AA Cargo At Hand

      Ask American’s Dave Brooks what he thinks of recent reports on the state of air cargo security, and the top cargo executive of the biggest airline in the world is direct:
      “Too much sloppy and hysterical retail reporting of air cargo issues have unnecessarily prolonged the debate over what rational air cargo programs should look like.
      “A recent issue of USA Today with the headline, "Report Blasts Air Cargo Security," is a good example.
      “The fact is that the level of cargo screening on passenger aircraft has never been higher.
      “TSA inspectors are everywhere, every day, in cargo facilities, forwarders warehouses, on the ramps, even checking shippers.
      “Non-compliers are shuttered.
      “But I wonder, why is there never any ink on why the security rules are different for cargo aircraft?
      “Or for trucks?
      “Or trains?
      “Or boats?
      “But you can’t blame the media for the incredulous comments made by USA politicians like Congressman Markey, and the subsequent spin-off editorials and pontificating that insist that TSA is trying to pull a fast one with a Certified Shipper Program (CSP).
“Again facts point out that the CSP concept was provided for in the law that Markey was in the room helping to write, and that hasn’t even been developed yet.
      “In my view CSP is the only part of the 9/11 legislation on cargo security that made any sense.
      “Air cargo must apply multi-layered screening where it is most efficient and effective in the supply chain.”
      Dave Brooks, having cleared the air on that subject, is preparing to greet some guests inside AA’s big beautiful billion dollar passenger Terminal 8 at JFK International Airport in New York Tuesday night October 16.
      Dave Brooks is a big man who at about six foot four inches stands above the crowd.
      He has a clean look about him, well manicured and trimmed and healthy looking.
      He has been tall in the saddle at Texas-based AA Cargo for about a decade now guiding the big carrier’s cargo fortunes with a calm and steady hand, and apparently the job and its affiliated air cargo industry challenges agree with him.
      The guy, in a word, looks great.
      American Airlines Cargo just made things easier for shippers that might want to plug “must-go” cargo into the largest airline in the world.
      AA Cargo opened a new Priority Package Service (PPS) Center located in Terminal 8 at JFK.
      “Priority Parcel Service offers a premium next-flight-out small package service that American Cargo has in fact offered for more than 35 years.
      “PPS is the fastest overall transit time and shortest tender and fastest recovery.
      “There is no advance bookings required and that means that shippers can look to PPS as an immediate global shipping solution both here at JFK International and at other major stations in our system.”
      Priority Parcel Service is available worldwide at AA passenger and freight terminals, including eight dedicated AA Global Priority Shipping Centers.
      “Our extensive line-up of interline partnerships give us true global reach; allowing us to connect to any airport in the world served by an IATA carrier.

      We fly to more than 250 cities in over 40 countries with more than 4,000 daily flights.
      “AA Cargo provides over 100 million pounds of weekly cargo lift capacity to major cities in the United States, Europe, Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, Latin America and Asia.
      “The combined network fleet numbers more than 1,000 aircraft.
      “Last year American Airlines began new service to Shanghai from Chicago O'Hare International airport.
      “The service is providing the expanding marketplace in China with access to the industrial and agricultural midsection of the U.S., as well as many other vital international markets.
      “Convenient connections to 65 U.S. cities located in 31 states are available from Chicago, as well as connections to Latin America and the Caribbean.
      “The growing Asian marketplace is also served by direct flights to and from the U.S. and Japan, through Tokyo and Osaka.
      “American's interline relationships, particularly with carriers with strong presence in Shanghai, offer coordinated services for cargo traffic beyond Shanghai.
      “With a decade of experience as an offline carrier in India, American Airlines Cargo introduced direct service to India on November 17, 2006 with Delhi-Chicago non-stop daily flights.
      “American Airlines targets more than 200 tons of cargo per month from the Indian market and enjoys alliances with other carriers, so that we can spread our wings across that country.
      “American continues expanding wide-body service on key domestic routes between our U.S. gateways.
      “American's flight specific product mix offers shippers knowledge of exact routing, status and availability time of shipments.”
      American offers booking options through Global Freight Exchange, (GF-X) and Cargo Portal Services (CPS)
www.AACargo.com
Geoffrey