Cool Hand Lifts 60 Tons

     Orville Hart is a good guy.
     Even in that particular easy Latin social atmosphere at Miami, where he is based as Air Jamaica Cargo Area Sales Manager Southeast USA (Tel: 305-526-2390 Fax: 305-871-0093), Orville gets high marks for his decency and dedication for detail.
     If Orville Hart says it is so, then believe it, the story goes.
     “Cool Hand” as he is sometimes called as he ambles about the Air Jamaica Cargo transfer facility behind a pair of smooth dark sun shades checking things out, also gets an extra spring back into his step this time of year.
     Because right now at Air Jamaica it is all-cargo time one more day a week, every Tuesday.
     And this year that means as loads build up for transport from MIA to Montego Bay and beyond, Air Jamaica is pulling out all the stops by adding the hefty 60 ton lift of all-cargo Boeing B767s to service its growing cargo air trade.
     “There goes ‘Cool Hand,’” someone says as Orville sticks his head inside Air Jamaica’s big reefer in its cargo complex at Building 701 MIAD.
     Orville smiles his broad smile that says all is good as he checks things out saying:
     “Our cargo schedule freighter service to Jamaica is going to change the way shippers consider their routings, not only to our island, but also throughout the region.
     “We have replaced our DC-8 freighter with B767 that we introduced to the freight forwarding community this past Sunday (September 11, 2005).
     Air Jamaica Cargo’s B767 departs MIA Sunday, Tuesday & Thursday.
“The freighter is in addition to our line flights.
     “As usual, we expect as volumes grow driven by our unbeatable service and price, we will continue the service enhancement through the December period.
     “Fuel surcharges are a fact of life, but we have held ours to 0:40/KG effective September 19, 2005.
     “By the way this is by far the cheapest in the industry.”
     For more than three decades Orville Hart has been “Mr. Air Jamaica Cargo” USA offering superior service to customers both locally and overseas.
     “The formula is simple,” Orville says:
     “We guarantee our customers more frequency and cargo capacity into Jamaica than any other airline, and the willingness to always go the extra mile for individuals, the micro-business sector and large corporations.
     “Air Jamaica Cargo is the prime carrier of Jamaica's agricultural produce to North America, ensuring that our local farmers and exporters meet their deadlines, with goods that arrive on time with no compromise in quality.”
     With over 350 flights each week to major destinations in North America, Europe and the Caribbean, Air Jamaica offers all cargo capacity not only during the ramped up schedule at holiday time but all year round.
     “Affordable and competitive rates are available for cargo being moved on our regular passenger flights, as well as on our scheduled freighter service, operating on our busiest route between Jamaica and Miami.”
     Air Jamaica Cargo enjoys more than 70% of the airfreight market between Jamaica and the rest of the world.
Miami and Montego Bay drive that dominance.
     “For me it is all about people.
     “We like to say that we never forget how important you are.
     “Right now with 60 tons of lift thrice weekly from MIA, we are out to make new friends all over the place,” Cool Hand smiles.
Contact: ohart@airjamaica.com

Reporter's Notebook-Atlanta

On Thursday, the day after two of the world’s biggest airlines declared bankruptcy, no one had declared that yesterday would forever be referred to as “Black Wednesday.”
Still nothing would ever be the same for Delta and Northwest, two carriers now under court protection from their creditors.
Both airlines are icons in their host American cities, Northwest in Minneapolis, Minnesota and of course Delta in Atlanta, Georgia.
It seems that Delta’s fall is greater than the financial demise of Northwest although no less painful for the people affected.
Northwest had been on the ropes a couple of times; including one stretch when it looked like KLM would end up taking over the airline.
Delta was always the solid company with lots of money, able to pick and choose what it wanted to do like when DL acquired what was left of Pan Am World Airways 15 years ago.
“Maybe Delta should have opted for Latin America rather than taking Pan Am’s European destinations,” someone said.
“Do you think Northwest would work as part of Air France if that KLM deal had somehow worked?” another half seriously advances.
Others have two words for the perilous situation affecting the airlines in America since before 911, and those words are spit out through clenched teeth—Alfred Kahn.
Alfred Kahn, Secretary of Transportation, during the one and only administration of President Jimmy Carter deregulated the U.S. airline industry and transformed the business all at once from a genteel gentleman’s club with predictable results, into something else.
That something else has seen more than 30 airline companies come and go out of business since airline deregulation in 1978.
Today the turmoil going on in the Atlanta airline business was almost impossible to spot.
Yesterday Delta CEO Jerry Grinstein was out in the cavernous ATL passenger terminals, talking to employees and passengers alike.
With hopes dashed amongst Delta people who hurt too much to laugh, and in most cases had no time in public to cry, that simple gesture of an airline boss in one airport terminal with the common folk, was touching.
Today looking out his window at about a dozen aircraft awaiting takeoff, Warren Jones, Hartsfield Jackson International Airport Cargo Development Manager said:
“It’s business as usual with a takeoff every thirty seconds.”
“People here are spirited and are working harder than ever from what I can see.
“We are looking forward to things working out, and to our big launch this November when Cathay Pacific will connect ATL with Mainland China.”
As Jones spoke, down at Atlanta City Hall, Delta CEO Grinstein was meeting with city officials and, we suppose, was saying about the same thing.
Except for the Cathay Pacific part.
(Geoffrey Arend)