FRA Ban Could
Zap German Cargo

     The future of one of the world’s leading airfreight carriers is at stake if night flight operations should be sharply reduced at Frankfurt airport, Lufthansa Cargo’s main intercontinental gateway. This scenario could become realistic in fall 2011 if the local State government of Hesse does not overturn a recent decision by a regional Administrative Court.
     In their verdict the judges favored massive traffic restrictions between midnight and early morning hours at the world’s seventh-largest cargo airport to protect residents from noise emissions. To prevent the lights of Rhine-Main from being switched off between 11 pm and 5 am the politicians will have to file a contradiction before January 4, 2010 latest.
     Then the German federal court will have the final word for deciding this controversy between supporters and opponents of night flight restrictions once and for all.
     “We are highly convinced that Hesse’s government will opt for objecting to this case.
     “But if not our existence will be massively endangered,” warned Lufthansa Cargo executive board member Andreas Otto last Tuesday of an impending night flight curfew that would imperil the carrier.
     Herr Otto was guest speaker at the monthly gathering of Germany’s Air Cargo Club (ACD) that a record number of roughly 120 forwarding agents, ground handlers, airliners and general sales agents attended.
     During the meeting, a somber Damocles sword of a possible night flight ban at Rhine-Main airport hung above the crowd and became the evening’s first line of conversation.
     “Enterprises that highly depend on time-definite air freight services have announced that they will truck their shipments to either Paris, Luxembourg or Amsterdam instead of using Frankfurt as gateway if the airport’s doors will be closed during night hours,” said Otto’s executive board colleague Karl-Heinz Koepfle as he outlined other possible consequences.
     Aviation experts believe that all in all, up to 8,000 jobs could be axed in the logistics sector which would be a dramatic bleeding of resources for Frankfurt and the neighboring communities and a loss of tax flow as well.
     “It’s time now to close the lines and stand together to convince both politicians and the general public that a night flight ban would not only cripple Lufthansa Cargo but the entire cargo community and hence the economy of this export driven country,” said Professor Manfred Schoelch, former Vice Chairman of airport company Fraport AG.
     Meanwhile Andreas Otto confirmed that in view of the uncertain legal situation LH Cargo deferred a multimillion euros investment in new logistics facilities at Rhine-Main airport.
     The money will flow as soon as a feasible night flight regime becomes reality, he assured.
     During his presentation the manager emphasized the many new freighter routes his airline has offered the market during 2009.
     Thus, new business opportunities were sought and routes offered that were demanded by customers. Destinations include Seattle, Guadalajara, Lima, Hyderabad, Bogotá and Athens, to name only a few.
     In addition partner Jade Cargo also opted for new horizons by serving Vienna, Istanbul, Chengdu and some more places for the first time.
     The entire Lufthansa Cargo airline group is becoming an increasingly important competitive factor, Herr Otto said. Group members include the air freight divisions of the Lufthansa affiliated carriers Brussels Airlines, Swiss, Austrian Airlines, British BMI, Chinese Jade Cargo and AeroLogic, a recently built joint venture of DHL Express and Lufthansa Cargo.
     Herr Otto confirmed that China will be targeted by LH Cargo even more in the months and years to come.
     To illustrate this strategic decision he presented figures that forecast for China an economic growth of impressive 110 percent from today to the year 2017, whereas the gross product in Europe will only reach a comparatively modest number of plus 12 percent and USA/Canada is expected to report an increase of 21 percent during the same time period.
     Main aim for the coming weeks is to further enhance the load factor of the MD-11 freighter fleet and to optimize yields as well as margins.
     Cost containment and capacity restriction will be prioritized as well, any redundancies however are not standing on the to-do list of the German cargo crane, Dr. Otto said.
Heiner Siegmund

Up Close & Personal

Christian Becker

Director Russia & CIS

Lufthansa Cargo

IAH Perishables Debuts

Genaro Pena
Houston Airport System   

 
 “With Fresh Air Cargo Houston Intercontinental Airport’s new perishables center, a continuing $3.1 billion renovation of facilities through the Houston Airport System (HAS) has now delivered a new era for shippers via IAH.
     “Cargo agents, freight forwarders and logistics managers can enjoy the benefits of one of the world's finest air cargo facilities here.
     “Our airport has become one of the top USA international cargo gateways, with a cargo facility that has the capacity to handle perishables, oilfield equipment, computers, auto parts and other vital shipments safely and efficiently.”
     Genaro Pena, Houston Airport System Director of Business Development is jubilant as Houston Intercontinental Airport continues celebration of its 40th year in business this Friday December 11, opening Fresh Air Cargo Perishables Center, a move that signals an important turn for IAH into a major gateway for perishables, especially from Latin America.
Tradewinds Cargo Handling, owned by New Jersey-based Group One Investments, LLC, is operating a cold-storage air cargo facility under a lease agreement.
     “We are excited about establishing Houston as a gateway for perishables,” said Kerry Galegher director of the new air cargo facility.
     IAH Fresh Air Cargo offers direct ramp access for airlines and is next to a consolidated Federal Inspection Services Center, which speeds up processing of imported products.
     “This new cargo operation adds a needed dynamic to international and Houston-based importers and distributors of perishable products,” Genaro Pena says.
     “The facility is the first of its kind in Houston in size and scope and allows airlines and logistics managers to better serve their customers.”
     Tradewinds Cargo Handling says that it offers a broad range of import and export value-added services, some of which include-pre-cooling imports, sorting imports, re-labeling imports prior to shipment to distribution centers or retail outlets.
     Tradewinds also conducts certified cargo screening for airlines, freight forwarders, consolidators and commercial shippers plus transshipment by air and ground transportation amongst other activities.
     “This represents a significant opportunity for growth at Intercontinental Airport, and Houston’s central location will dramatically improve the quality of imported products for central U.S.,” said Steven Bradford, Trammell Crow Company managing director of airport development.
     “Houston steps up big as air cargo rebounds from the world economic slump,” Mr. Pena added.
     “IAH International Air Cargo takes its rightful place as a key link in the global cool-chain.”
     Houston Intercontinental Airport opened in 1969 on a 3,000-acre tract of land sold to the city at cost by a group of civic-minded businessmen.
     At that time, all passenger airline service moved from the pioneering old art-deco Hobby Airport where several important aviation firsts were set including serving as a base for the Woman’s Airforce Service Pilots (WASPS) during WWII.
     Interestingly since the old field carried the name Hobby International Airport- planners named the new one (1969) Houston Intercontinental Airport a moniker that has stuck until today.
     For the record an essential element of the old Hobby International, the beautiful art-deco passenger terminal still stands housing an important aviation museum.

     Over 40 years, a growing variety of airlines have served from Houston Intercontinental Airport.
     Some like Eastern, Braniff, Texas International, People Express, and Western have long disappeared or been merged with other carriers.
     Others, like KLM, have been at the airport since its opening day.
     IAH was renamed George Bush Intercontinental Airport/Houston in 1997, in honor of Former President George Bush.
Former President Bush is a long time resident of Houston and was present at the airport's opening in 1969 when he was a Member of Congress representing the Houston area.
     George Bush Intercontinental Airport is the eighth busiest for total passengers in North America.
Airport Council International rates IAH as the seventh largest international passenger gateway in the United States and sixth busiest airport in the world for total aircraft movements and the fastest growing of the top ten airports in the United States.
     The gateway currently ranks third in the United States for non-stop domestic and international service with 182 destinations
Geoffrey

Air Cargo News FlyingTypers leads the way again as the world’s first air cargo publication to connect the industry to the broadly expanding and interactive base for social commentary—Twitter.
     Here are updates from Twitter. To be added to this 24/7/365 service at no-charge contact: acntwitter@aircargonews.com

December 9:    “Well the engines started OK.” First runs for GEnx-2B engines for the 747-8 F in Washington USA this week as date draws near for test flights.

December 9:   A Marriage In Heaven—United Airlines, the once upon a time Boeing Air Transport says it will buy 25 B787s 250 A350s.

December 9:   China Southern Cargo took delivery of two new Boeing 777 freighters at Guangzhou Baiyun Airport where they will enter service.

December 9:   "We are excited our India can enjoy Beaujolais Nouveau during the holidays," said Pieter de Man, AF/KLM at a big vin & fromage bash in Delhi after AF/KL delivered the cargo.

Up Close & Personal
Michelle Soliman
Manager
Ras Al Khaimah Airport

Women In
Air Cargo

Salma Ali Saif Bin Hareb

Batool Hussain Ali

Lisa Wilczek

“You can’t legislate morality-thank heaven!”