#INTHEAIREVERYWHERE
Monday
March 10,
2025
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#INTHEAIREVERYWHERE |
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| Vol. 24 No. 13 | Monday
March 10,
2025 |
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Beck & Solaksubasi Designing Women |
You can imagine our surprise in Dallas as Air Cargo Conference met all last week when we met this very dynamic duo, together for the first time, but dedicated in our industry to designing and creating airport buildings for air cargo. Leyla Solaksubasi works for Dearborn-Based Ghafari Associates as project manager in the aviation design center in Chicago Illinois. Ghafari Associates is a global powerhouse of engineering, architecture, process design, consulting, and construction services. Kristin Beck, Management Advisor at BeCon works at the German-based company whose stated mission is to enhance automation across the air cargo and logistics industry and to support stakeholders in optimizing their operations and material handling. Unusual to bump into high-profile women executives in leading edge pursuits at an air cargo show; both have rather famous trade fathers, who think enough of the possibility of the air cargo offering to bring their daughters into their growth plans for the future. Ali Solaksubasi is Ghafari’s President of International Operations in Chicago. BeCon Projects is a family-owned business established in August 2009, led by Group CEO Uwe Beck (Kristin’s Dad). At AirCargo Conference the session titled, "State-of-the-Art Air Cargo Facilities" saw Leyla’s father Ali Solaksubasi share an uplifting story with conferees: “Ghafari Assocates has a coordinated program with planners, designers, architects, engineers and sustainability experts and technology advocates to create the best possibilities for our clients. “We’ve been in business for 40 plus years. “The company is currently engaged with Turkish Airlines in Istanbul working on facilities for air cargo logistics, aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul, ground support services, and flight operations including an integrated operational control center and in-flight catering. “Design services for the next generation critical support facilities will be led out of Ghafari’s Istanbul office with support from the aviation design center in Chicago Ill. “This major capital investment will not only expand and improve Turkish Airlines’ long-term operations, but will also place Istanbul’s new airport among the world’s most vibrant mega hubs. “We are excited to help set a new standard in world-class aviation facilities.” Daughter Leyla Solaksubasi is second generation at Ghafari. She studied to be an industrial engineer. Leyla has been a growing factor with Ghafari for 8 years. Leyla shared her sense of excitement with FlyingTypers: “This was a really stimulating conference to attend. “I was able to engage in conversations to exchange ideas. Met with a lot of people and learned a lot about the air cargo industry. “I was not only thrilled with the well-attended airport discussion panel but also with the high level of audience participation. “I am excited for our aviation division to work on projects for the air cargo industry,” Leyla concluded. Whilst we were speaking with Leyla, Paul Krieger, Associate Principal at AECOM walked over and introduced himself, saying softly: “Leyla, you probably don’t remember me, but I met you when you were 8 or 9 years old. “I had brought my daughter to Father-Daughter Day and your Dad proudly brought you! “So I am glad to see,” Paul smiled, “that you chose to continue in this industry, these many years later.” Heavens aboveable, that was loveable, we say. Interestingly Kristin Beck participated on the same panel that Leyla’s father was on. Kristin has been at BeCon for 1.5 years. “I studied Information systems in Business School. I have always been interested in the air cargo industry as my father was so involved in it. “For me it has been gratifying to help facilitate what people need to do in air cargo handling. “Designing from the ground up and working with all facets of warehouse operations, you really get to see the end result. “We serve as an intermediary between all the systems that are needed and the client. “In today’s world with digitalization being an absolute necessity, we also recognize that to bridge the gap from the old way of doing business to the new way requires working with people, encouraging them to adapt and providing them with the skills necessary, so we also get involved in training. “I found this conference and our session on the airports to be really dynamic. “People genuinely want help and answers, and there were lots of questions and interest,” Kristin declared. “As we celebrated International Women’s Day March 8 we recalled a time in air cargo during the 1970s when the only visible women in air cargo were on calendars in loading docks or in locker rooms at the airport.
In 1972 Dolores Hofman broke the “male only” barrier at Pan Am Clipper Cargo at JFK International becoming the first female to operate a fork lift truck, moving pallets and conducting all warehouse duties. Talk about a solo lonely effort. Determined Dolores, you might like to know, post warehouse moved into a glorious career serving with The Queens New York Overall Development Corp. We also recall walking one day into Kuwait Airways Cargo with Richard Malkin to interview the only female top cargo executive then in the world, Maria Canino. Maria was at JFK in Kuwait offices located “off airport” on Rockaway Boulevard, the road that borders the entire eastern side of JFK International. A mixed commercial/residential neighborhood at the time, and yet today, Springfield Gardens hosted some pretty famous air cargo companies at the time including Flying Tigers, EMO Trans, and Federal Express, plus scores of forwarders and brokers that could not find room, nor had the budget to be ensconced at Cargo Building 80 on airport. Maria was smart, connected and a complete pioneer, who held her own and accelerated to the top female airline air cargo executive position at JFK in 1975.  Cannot
forget Mary Lou Rodriguez, a powerhouse lady during the same era in Miami,
who with her male counterparts including George Arias of Delta Cargo were
the driving forces accelerating and bringing together people at Miami Air
Cargo Association (MACA) when the place was tin-roofed buildings and rail
siding warehouses, long before the modern airport cargo center appeared.She served as the association president in 1977 and on the board of directors for several years thereafter. She was Continental Airline’s first female air cargo sales representative and at the time, certainly the most charming. It's great to think in 2025 that the skies are the frontier, meeting a growing number of smart, engaged women who have impacted and made air cargo better, from the relative anonymity of the front and back offices to absolute power in some circles today. Bravo also goes out to the people who are inspiring future careers (as we observed in the Women’s panel at AirCargo 2025) and the next generation of leaders encouraging various aspects of logistics for women, on the ground, in the air, everywhere! Geoffrey/SSA |
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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 |
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 Vol. 24 No. 10 Airportz A Poppin' At AirCargo 2025 |
 Vol. 24 No. 11 Delta In The Value Chuckles for March 3 Mentoring Tomorrow's Leaders The EMO Generations & I |
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Publisher-Geoffrey Arend • Managing
Editor-Flossie Arend • Editor Emeritus-Richard Malkin |
Send comments and news to geoffrey@aircargonews.com
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