High, wide, and handsome is one way to describe the arc of the growing enterprise that is American Airlines Cargo—it's also an accurate descriptor of its expansive and interesting president, Jim Butler.
     Jim came into the industry after shouldering major responsibility during the integration process that turned the merger of USAir and American into a textbook success.
     Now with some time and air cargo mileage under his wings, as the season for trade shows and industry events gets underway, Mr. Butler steps out this week for an appearance in New York at the JFK Air Cargo Expo on March 31. We imagine he is one who will be watched closely.
     Last autumn, Jim Butler's thoughtful and forward-looking address at the Air Cargo Americas luncheon ignited and propelled the event.
     We have described Jim Butler as a “new type of cargo boss.”
     He deeply understands this industry and apparently, he likes it.
     “In many respects, the cargo side of the airline is more complex and there was a bit of a steep learning curve,” he said, “but I'm incredibly proud of the team that persevered through the integration and other changes, which allowed me to move quickly up that curve.

     “Given that we operate as a complete business, having all of the individual components in one organization is exciting and will ensure we have our work cut out for us for many years to come.
     “If I had to choose a new job, air cargo would certainly be at the top. With enthusiasm, a renewed strategic focus, new investment, and a strong vision for cargo at American, we are recruiting and developing some of the top talent from other parts of company as well as the outside.”
     President Jim Butler pulls no punches when outlining some thoughts and delivering the goods for AA Cargo in 2016.
     “The year has gotten off to a solid start. Although we're only a couple months into 2016, we are cautiously optimistic about the growth and success of the air freight market this year.
     “There are ample opportunities available to enhance the customer experience through streamlined communication and increased visibility into the shipping process. Already this year, we've introduced our enhanced tracking capabilities on our website, begun the implementation of a new CRM tool, and opened two new temperature-controlled facilities in San Juan and Dallas. In addition to our focus on the enhanced customer experience, for the rest of the year we'll continue to push forward with our e-freight adoption efforts and work to find more innovative ways to best utilize our newest routes, including Sydney (SYD), Haneda (HND), Auckland (AKL) and Hong Kong (HKG).”
     According to Butler, American Airlines Cargo is “not only focusing on the continued development of our domestic network, but in investing in the improvement of our organizational structure and processes to bring more efficiency and transparency to our customers.
     “This involves several major initiatives, including centralization of our customer experience channels. Now we have a dedicated team focused on predicting and reacting to customer needs. Over the past year, we've also been reaching out to customer for direct feedback. “
     “What we received in return was a vast amount of valuable information that has given us a new perspective on want our customers really want from a service and technology perspective. Based on that feedback, we were able to start making positive changes to our products and services, allowing for a more customized and enhanced experience system wide.
     “At a higher level, we're investing in and integrating operations with the rest of the airline, which adds operational accountability at the regional level, outside of cargo. Cargo is an integral part of our airline and we're doing our best to ensure companywide understanding of operational best practices and support for the customers who trust us to ship valuable cargo in our planes.”
     We asked Jim Butler to choose one superpower, and his answer reflected the selflessness with which he approaches his job.
     “If I had to choose one, I might say mind reading! In the business world, that might be the most effective tool—being able to fully hear and understand the needs of our both our customers and employees.
     With the belief that “the air cargo industry is a highly important means of transport for a variety of organizations worldwide,” we wondered what Butler thought air cargo could be doing better.
     “One thing we need to focus on for long-term success is our shift toward a fully digital process. In the last year alone, we've seen a significant shift in the focus of eAWB implementation across the industry. By eliminating paper and manual processes and replacing them with the electronic exchange and verification of information, we can create greater efficiencies. And this ultimately leads to our overall goal of increased visibility into the shipping process and the faster transport of goods for customers. We are a global business and interact with a variety of groups with their own systems that need to be transformed, so the coordination and implementation of the needed changes will take time. We just have to continue transforming at a quicker rate to maintain the effectiveness and efficiency customers value most.”
     With the landscape of air cargo constantly shifting, there isn't much that surprises Jim Butler. However, one pleasant revelation has arisen from American Airlines Cargo's ability to handle pretty much anything that comes its way.
     “Lately, I've been surprised at how much our frontline team has embraced recent regulatory changes and new initiatives, such as e-freight and increased capacity. The enthusiasm and effort hasn't gone unnoticed and I'm more than pleased to see how much our greatly expanded—and still growing—employee base has exceeded company and industrywide expectations, in regard to operational reliability, safety, and customer experience.”
Geoffrey

    Dirk Steiger was a fighter. He died far too young—at the age of 53—on March 22, 2016, in Frankfurt, Germany.
     Whether it was battling against the night flight ban at Frankfurt a few years ago, or refusing to back down from the debilitating illness that eventually took his life, Dirk never minded the odds and was an intense, smart, and original thinker in air cargo.
     Dirk’s friend and colleague, the great air freight forwarder and logistics pioneer Guenter Rohrmann (AEI/Danzas/DHL) told FlyingTypers:
     “It’s a very sad situation, indeed.
     “I had kept in touch with Dirk and we visited for a beer whenever I had a stopover in Frankfurt.
     “For me he was ‘Mr. Statistics.’
     “Whenever we needed figures for an air freight project, we went to Dirk.
     “During the last few years he did not have an easy life, but he managed.
     “Being with him was always fun and many times he went with me when I went shopping in Frankfurt for products that I could not get here.
     “Dirk, rest in peace,” Guenter Rohrmann said.
     Dirk Steiger was a deeply serious numbers guy and strategic thinker. He had a face that always reminded me of fictionalized Germans you loved to hate in war movies, like a character from Raiders of the Lost Ark.
     I would occasionally tease him a bit during our interviews over the years and he would always smile generously.
     I loved that he did not take himself too seriously and took time to smell the roses.
     He loved cars, and when the business was over we talked about his thrill of operating a high-powered machine at top speeds, zooming along the Autobahn.
     “What I admired most about Dirk is that despite is illness he never gave up,” said Heide Enfield, his friend and colleague at Lufthansa Charter, who today works in hub operations improvement at Lufthansa Cargo.
     “He was in pain a lot of the time and still enjoyed life whenever possible.
     “And he didn’t quit working either, because he loved what he was doing.
     “His death is not only sad but also a great loss for the air cargo community.
     “I hope he will feel well and happy where he is now,” Heide said.
     His friend Jens Tuebbesing, Chief Executive Officer Airline Network Services (GSA), told FlyingTypers:
    “Dirk was an avid car fan and lover. Among the cars he drove was an Aston Martin Vantage DB8 and a Jaguar XK8.”
    “He was a great guy who enjoyed life and was wonderful to be around.
    “Dirk will be missed.”
     An aviation consultant, Dirk launched his company Aviainform GmbH in 2002, headquartered at Frankfurt Cargo City Süd.
     Great cargo gateways have always found room for the offices for ex-airline and cargo industry people like Dirk Steiger.
     People like Dirk at FRA, Ernesto Schimmer at LAX, and Guenter Rohrmann at JFK add depth, experience, and expertise to the community, often offering the industry a reliable, on-hand business consul when answers are sought. At times, they are even a good shoulder to cry on.
     Aside from the fact that he knew just about everything and loved air cargo, we also liked that Dirk explained things in terms that everybody could understand.
     When asked to explain why a cargo carrier went out of business, he simply said:
     “They operated aging Boeing B747-200 freighters that burned a lot of kero and required high maintenance.
     “At the same time, they positioned themselves in the market as a budget carrier offering everybody low air freight rates.
     “High fleet expenditures and a small influx of funds obviously does not work any longer,” Dirk concluded.
     Happy Landings, Dirk.
Geoffrey