“There’s a new spirit of optimism and a momentum toward innovation within the United Cargo team – and our customers are sensing this as well,” said Robbie Anderson, President-United Cargo as Air Cargo Symposium in Los Angeles takes off this week.
     “This is an offshoot of many positive developments in the new year and a number of enhancements that are either in planning or in place.

     “Firstly, United Cargo, previously coupled with Airport Operations, is now our own separate division within United Airlines.
     “This change has a number of important benefits: it accentuates the importance of Cargo to the United enterprise, and it allows the Cargo Division to focus on the projects and initiatives that create the most value for our customers.
     “The primary advantage of this shift is that field-based staff responsible for cargo operations in United’s hubs and many other key cities are now members of the Cargo Division.
     “Our greater control over station resources is already producing a more consistent shipment process across all locations.

     “Next, as our technology has stabilized, we are evaluating and planning to implement the advancements needed to be a leader in this area.
     “We are not where we want to be technologically, but the foundation on which our UC360° system is built is leading-edge.
     “Along with phase two of our system rollout, we are targeting the addition of several of the features and functions our customers want most: web enhancements and mobile platforms, expanded eCommerce and messaging capabilities, and greater access to our leading network through optimal use of the system’s capacity management tools.

     “A focal point of our product development in 2014 is TempControl – our service for shipments requiring temperature-controlled transport.
     “Along with developing product- and route-specific standard operating procedures (SOPs), we invest in a great deal of groundwork and training and before we “certify” a station to handle this product.
     “Through a coordinated global effort, we have increased the number of TempControl-certified stations to 45 with 10 more planned to come on line this year.
     “To elevate this service to the next level, last week we announced the launch of our new “Control Tower” for the planning and management of TempControl.
     “This approach features a highly-trained team of specialists who provide TempControl customers a single point of contact through all phases of the shipment lifecycle – from pre-booking to post-recovery.
     “The most important benefit for our customers is that the many complex processes, data elements and communication touch points needed for a flawlessly executed shipment are managed by a one group.
     “One hands on attention increases our and our customer’s knowledge and control of the shipment at every milestone.

     “An issue that is generating more attention and activity – for United Airlines, United Cargo, and for both the airline and air cargo industries – is our suite of programs to reduce the impact of our business operations on the environment.
     “We’re proud that United, through our many Eco-Skies initiatives, is an industry leader in this area.
     “Last month United became the first airline in the world to fly with the Split Scimitar Winglet.
     “This new design reduces fuel consumption by up to 2% per aircraft – in addition to the 5% fuel reduction provided by the basic Blended Winglet configuration we use. “Winglets and other aircraft modifications, along with replacing old aircraft with new, more fuel-efficient models and a number of operational and procedural changes, enabled United to achieve our aggressive goal of saving 85 million gallons of fuel in 2013.”

     “But Air cargo’s response to the challenge to become “greener” is the subject of both my presentation (“Mandatory Reporting of Carbon Footprints” and my panel participation (“Air Cargo and the Environment: Are We Doing Enough?”) at the IATA World Cargo Symposium in LAX this week.”

     “Another thing we’re proud of and that customers have noticed: a few weeks back United Cargo launched a new ad campaign that reinterprets United’s “flyer-friendly” brand message for the cargo marketplace.
     “The tagline of our new campaign is “shipping-friendly.” Just like United passengers, our cargo customers place a high value on a user-friendly experience. “This means being easy to do business with, being collaborative and solution-oriented, and providing the products, service and technology that deliver the greatest benefit to our customers and their businesses.
     “Along with emphasizing these “shipping-friendly” qualities in our new ads, our goal is to convey these qualities in every customer interaction.
     “United Cargo’s new attitude and customer approach highlights the importance of being a responsible trusted business partner.
     “We want to forge long-term, highly collaborative, strategic relationships with our partners – negotiating the partnership rather than the deal.
     “These sustainable, long-term business partnerships are the most effective way to create long-term value for United Cargo and, more importantly, for our customer partners.”
Geoffrey

With the deadline for compliance with new European security requirements looming, FlyingTypers has teamed up with FIATA’s David Fielder, Chairman of the FIATA’s Advisory Body on Security Matters, to help explain to forwarders exactly what they need to understand before ACC3 enters into force on July 1.

FlyingTypers:   Are you concerned that forwarders are not doing enough to meet ACC3 in time for the July 1 deadline?
David Fielder:   To answer that question you need to understand the bigger picture, especially as the ACC3 requirements are focused more on carriers than forwarders.
FT:   Please explain more, David . . .
DF:   While forwarders may be asked to support a carrier in its audit, it is not mandatory. RA3s, a cargo-handling entity located in a third country that is validated and approved as such on the basis of an EU aviation security validation, and KC3s, a validated known consignor located in a third country, do not have an obligation to meet EU Regulations. However, it would be attractive to become an RA3 or KC3 and meet the criteria of the checklist in Regulation (EU) 654/2013, one of the main regulations that brought the new security regime into being.
FT:   Why is meeting the criteria beneficial?
DF:   After validation through an EU Aviation Security Validator, the cargo from a regulated agent or known consignor can find its way onto any air carrier which is also validated. If a regulated agent or known consignor carrying cargo from a third country into the EU is certified as an RA3 or KC3, the security supply chain will remain unbroken. So there are potential cost savings and reputation benefits for all business partners. It must also be borne in mind that, in many countries, there are established Known Shipper programs in accordance with Annex 17 and those forwarders shipping from "green" countries should not have major concerns or issues.
FT:   How is validation achieved?
DF:   The regulations outline clearly the procedure for validation. In short, either the ACC3’s security program shall set out details of security controls implemented on its behalf by third country entities from which it accepts cargo directly for carriage into the Union; or the third country entities submit the relevant cargo handling activities to an EU aviation security validation at intervals not exceeding five years and provide ACC3(s) with a copy of the validation report. What is still not apparently clear is whether current Known Consignors in countries with Annex 17 programs will receive automatic recognition given issues of sovereign control.
FT:   Do forwarders need to know anything more about the regulations?
DF:  Specifically the regulations governing RA3 audits as applied to forwarders were promulgated in the middle of 2013 as per the below COMMISSION IMPLEMENTING REGULATION (EU) No 654/2013 of 10 July 2013 amending Regulation (EU) No 185/2010 in respect of EU aviation security validation checklists for third country entities. EU Regulation 654/2013 clearly outlines a forwarders’ position and includes the checklist. It states at the beginning: Third country entities have the option to become part of an ACC3 (Air cargo or mail carrier operating into the Union from a third country airport) secure supply chain by seeking designation as a third country EU aviation security validated Regulated Agent (RA3). An RA3 is a cargo handling entity located in a third country that is validated and approved as such on the basis of an EU aviation security validation.
FT:   From where does the legal basis of ACC3 for carriers originate?
DF:   ACC3 in respect of carriers is defined within EU Regulation 1082/2012, which amended EU185/2010 to extend the security requirements to carriers flying into the EU as EU185 only covered requirements within the EU only. The time frame is mentioned below in respect of carriers
(b) until 30 June 2014, a “Declaration of commitments — ACC3” as set out in attachment 6-H confirming the implementation of the security program covering the points as specified in Attachment 6-G. The declaration shall be signed on behalf of the air carrier by its legal representative or by the person responsible for security. Either a copy or the original shall be retained by the appropriate authority until the expiry date of the ACC3 designation;
(c) from 1 July 2014, an EU aviation security validation report confirming the implementation of security measures.
     This means ACC3s must present to the relevant EU authority until 30th June 2014 an audit report, including a validation checklist, proving the ACC3's security supply chain meets the EU regulation. The validation must be undertaken by an accredited EU Aviation Security Validator and certified by an EU authority. The validator must sign his independence declaration (1082/2012 - Attachment 11-A) in respect of the entity validated. Facilitations are also possible for ACC3s when they work with entities such as RA3s or KC3s.
FT:   Is there anything else forwarders need be concerned about?
DF:  While there may be various local operational issues creating difficulties for forwarders in becoming RA3 validated such that they can continue to provide cargo without need for subsequent inspection by their carrier, this will be part of greater discussions.
     There is also the issue of state controls and application of extra-territorial controls and where a particular country’s government position is on this. And then there is the issue that if cargo is currently fully inspected and controlled at airports under current country procedures, the need for RA3 may not be relevant depending on what is agreed by that State with the EU.
     But, by far the greater issue is what happens to the carriers who fail to get audited in time—so those flying from non-exempt countries. This is more of a concern, as it would reduce the pool of available carriers for forwarders to use. Likewise, the limited number of ACC3 auditors is another concern.
     FIATA does not believe that the deadline on July 1, 2014 is of greater concern for forwarders than other stakeholders, for example carriers, who are directly affected by this date.
     I would like to say, in any case, that FIATA and its Association Members are available to all freight forwarders for advice and assistance in all countries of the world. All companies that need special assistance in this predicament may come to FIATA or their Association Members for assistance. Let me also say that, in view of the particular interpretations of this legislation in different jurisdictions, there is never 100 percent certainty; one special case might come up and require special attention or explanation. If this is the case those companies or associations are more than welcome to take contact with FIATA to clarify what could be considered moot points.
     I wish to thank FlyingTypers for their interest and assistance in this rather technical topic that greatly benefits from the dissemination of correct information.
FT:   Thank you too, David!
SkyKing

Michael Webber
Webber Air Cargo
Airport Consulting

     March 8, 2014, is International Women’s Day. Every year, the month of March takes on a theme; this year, the theme is Inspiring Change.
     It’s ironic, then, that in 2014 we’ve found so many women in positions of power who wish to recede into the background when it comes to their gender. Acknowledge me for my work, they say, and not for my gender. The COO of Facebook and author of the wildly popular Lean In: Women, Work and the Will to Lead book and movement, Sheryl Sandberg has asked that women lean into their workload, both at home and in the office; yes, do everything you can, and more. Do it effortlessly, with high visibility and responsibilities, and show that women can do as much and more than their male counterparts, and without making a feminine fuss. Ms. Sandberg wants individual women to institute change through their work, with the assumption that a woman’s lack of a powerful, well-paying job is the result of not “leaning in” enough. Women themselves are at fault for their lack of power, rather than the faulty system in which they are operating.
     President John F. Kennedy signed the Equal Pay Act in 1963. Yet, more than 50 years later, women are still paid only 77 cents for every dollar paid to a man. In Europe, the wage gap stands at 16.4 percent, meaning women essentially work 59 days of the year for free. Women only hold 4.6 percent of Fortune 500 and Fortune 1000 leadership positions. Gender equality still has a woefully long journey before it.
     In our opinion, if we really want to inspire change, we need to celebrate, as loudly as possible, when a woman holds a position of power. It is not an issue of being defined by our gender, but rather the importance of recognizing that there is gender inequality. It follows, then, that when a woman holds a position of power, she is essentially working double duty against the current system—her figurative muscles are larger than her male counterparts, because the tide of inequality against which she must swim in order to even exist in her position is that much stronger. If there are, say, 40 rungs on a man’s corporate ladder, then there are 50 or more rungs on a woman’s corporate ladder. We must climb higher, and longer, to get to the same place—why wouldn’t we shine a light on our gender, when we are working so much harder because of it?

     We shouldn’t eschew our gender, or ask that we be referenced by our position only. We should claim our womanhood alongside our positions, because the occupation of those positions is a revolutionary act—and only a revolutionary act because we are women. The world should know how difficult it is to exist in the workforce as a woman, especially in air cargo, where the landscape has been largely male for so long. The goal is for a future where the act of women holding positions of power is not revolutionary, but commonplace. The reality is that we aren’t there yet. And if women insist on shuttering their gender in lieu of their position, they are only cloaking in darkness the struggle inherent in the climb. We cannot fight quietly if we truly wish to inspire change, and change doesn’t exist in a vacuum, nor is it carried on the back of a single woman. Change comes when we band together and hold our gender as an example of inequality, and a talisman against it.
     In the future, we may be fortified by equality. That is the hope. But one woman in one position of power has not achieved the goal of equality, especially if women are still making less than men across the board. The fight is for all women, for equality for all.

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RE: FIATA Outlines Modern Times

Dear Geoffrey,

     Thanks for the very nice article you published; I really think that the readers of FlyingTypers will have a better understanding for FIATA after they read it.
     To my regret I will be not present in LAX for the WCS, but Marco Sorgetti, Bill Gottlieb, John O´Connell, and David Fielder will hold the FIATA flag in this very interesting meeting.
     Hope to see you soon, at the latest in Turkey for the FIATA Congress in October.

All the best,
Rudi
Rodolfo Sagel
Presidente

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