift to new airport in Istanbul April 6..... CNS Partnership at Doral National Miami May 5-7, an exclusive "talking heads" sessions preview. Fokko Doyan Captain of the Clouds, moves more than air cargo.

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Peg of My Heart

Speaking to Peggy Guse United Airlines’ Managing Director of Cargo Marketing, Customer Service and Alliances in March 2019 during International Women’s Month we were struck by how closely her discussion of the team’s accomplishments and ambitions dovetailed with the theme of the worldwide celebration of “Women’s Day on March 6: “Think Equal, Build Smart, Innovate for Change.”

Warm Up Your Short Wave Radio!

Later we climb onboard the high road to adventure aboard the China Clipper as Episode Four of Speed Gibson of the International Secret Police finds our teenage hero just arrived by Flying Boat in Hong Kong, as an aviation Broadcast from 1937 goes Podcast in 2019, with radio drama presented here every two weeks.

Enjoy the ride!

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We write about women in air cargo, about female aviators, and because we acknowledge women as consummate multi-taskers, we must remember to ask: what else can you do? What else do you do?

Invariably, women in every industry perform several and various functions in order not to go ‘hysterical,’ a term loved dearly by detractors of feminists like Betty Friedan as it improperly classified and deflected from that general feeling of malaise suffered by so many women who were not put to good use beyond the home.

Here we meet Elvy Kalep, the first female in Estonia to receive a pilot’s license, in 1931. Elvy, a friend of Amelia Earhart's and member of the 99s ,the pioneering female air pilots organization , never stopped working to interest young women in aviation even creating a most charming book titled "Air Babies".

A pioneering “Women In Air Cargo’, Mathangi Krishnan , could easily pass off as my aunt next door.

Measured in her conversation, an air of calm around her, Madam Krishnan cannot be pictured in the midst of the cacophony and helter-skelter of air cargo terminals.

But that is where her heart is.

This Thursday don't miss the JFK Cargo Expo!

All day just near the airport at a place where you can network with maybe 300 of your new best friends, and hear a couple of good discussions, plus enjoy an absolute rarity at these type of gatherings, a truly great luncheon meal and speaker.

Come on, it is International Women’s Month, so give it up for Luncheon Keynote Speaker Ms. Suzy Wardle, Head of Digital & Distribution, Virgin Atlantic Airways Cargo. Relax as Suzy who has something to say shares her thoughts with a look inside digitization, business simplification, e-commerce, and the future of customer interaction from her unique perspective.

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It's happening in Wiesbaden and some other airfields.

Now just as Air Cargo Europe Trade Show ends in Munich June 7, in Berlin and elsewhere in Germany a nine day event will begin on June 10 as The Berlin Airlift will be recalled with a giant fly-in by more than 40 vintage aircraft that saved that city during the blockade of 1948-49.

The 70th anniversary of the end of the Berlin Airlift is shaping up as a world event.

For people today in air cargo, and for people that love aviation everywhere, here is an opportunity to step back to the future to see, touch, and feel what it was like when air cargo was front page news all over the world and a city of two million people depended on a narrow aerial lifeline.

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Two powerful women serving in key posts for international logistics are profiled. The technological challenges facing the logistics industry and the celebration of International Women’s Month were on the agenda when FlyingTypers had a chat with the always insightful Cathy Morrow Roberson, Founder and Head Analyst of Atlanta-based Logistics Trends & Insights LLC..

Zeynep Kasikci, Head of Airfreight at DB Schenker Turkey is absolutely spot on about what is new and next, and she has been at the top of her game for 25 years.

“Air cargo in Turkey is undergoing an amazing transformation with realization that Hub Istanbul is the next great transportation story.

“Here the greatest airport in the world is opening in 2019.

“The future of air cargo is digitalization and artificial intelligence." Zeynep Kasikci said.

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Jan Krems President of United Airlines Worldwide Cargo is on top of the world.

Today United Airlines is the number one belly cargo lifter in the United States.

Jan talks about the drivers that make an airline cargo resource great.

He also reveals what it means to have a true cargo heart.

Later we take a break with Episode 3 of Speed Gibson an old time radio aviation series

from 1937, that is featured here every two weeks.

Enjoy the ride!

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IATA Cargo conducts a mandated annual meeting of its airline members every year as it also does elsewhere for its passenger carrier members.

For 2019, the air cargo event titled euphemistically "World Cargo Symposium" (WCS), was held at the Iconic and over the top Marina Bay Sands Hotel in Singapore, the place with the swimming pool that spans across the top of three 57-floor skyscraper buildings.

There were plenty of how to and what will we do session meetings amongst industry stakeholders at WCS 2019 . Transcripts of those meetings are available from IATA.

But here we talk to the people who took, in most cases, a very long journey to rub elbows with their opposite number, and also to meet and catch up with business partners.

These are the global leaders of the dynamic air cargo business in 2019.

Meet Guillaume Halleux, Chief Cargo Officer of Qatar Airways Cargo , Ingo Zimmer, CEO of GSSA specialist ATC, a company that is growing worldwide at a record pace, and Turhan Ozen, Chief Cargo Officer of Turkish Airlines Cargo,

We also share the thoughts of Eduardo del Riego, Pay Cargo CEO who is innovating the cargo settlement system with a just announced new agreement with IATA, taking off worldwide in 2019.

There is much more, so give us a few minutes and we will deliver the world.

Let's go up close and personal at WCS 2019.

Enjoy the ride!

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After India's Jet Airways Chairman Naresh Goyal stepped down on March 1, ending 25 years with a whimper, aviation pundits in India were not surprised.

Fliers and other aviation observers will agree that not too long ago, Jet had set the gold standard for service and excellence.

But over the last few years, its quarterly losses had grown as had its woes.

In just ten years, the company with close to 50 percent market share went down to less than 15.

As the U.S. celebrates Women’s History Month in March and the world celebrates International Women’s Day March 8, Jennifer Frigger Latham, Vice President, Sales & Marketing at EMO Trans based in Long Island, New York is amongst the outstanding emerging women in global transportation.

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March update underscore that numbers post CNY( Lunar New Year) are flat, but end of US/China trade dust up could be near. Profile of Thomas Uschtrin, United Cargo Sales Manager Germany,reveal some big ideas for team and business development.

Thomas enjoys his work, plays piano seriously, and loves the forests of Germany.While we were weekending air cargo led the way into commercial shipping in space delivering 400 pounds to the International Space Station

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We celebrate International Women’s Month with a good story that has panned out into a great one.At Air Cargo Europe 2017 United Airlines Cargo President Jan Krems and Lufthansa Cargo Executive Board Member & CEO Peter Gerber met and hosted an afternoon soiree to celebrate the signing of a landmark air cargo joint venture.

Stepping up to the plate charged with delivering on the promises, hopes and dreams are two smart, high-powered female cargo executives named Lori Lively, Cargo Alliances Manager from United Cargo and Claudia Steinke, Senior Manager Strategy & Airline Cooperations at Lufthansa Cargo.

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The UK exit of Brexit is just one month away. While debate rages here are some basic truths and warnings. Elsewhere whilst attending an air cargo conference we actually found a shipper. Rare breed at these things but this guy had something to say!

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The always engaging Washington DC based Airforwarders Association met in Las Vegas and held their annual Air Cargo Conference February 10-12. Here is an inside look at a gathering that underscores women in air cargo as the first order of business while moving the marble in security, digitalization and new technologies. AfA prospers greater cooperation with partners and customers.

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Now just as Air Cargo Europe Trade Show ends in Munich June 7, in Berlin and elsewhere in Germany a nine day event will begin on June 10 as The Berlin Airlift will be recalled with a giant fly-in by more than 40 vintage aircraft that saved that city during the blockade of 1948-49.

The 70th anniversary of the end of the Berlin Airlift is shaping up as a world event.

For people today in air cargo, and for people that love aviation everywhere, here is an opportunity to step back to the future to see, touch, and feel what it was like when air cargo was front page news all over the world and a city of two million people depended on a narrow aerial lifeline.

Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/geoffrey-arend/support

Announcement that the super jumbo passenger aircraft Airbus A380 will no longer be built marks the end, at least for a while ,of the plan to fill the skies with huge comfortable airplanes.

Although the dream is over, for the more than 200 A380s still flying ,the melody lingers on.

What happened? What might be next? What is the A380s legacy as it continues to serve selected airlines moving ahead?

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Here are the latest numbers quoting leading industry analysts and IATA Cargo. In part two we take a sentimental journey with REG Davies the greatest aviation historian. Ron sat in the Lindbergh Chair at the National Air & Space Museum in Washington DC for more than 50 years. Along the way he authored more than 38 books on everything from airline histories to the Berlin Airlift. These recordings will continue during 2019.

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Here we meet Andy Cornwell who serves American Airlines Cargo as Regional Sales Manager UK and lives near historic Bushy Park in Teddington a suburb of London.
Later a sweet tooth gets it as we talk Sky Bar , the most wonderful four flavored candy bar that disappeared last year , but will make a comeback in 2019 thanks to someone who loves the candy and just bought the rights in an online auction.

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