Flyingtypers Cargo Talks!

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. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/geoffrey-arend/support

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”. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/geoffrey-arend/support

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. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/geoffrey-arend/support

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

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 aviati

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

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

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 ru

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. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/geoffrey-arend/support

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 al

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

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.

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. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/geoffrey-arend/support

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

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 McBry

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. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/geoffrey-arend/support

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. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/geoffrey-arend/support

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 --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/geoffrey-arend/support

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 praye

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. --- Support thi