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Family Aid 2020
   Vol. 19 No. 67
Tuesday October 13, 2020
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If you have any words you’d like to share, any of your own playlists you’d like us to help distribute, or other content that has helped you navigate this difficult time, please share them with us. Air Cargo News FlyingTypers hopes to be like an online hearth for our cargo family. #AirCargoCoronaContent

CNS People


When it comes to air cargo, The International Air Transport Association (IATA) seems to be adapting a bunker mentality in 2020 as top management and other key personnel connected to air cargo are retiring in droves.
     Glyn Hughes, IATA Head of Cargo departs IATA in January, and Mike White, President of IATA Cargo Network Services (CNS) will depart by year’s end.
     Add to that the diminishing number of support staff at IATA in Geneva, including maybe all the team at CNS in Miami. Some in air cargo may feel like those “Six Characters Looking for an Author” a la Luigi Pirandello; a family of industry people left incomplete by an author who can’t finish the work for which we were conceived.


Scrambling To Get The Message Straight


     As you read this, the previously announced CNS Partnership Conference for next year to be held in Miami April 25- April 27, 2021 is still on, but with COVID-19 an issue, don’t hold your breath.
     Long term we hear there are no plans to merge CNS Partnership Conference into IATA World Cargo Symposium.
     But with Mike White and his staff gone after December 31, CNS, which is supposedly the middle ground between airline and forwarder, is left to disappear as a semi free-standing entity into IATA, an airline-driven trade organization.
     Meantime IATA is scrambling to get its story straight and should be ready to clarify all of this some time before the end of the year.


The Airline Forwarder Rendezvous

     CNS is a brilliant opportunity for transportation; a long sought and hard fought-for medium where for the past 30 plus years the voice of the forwarder can be heard face-to-face with the airlines.
     Right now, as the challenges for the business today and tomorrow have never been greater, CNS should be a vital force in not only bringing people together, but also driving the best and brightest among us to think collectively toward the future.
     CNS has an opportunity here, despite all the bad news swirling around in 2020, to do some good.


We Need CNS Networking

     All of us in logistics have been cooped up for eight months and need each other to exchange thoughts and ideas.
     While the traditional methodology to achieve the "partnership goals" and aspirations may be blunted for some time yet to come as we await deliverance from COVID-19, CNS, which has always been supported by the airline and forwarder community, needs to be there for us now.Ahead A Bleak Mid-Winter.


For Trade Shows


     Expect under current circumstances that IATA World Cargo Symposium and CNS Partnership will not take place in 2021 alongside a slew of other cancelled or delayed events worldwide.
     No doubt some new thinking is in order.
     But with no CNS President and no IATA Head of Cargo after December 31 where does all of this leave us?
     Perhaps CNS President Mike White, who we are told will be in place until December 31, and the CNS Board might organize a Zoom conference to update the industry as to what to expect next, while also allowing for a question and answer interface?


Where Have You Gone Tony Calabrese?


     Can only wonder if CNS Pioneer Tony Calabrese, the man who built the brand serving as President for 15 years, is able to pick up the sword and get CNS going once again?
     Anybody know where Tony is these days?


Brandon To The Rescue?

Jenni Frigger Latham    One very concerned individual in all of this is Airforwarder Association President Brandon Fried. In fact, we also spoke to Jenni Latham Frigger, (left) VP Sales & Marketing of EMO Trans Logistics who serves as a member of the AfA board and here is what they said.
     “The Airforwarders Association,” Brandon Fried declared, “considers all local, national, and global industry conferences as critically important to the air cargo industry.
     “Each event has its specific value in providing more education, networking, and promotion of our industry. Some events offer more benefits than others, but all continue to evolve in the quality of content provided.”


AfA Issues Open Call For Greater Cooperation Ahead

Brandon Fried      “The CNS Partnership Conference has been a noteworthy event since its inception, and Airforwarders Association members have participated in all of them.
     “As customers of international airlines, the forwarder partnership and agenda is more important than ever in meeting shipper expectations and providing quality service.
     “While we have no first-hand knowledge of IATA’s plans for CNS and its Partnership Conference, we are ready and willing to work with them to ensure the best event to serve the vibrant and continually evolving industry which we represent,” Brandon Fried said.


A New Step Every Day

     “During this time of global challenge and change within IATA and CNS, the Airforwarders Association reminds all that adversity frequently opens new opportunities for those willing to embrace change.
     “Let’s work together to provide the best path forward for our members,” Brandon Fried concluded.
     We like Brandon as he builds a pathway to the future with a new step every day.
     We also like what American Airline Cargo President Jessica Tyler said:
     “IATA and CNS are critical to our industry and the role we play in the world, but guess what, these organizations are made up of incredibly talented people. If something happens that shakes up these entities or how they are organized or led, we – the talented people of this great industry - we WILL find a way. We always do.
     “We is this industry and all the people in it and all the people in these governing bodies.
     “We will figure it out.
     “We is all of us.”


Valuation Issue?


     There is no shortage of opinions about CNS pulling way back in USA. Some industry people are busy trying to save their failing enterprises as COVID-19 isolates and divides us, and even think that maybe if they just work at their business, CNS might sort itself out.
     “I worry,” a forwarder source who asked to not be identified mused, ”if they have it in their heart to take CNS down, and I scream that they are giant jerks, it will only make them want to do this more.
     “The underlying issue at IATA is they they do not necessarily recognize our value.”


Voice of the Forwarder


     But what about the shipper? Where the rubber meets the road, here is the voice of someone moving cargo all over the world day after day, pandemic or otherwise.
     Jenni Frigger-Latham is VP sales and marketing at Emo Trans, a company that been implementing customized global logistics solutions for over 50 years.
     With 250 offices in 120 countries, EMO Trans has been an active partner at CNS.
     Here indeed is a great example of a privately-held company with the robust infrastructure of a multi-national leader.
     “The role of Indirect Air Carriers (IAC) and the shipper is mandated by the TSA. But that is not the only reason we are important.
     “As long as we have the critical role in serving the first and last mile of the shipping process, binding together the supply chain as a whole, we feel it is imperative that we maintain as much infrastructure as possible, thinking not only of demand right now but also the days ahead when the current crises subsides,” Jenni said.
     “Afa Board Member Jenni continued:
     “It is both sad and unsettling to see such important infrastructure go away, especially now during COVID-19,” she added.
     “EMO Trans and most forward-thinking business is now planning for what will happen when this is over and what will be the fastest way to ramp back up.
     “We are eager to have the networking and ongoing communication that CNS, and when possible, its Annual Partnership Conference can provide.”


The Platform

     “CNS provides a place for all of us to go to network and learn important things, including greater cooperation working together to build the industry.
     “Right now that experience in whatever form it takes, driven by CNS leadership, is more important than ever.
     “The concerns that drove the formation of CNS more than 30 years ago remain top priorities in 2020,” Jenni Frigger-Latham declared.
Geoffrey Arend


chuckles for October 13, 2020

Air Cargo & Vaccine Distribution

  Throughout modern history in general, and this pandemic crisis in particular, air cargo has played a vital role in the delivery of critical supplies and equipment on a global basis. As the pharmaceutical industry dedicates its resources to the creation of an effective vaccine, one of the greatest challenges will be the design and implementation of an efficient distribution system that will address the demanding logistical requirements. Airports and their partners will be critical elements in the planning and operations.
  There are obvious variables that must be addressed. The originating distribution points still need to be determined - the success of the pharma companies in developing an approved vaccine, and their locations, will be the deciding factors. However, the ultimate distribution systems and delivery points will be theoretically predicated upon a number of measurable and weighted criteria which could include (but not be limited to) in an order to be determined:
   • Population concentration
   • Regional infection rates
   • Concentration of specific societal and industry elements
   • Essential workers and businesses
   • Schools and educational facilities
   • Concentration of population with high pre-morbidity
   • Local distribution operational capacity
   • Regional distribution facilities and infrastructure
  At this point in time, the primary distribution targets and relevant networks should have been determined with the priorities being the remaining key variable issue. Assuming that is the case, then the mechanisms should be in place to ensure that the latter criteria, which are directly relevant to airports and their partners, are in motion. When a vaccine is fully confirmed as viable, demand will be enormous. In all probability, assuming the production of the vaccine is ramped up to maximum levels, the manufacturing facility (or facilities) will create extremely high volumes of the product (and demand for related equipment) which will stress unprepared distribution facilities and infrastructure.
  There are questions to be addressed including who will be responsible for each aspect of the project? Have the main distribution points been identified? Were critical players in the logistics chain involved in the process? Also, is the transportation infrastructure prepared? The challenges that will be faced could be significant - particularly if there are multiple States and jurisdictions in a single targeted region. Putting aside the administrative issues for a moment, there are a number of primary considerations which will vary based on the targeted regions.
   • The establishment of regional control and communications centers and the creation of a planned distribution network. This will be a vital link in the chain.
   • Once distribution has begun, shippers, airports, carriers, forwarders, customs brokers, trucking companies, federal and local agencies, local distribution centers, and the ultimate sites for vaccine administration must work closely together in real time.
   • The availability of federal staff to ensure inspection and clearance of shipments on a timely basis.
   • The capacity of the aircraft apron to accommodate inbound and outbound freighters and the availability of necessary handling equipment
   • Possible trucking access directly to the aircraft apron
   • The availability of staff to coordinate and prioritize apron movements
   • The availability of climate-controlled facilities for inbound and outbound shipments
   • Designation of high-speed throughput or bypass lanes in the air cargo facility.
   • Trucks with climate-control capacity
   • Designated and prepared landside consolidation and distribution facilities
   • Designated and prepared facilities for the administration of the vaccine
   • Establishment of controls for landside access and queuing
   • Creation of security protocols for the transport and storage of the vaccine
  As in so many of the challenges we face, timing is critical – tomorrow will be pushing the envelope. The logistics of the distribution operation are daunting – but manageable. Success will depend on comprehensive and early planning, close and on-going communication, and perhaps most importantly, management that understands the issues and commits 100% to implementation.
Dan Muscatello

Dan MuscatelloDan Muscatello brings an impressive portfolio of more than 40 years of experience, in both the public and private sectors. He has been a development strategist for both the business and physical facility planning of air cargo complexes, and the integration of ancillary and supporting logistics services and what make airport air cargo operationally and financially feasible.

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Will CNS Be There?

Back To Life


Frozen Logistics

     Last month The New York Times reported that some COVID-19 vaccines may have to be shipped at temperatures as low as minus 80 degrees F, raises the thought that the challenge of getting the life-saving serums could be infinitely more complex than originally believed.
     But before we spin ourselves into another “can we deliver?” frenzy, we think a bit of level-headed look about is in order. At arm’s length may be some solutions, including as example, a company out there called Coldco Frozen Fulfillment Solutions.
     St. Louis Coldco 3PL with a can-do attitude offers a complete menu on a web page vision statement that features a nice picture of the Swiss Alps, an impression that is cold enough for us.
     “We will store your products at the required temperature, then as orders are received they are picked, packed, and shipped according to your specifications,” Coldco declares.
     Coldco promises that it can reach 70% of the United States population in 48 hours or less, utilizing ground service shipping.
     “More than 105 million tons of cargo passes through the St. Louis area annually between the four major interstates with national access, six Class I railroad terminals, four inland ports, and five airports including two international cargo airports,” Coldco said.
    “With the addition of our Reno, NV warehouse in 2019, the Coldco Logistics network can reach 97% of the U.S. population in 1-2 days using ground shipping.”
     For more click here.

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H1N1 Vaccinations
No Masking It . . . From Rio to Timbuktu, this scene is being repeated (with proper masks we hope) as the world receives H1N1 vaccinations against Swine Flu. While medicine fights the flu, researchers are desperately seeking the magic bullet that will mitigate COVID -19. Pease wear a mask is the message here.

Geoffrey Arend II

     We heard on the radio that soon travelers could be tested for COVID-19 before boarding a flight and then after landing whilst travelling between New York City and London.
     The idea is to avoid that mandatory two-week confinement which might encourage short stay business and pleasure travel. Florida’s airports are doing rapid tests and the prospect of continued innovative thinking will certainly be better than the punch in the nose our industry has taken from the ongoing pandemic.
     The aviation industry is struggling but is also inventing and that is a good sign.
     In a very political year in the U.S. whilst some are continuing to call for total lockdown, others, most notably President Trump, are beating the drum trying to open things up.
     Meanwhile in Hollywood where fantasy rules, the lockdown reality is easing a bit as studios are again producing television series and movies.
     Hooray for that! Our son Geoffrey II is back at work on set these weeks, co-starring with Billie Bob Thornton in ‘Goliath’ for the fourth and final season of the Amazon series.
     “Everyone, even the actors, wear masks and face shields when not shooting,” Geoffrey reports.
     “Every rehearsal has us masked up until the cameras roll. And even then, people who are off camera are still in protective coverings.
     ‘During our courtroom scenes the entire jury were in face shields and surgical masks for a couple of takes.
     “This week I have a scene with Bruce Dern and am excited about that.”
     Geoffrey II plays a lawyer in ‘Goliath’ that will be aired later this year. Stay tuned.
     Getting back to regular life, whether in the air or on the ground, has and will not be easy.
     But thinking of all the terrible loss, including what we have been missing in 2020, these cautious moves back to life are welcome.
     Put on your mask.
     Watch the Randy Newman video.
     There’s more spirit to it.
Geoffrey
I Love LA


If You Missed Any Of The Previous 3 Issues Of FlyingTypers
Access complete issue by clicking on issue icon or
Access specific articles by clicking on article title
FT092520
Vol. 19 No. 64
Why CNS Partnership?
Letters to the Editor
Will IATA take CNS down?

FT100220
Vol. 19 No. 65
Readers Write About CNS
Chuckles for October 2, 2020
Virgin Exportese Adds Milano and Pakistan
More Homemade Freighters
QR Cargo Lands Kirsten
Pandemic Delayed Dispensary

FT100720
Vol. 19 No. 66
Mike White Stepping Down As CNS President
Chuckles for October 7, 2020
United Nations Forschung
Hong Kong Is Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood
Pumping Traffic
Welcome Back


Publisher-Geoffrey Arend • Managing Editor-Flossie Arend • Editor Emeritus-Richard Malkin
Film Editor-Ralph Arend • Special Assignments-Sabiha Arend, Emily Arend

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