They say the battle for air cargo is won or lost in the last quarter mile between the cargo facility and the aircraft hold.
     Nobody has to tell that to Vice President, United Cargo Global Operations Angel Ramirez.
     Although these days it is fashionable to keep information in a Cloud, this Angel of air cargo certainly did not drop out of one.
     Today he shoulders responsibility that includes everything operational at all United Cargo locations worldwide, including (deep breath) overall quality assurance, policies and procedures, claims prevention and processing, print services, ULD management, and road feeder services reporting directly to him. Angel became a major team leader at the carrier, working himself all the way from the ground up as director of Cargo Operations for United’s crucial Newark Liberty and John F. Kennedy International Airport operations.

The Road To Quality

     “My recipe for quality has three main ingredients.
     “Firstly, develop clearly-defined, standardized metrics to serve as the radar by which your organization zeroes in on opportunities and assesses results.
     “This keeps the team aligned with the industry and also with generally-accepted practices.
     “Next, add a personal touch to the recipe by providing clear guidance to the process of interpreting and using the data created by those KPIs.
     “The aim is to drive change and influence behaviors to create an environment that promotes the delivery of reliable and predictable results—results that add value to our customers and simplify execution for our employees.
     “Finally, I believe that, much like beauty, quality is in the eye of the beholder.
     “So the key is to provide a variety of options that enable customers to choose what’s best for them.
     “Most people say they want a ‘quality’ meal, but price is always a factor in their decisions.
     “The options must give the customer choices that strike the right balance between quality and cost.”

“We Own The Journey”

     “United Cargo quality is not limited by the confines of a freight facility or the boundaries of an airport.
     “We own the entire journey: the initial consultation, the reservation, acceptance and handling at the freight facility, ramp side loading, unloading, and delivery at destination, right through to the invoicing process.
     “All our team members and partners consider quality the personal responsibility of everyone whose efforts impact the customer directly or indirectly at any point.
     “Our Sales and Operations teams work side-by-side constantly to develop solutions for our customers through our concierge program and joint customer meetings.”

Relationships Are Shared Victories

      “Our strong and effective relationship with our service providers is everything to us.
     “We fight for every kilo of available cargo, and when we win, we win together.
     “At United Cargo, we embrace the challenge of keeping the drive for excellence top-of-mind from the very first moment our customers interact with our systems and people.
     “We recognize that we need to continuously evaluate ourselves against our goals to improve and grow.
     “We know we’re successful when our customers can’t tell the difference between a sales or service partner and United Sales or Operations because we are fully aligned on our commitment to quality.”

Tripping Through The Past Darkly

     “Thinking about what United Cargo went through a few years back brings to mind something Vince Lombardi said:
     “‘It’s not whether you get knocked down, it’s whether you get up.’”
     Vince was a football coach who was so admired they named a rest- stop located on the New Jersey Turnpike near EWR’s United Cargo facility after him.
     “We’ve certainly come off the deck at United Cargo.
     “We did it with the help of many customers who believed in us and supported us through the tough times.
     “We did it by investing in the most devoted and professional group of co-workers I’ve ever had the honor to be a part of.
     “We’re continuing this comeback by remaining humble and learning from every mistake while keeping conscious of our capabilities and the exciting possibilities ahead.”

Lessons Learned

     “We’ve taken all those ‘lessons learned’ and applied them to establish the foundation of the organization we are today.
     “Right now, speaking to a customer who stayed with United through the difficult stretch, I say:
“‘Thank you once again for your loyalty and support.
     “‘I’m certain you can vouch for the growth and improvement in our quality over the past two years based on the feedback you’ve given us.’
     “To customers who made the difficult decision to shift away from us:
     “‘Give us a chance to earn your trust again. Not with words, but with consistent delivery of the quality levels of support our organization is capable of providing for your business.””

How To Make Air Cargo Work Better

      “From a company perspective:
     “Be more responsible to your customers, your employees, and the community.
     “Realize that what you do and how you do it has consequences beyond the immediate and the obvious.
     “From the industry perspective, the answer is much more pointed: “Get rid of the paper! Embrace the change that ‘paperless’ cargo represents because the benefits of faster processes and reduced costs will be well worth the effort.”

Quality Not Lost In Translation

      “There are two best sources for answers to questions about quality: our customers, and our staff and service partners on the front line.
     “Our customers help us understand their real needs—what we can deliver that will make a real difference in their success.
     “The genuine answers are usually filtered by the process and likely lost in translation if we’re not working directly with the source.
     “So a constant dialog with customers is key to understanding their needs and knowing the issues we are trying to solve.
     “Then we work with our front line leaders and staff to understand their challenges: the support they need to produce the desired outcome.
     “More often than not, these folks have the answer and are quick to determine how to make success happen once they understand the true need.
     “Offer a view of looking for answers both internally and externally to deliver a better product experience all around.
     “Our industry has a wealth of talented individuals—many, but by no means all, at United Cargo.
     “We remain vigilant for innovative ideas and opportunities internally, but we also keep a close eye on progress outside of our organization.
     “This helps us bridge some of the challenges we are trying to solve within our business and our operations.”

Be Up Front When Things Go Wrong

      “It’s extremely important to own the level of success or failure in everything you do—as an individual and as an organization. It’s also crucial to acknowledge the state of progress on any project, as well as where the roadblocks are if you’re not moving ahead.
     “Because challenges are a constant, ‘owning’ good or bad results determines whether your team will improve or stay stagnant.
     “I believe standing up to every situation is a basic strength of our team.
     “We always acknowledge where we are and recognize we can do better.
     “We trust the capabilities of our co-workers and believe they can and will do what’s necessary to improve.

Simplification & Safety

     “Simplification and safety are two words we use again and again.
     “United Cargo is introducing new tools and improved processes to simplify the execution of our front-end operations and reduce the amount of variation in the output.
     “We are focused on anything and everything that can help us produce a more consistent outcome.
     “Technology is our friend in this, and we have a variety of different tools in the works to help us streamline processes and improve visibility at every point where a hand-off occurs.
     “We also have a constant focus on safety and organization.
     “The health of our co-workers and the security of customers’ cargo is paramount, and the behaviors required to maintain a clean, well-organized, and safe operation also drive better quality and overall output for our customers.”

Just Ask

     “United Cargo has said ‘yes’ more often, and with more success, to customers inside and outside the airline during the past year.
     “We’ve made quantifiable improvements in key metrics that impact customer satisfaction.
     “Both our internal measurements and IATA’s C2K statistics reflect major gains in our percentage of success.”

The Road To Quality

     “Quality has always been a target in my career, but in my current role it has been the primary focus for the past five years.
     “Following the United-Continental merger, our integration strategy was to start from zero, capture and implement best practices, and build the foundation from the ground up.
     “While 2013 was an extremely challenging year, 2014 was all about recovery and stabilization. In the second half of last year, we aligned the organization around a new vision: the behaviors necessary to be a ‘Responsible Business Partner.’
     “Now in 2015 we’re focused on building on this foundation.
     “We introduced new tools and resources early this year that generated significant performance improvements beginning in mid-Q1 and continuing through to today.
     “We have several new tools and technology solutions in the pipeline that will allow us to close existing gaps—leading to better planning on the front end and improved visibility through all the stages of handling.
     “I think we’re about 75 percent of the way there, which still leaves plenty of room for improvement!
     “But I’m sure we’ll get there, because we have a team of extremely talented people who love what they do, and they won’t stop until we reach our goal.
     “We want to create a single, consistent mindset in cargo customers all over the world: when they think about their need for top quality, they immediately associate it with the United Cargo brand.”

Angel Paths Of Glory

     Angel Ramirez attended college at Kean University in New Jersey, where he received both a Bachelor of Science in Business Management and a Bachelor of Arts in Economics.
     He joined Continental Airlines in 1993 and held a number of different management roles in training and operations.
     At the time of the merger, Angel was CO’s director of Cargo Operations in Newark Liberty and John F. Kennedy International Airports.
     He moved into his current role as Vice President, United Cargo Global Operations in early 2011.

Friends & Family

     “I try to strike the right balance in life between my family of co-workers at United and my loved ones at home.
     “My incredible wife Felicita and amazing son Angel Jr. have faithfully supported every adventure we’ve taken together despite the sacrifices it has required of them.
     “They have never failed to provide me energy, encouragement, and motivation.
     “Four brothers, plus a whole slew of nieces, nephews, aunts, and uncles, bring equilibrium and joy to my life.
     “They’ve all helped maintain my sanity in this crazy industry we love and that I’ve been a part of for the last 22 years.
     “My mother is my anchor and without a doubt the most amazing lady who has ever lived.
     “Her life is the very definition of hard work and sacrifice for the betterment of her family.

Angel and three of his 13 Godchildren and with wife, Felicita and son Angel, Jr.

     “My father remains an ever-present voice that guides my thinking and decisions—as if he literally stands behind me providing guidance and support.
     “I am extremely proud to be a Godfather of 13 amazing kids—most of whom are also my nieces and nephews.
     “This role is definitely near the top of the things I treasure most in my life.
     “I also appreciate that I was the first in my family to be able to obtain a college-level education.
     “During my younger years I played a lot of basketball and baseball—though I have to admit basketball is the sport I love most.
     “Of course, whenever I say that I feel like I’m offending the ‘Dominican baseball Gods.’
     “On that subject, I want to clear up a common misconception: not every Dominican is born with a baseball bat in their hands or the talent to become a professional player.
     “I am living proof of that! But without the skills to play sports at a high level, I nonetheless inherited a highly competitive spirit and a relentless commitment to excellence, and my elders taught me an uncompromised sense of ethics.
     “Those are the qualities I strive to use every day to make tough decisions in the most fair and respectful way possible,” The Angel of United Cargo said.
Geoffrey

    A 12-man crew delivering a routine air cargo shipment of construction materials from Oslo to Bamako Mali aboard a Volga Dneper AN-124-100 aircraft were ruthlessly attacked as they billeted overnight inside the Bamako Mali Radisson Blu Hotel last Friday.
    The devastating event has brought a profound sense of loss to the global air cargo community.
    Six of the crew somehow survived the melee and were rescued by Special Forces.
    The other six Volga-Dnepr crewmembers were killed in cold blood during a terrorist attack on the hotel that senselessly snuffed out the lives of 22 innocent people.
    Our heartfelt and deepest condolences and respects go to the families and friends of everyone who did not return. Today we salute our own—the six crewmembers lost last week in Mali.
    (Clockwise from top left) Alexander V. Kononenko, Flight Navigator, born August 14, 1963; Vladimir V. Kudryashov, Radio Operator, born April 18,1975; Konstantin V. Preobrazhenskiy, Flight Engineer, born October 1, 1959; Sergey A. Yurasov, Load Master, born March 14, 1963; Stanislav N. Dumanskiy, Aircraft Mechanic, Airframe and Engines, born September 9,1973; Pavel A. Kudryavtsev, Aircraft Mechanic, Airframe and Engines, born August 25,1988.
    May God rest their souls in everlasting peace.
Geoffrey

     The cowardly attacks by ISIS terrorists in the heart of Europe continue to raise more questions than answers.
     Common sense demands that describing the attackers as “Muslim terrorists” is a gross insult to the roughly 1.6 billion Muslim faithful who want nothing to do with the perverted interpretations brought forward by ISIS Jihadists.
     As a matter of fact, reports confirm that at least 89 of the victims killed or seriously injured in the Paris attacks were Muslims.
     While Paris 2015 is being described as Europe’s 911, fears—both rational and irrational—continue to spread across the continent, fears that are now fueling the agenda of some politicians, including some powerful extremists who seem to believe that every European citizen is a potential terrorist and thus must be monitored 24/7.
     It is fair to observe that the airline business—the mode of transport most vulnerable to terrorist plots and attacks—may at this point need to rethink various factors for enhancing overall safety, including well-trained and appropriately paid security staff that take pride in what they do and how they do it.
     That would, it can be gently suggested, include the outsourcing of safety and security-related functions such as air passenger and baggage security checks, cargo security checks, cargo and baggage handlers, and passenger check-in staff.
     Interestingly in Germany, where calls for security action and tougher laws are all rising in volume, it appears there is a glaring failure to vote into law the implementation of the ICAO TI, the worldwide binding legal framework for the transport of dangerous goods by air.
     No doubt in this age of heightened awareness and fear, failure to pass ICAO TI into applicable German law is a clear and present risk both to safety and security.

    
The USA Model?

     While in the United States of America individual states have their own laws and regulations, Federal law governs crucial subjects of national importance such as immigration, security, and transport matters. After the attacks of September 11, 2001, security in the United States was focused on coordinated efforts that worked on a nationwide scale.
     Although far from perfect, American security measures post 911 are good models that can be adapted by our European compatriots.
     Moving forward, a hopeful sign for the European Union is the emergence of this long-term thought: rather than closing intra-European borders, a better, safer strategy would focus on more unification of security measures within the EU and less nation-state rhetoric.
Jens

     Thanksgiving in America is held every fourth Thursday in November, and is the best of all the holidays that gather families and friends around a common celebration.
     Personalities aside, this is one holiday that is a no-pressure deal.
     Nobody gets gifts or is expected to do more than show up, eat, drink and refrain from getting too overserved so that you don’t get into a mix with old Uncle Al, or that other occasional family member that you just can’t stand.
     The occasion was created as a national day of thanks around a special meal, as (reportedly) the first Pilgrims had on November 11, 1621, one year after landing at a place called Plymouth, Massachusetts.
     Thanksgiving is now known in more modern terms for the big parade in Manhattan, New York, and other special television sporting events, especially American football, which is usually not broadcast on any other daytime Thursday otherwise.
     But the thing about Thanksgiving is that, no matter where you are from, Thanksgiving is an American thing to do.
     So in every corner of this great land, from California to the New York islands, on up into Alaska and down to Key West, Florida, Christians, Jews, Muslims, Hindus, and agnostics, whites, blacks, and every color in between, all put down their differences for a day and agree that traditions of love, family, and good food are the order of the day.
     In America, when you say “Happy Thanksgiving" nobody looks back and says, “That’s not my holiday.”
     So here’s to Thanksgiving: a day of peace, quiet, and reconciliation..
     Some Americans pass the feeling along by working for a day serving meals in a Salvation Army kitchen or delivering food to the needy.
     But it is the small and mostly unreported concern toward each other, reflected in small gifts of food and open invitations of welcome to others, that should be recognized as an important expression of Thanksgiving.
     Individual acts of kindness have always been the spirit of Thanksgiving, as we gather friends and family at the table, hold hands, and sing:

               “We gather together to ask the Lord’s blessing:
                He chastens and hastens his will to make known.
                The wicked oppressing
                Cease them from distressing
                Sing praises to his name
                He forgets not his own.”

      Hooray for the pumpkin pie!
Geoffrey