FT020525

#INTHEAIREVERYWHERE

Vol. 24 No. 5	Wednesday February 5, 2025

     Here’s an early Valentine from Ingo Zimmer, CEO of ATC Aviation Services, AG pictured last year when ATC completed 35 years of service with Ingo at the helm.
     Later this month, ATC takes centerstage as the notable lovers in attendance at Messe Munchen’s Air Cargo Africa taking off in Nairobi, Kenya February 21-23.
     Ingo with his best looking, most determined team—the industry's best will be among other things spreading the word with great hospitality in their Stand Number C37 sanctuary space and sharing the love with attendees for business and relaxed moments at the show.
     In Nairobi, Ingo is the Ace of the Place!
     The ATC mission is “Always Take Care”
     On Valentine's Day, remember, “who loves you baby!”
     Less than two weeks later in Africa, looking for answers or just a friendly face, you will be glad that you did.
GDA

      With Valentine’s Day love just around the corner, featuring flowers tentatively scheduled to appear everywhere in the next few weeks, here is a smiling group of floriculturists attending a trade show event all about the flower business.
      The catch is that these nice looking folks are all under 45 years of age attending an event dubbed “NextGen Live!”.
      If you think air cargo might benefit from flowering events taking place elsewhere, please read on.
      Next Gen Live! is organized by The Society of American Florists (SAF) Maybe you’ve never heard of this group, but SAF was chartered in 1884 by an Act of the U.S. Congress.
      SAF was formed in Chicago by 21 members of the American Association of Nurserymen, Florists and Seedsmen, all growers and associated others with need to gain hail insurance security to survive the at-times furious and destructive mid-western USA weather.
      Annual membership dues in SAF way back when, were two dollars.
Interestingly, 1884 was the same year the Statue of Liberty arrived in New York Harbor from France.
      We, in the air cargo industry, tend to think about flowers in February and during other occasions like Easter, but what about considering the values of an organization like SAF, that in 2025 has plenty of regional events and holds its annual big convention in August.
      As example, SAF during the flower-driven season of love operates an intriguing event targeted at attracting new members and connecting with everyone “45 or under,” branded Nex Gen Live!
      Next Gen Live for two days, jam packed with 23 speakers all under 45, is being held this month in Dallas, Texas February 23-25, as hundreds of young people, both members and others are registered there to kick the tires.
      The concentrated two-day encounter features eleven sessions, offering numerous networking opportunities during breaks, luncheons, and receptions, designed to help meet new peers and make valuable connections.
      “Join us and learn.”
      SAF promises NexGen Live! attendees some hands-on advice declaring:
“Curious how SAF can help you grow?
      “Our Floral Education resource collection will offer a sample of the content that SAF provides to its members.”
      Interestingly, in this digital landscape SAF has aimed a direct connection with Nex Gen sponsoring monthly events such as an under 45 SAF Next Gen Floral Pros Facebook Group that welcomes “all up-and-coming retail florists, flower growers, wholesalers, suppliers and floral designers.”
      And of course, like most trade shows anywhere in the world, Next Gen Live! offers Awards:
      “The Next Gen Rising Star Award is given to a young floral industry professional in recognition of professional achievements and commitment to the industry.”
      Nice thing here is that “the award” is not a “vote for one and done” deal.
SAF says that when someone is nominated for an award, they stay active and in the running for votes as a possible award winner for three years.
      Keep thinking, why is it that air cargo events and publications, some, who make a living with awards and dinners don’t offer nominees three-year eligibility to win?
      Both readers and award nominees deserve a second chance.
      Over the years a lesson learned is that the key of any organized effort to better an industry is in no small part the ability to generate inclusive ideas as part of its an ongoing effort to attract new people.
      Nice to see SAF, an organization that began licking stamps and hand lettering invitations to gain members 141 years ago, is still strong, whilst firmly dedicated to building leadership by staying vibrant and wholeheartedly attracting younger people!
      Bravo SAF!
GDA

FlyingTalkers

New WFS Cargo Building 260 At JFK

     When Building 260 originally appeared in 1962 at Idlewild Airport Cargo (today JFK) in New York, the place heralded a new era for air shippers with all the bells and whistles to advance air cargo to an unheard of new plateau.
When that very same building, empty and unused for decades bit the dust and was removed a while back, air cargo romantics lamented the final chapter in the rich history of the pioneering all cargo airline, Seaboard World Airlines.
     SW bought and paid for the original Building 260, whilst based at JFK. SW operated in that building from the dawn of modern air cargo until it disappeared into Flying Tigers Line in 1980; and subsequently in 1989, FTL was swallowed up by FedEx.
     Well, what goes around comes around, and here and now in 2025, Building 260, which pioneered the first all-cargo SW B747Fs in history, is back and maybe better than ever as Worldwide Flight Services (WFS). WFS opens the first new cargo terminal built at JFK in 30 years, advancing air cargo handling innovation and sustainability at the airport

     Mike Simpson, Chief Executive Officer, Gateway Services, Americas at WFS, is jubilant:
     “WFS is proud of its 41 years of service to our customers at New York JFK. Building 260 with 350,000 square feet of floor space marks a new era for WFS and air cargo.
     “Building 260 sets new standards for efficiency and safety and is a showpiece not just for JFK’s aviation ecosystem, but to the air cargo industry worldwide.
     “This facility embodies our dedication to connecting the world through logistics and embraces new levels of digitalization and sustainability that will act as a model for other new cargo operations around the world
     “Important firsts include the first-ever dedicated on-airport handling facility for temperature-controlled pharmaceutical products and perishable cargo.
     “Over 3,000 sq. ft of cooler space enables the handling of perishable and pharmaceutical goods requiring variable temperature ranges of between 2-8°C or 15-25°C.
     “Adjacent to the new WFS cargo terminal is a ramp area that can accommodate up to three Boeing 747-400/777 or similar-sized wide-body freighters,” Mike Simpson concluded.

     “Building 260 reflects our commitment to delivering exceptional service and setting new benchmarks for the industry. It’s a milestone achievement that positions us to meet the future demands of global logistics with confidence and excellence,” Frank Clemente, SVP Cargo, Americas at WFS said.
     Now we are wondering if perhaps WFS might place a small plaque of honorarium somewhere in their new air cargo wonderworld at JFK.
     After all Seaboard World Airlines, in addition to Building 260, built the first on airport airline headquarters— beautiful Building 178, on the other side of the airport, which was demolished to make way for a train station.
     Also SW cargo flight were the first airplanes to arrive in the long history of Idlewild Airport (now JFK) when the field opened for business July 9,1948.
     As mentioned SW is recorded in time with many more firsts, including as the airline that ordered and operated the Boeing 747F (number 1-747 built as a freighter from the beginning of its production) from Building 260 and was the first all-cargo airline to join the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
     In the presser for the new Building 260, WFS CEO Mike Simpson described the grand opening of the beautiful new facility a “milestone.”
     We hope, for WFS and their faith and courage in New York is never a millstone, but rather a rip-roaring success.

Gone, but not forgotten . . . Last vestige of the pioneer Seaboard World Airlines is a tipped over road sign at Federal Circle, JFK in 2014.

With congratulations and best wishes to WFS, we also send thanks in advance for keeping the rich history and legacy of JFK Air Cargo Building 260 alive yesterday, today and tomorrow for future generations.
Geoffrey

Dr. Thomas Berger, Gerhard Meyke, Dr. Wolf Cyran, Fokko Doyen, Sieglinde Reinhard, Arno Pfeiffer

     Here are a group of people that everyone should know about when the question is asked, “where in the world does air cargo reach out and help others asking for nothing in return?”
     This recent snapshot includes some folks serving on the board of Cargo Human Care (CHC).
     They are (from left) Dr. Thomas Berger, Gerhard Meyke, Dr. Wolf Cyran, Fokko Doyen, Sieglinde Reinhard, and Arno Pfeiffer.
     Cargo Human Care was founded in 2007 by Lufthansa Cargo employees in cooperation with doctors from all over Germany.
     Today, and non-stop for nearly 18 years, CHC has supported humanitarian and medical aid projects in Kenya, primarily around the Nairobi area.
     The CHC Association, based in Germany, focuses on providing direct medical assistance in Africa to impoverished, sick, and suffering people, and giving destitute and disadvantaged orphans a home and a future.
     “Today working together with local institutions, Cargo Human Care delivers practical help directly to where it is needed,” said Fokko Doyen, CHC Founder and President, adding at once:
     “Lufthansa Cargo has generously supported the project from the very beginning.”
     Fokko, a hero in every sense of that word and “Captain of the Clouds,” who sat in the left seat at Lufthansa Cargo for more than 40 years, founded CHC, while still piloting his MD11 freighter all over the place.
     Here, in the greatly relaxed and wonderfully welcoming picture, we meet as we move from left to right—the CHC Board.
     Dr. Thomas Berger is a specialist for children adolescent medicine, organizes and oversees CHC Medical Center.
     Dr. Berger exclaimed:
     “My great enthusiasm for Africa and solving medical challenges is supported by well-trained Kenyan nurses, delivering good, basic medical care for the local population in our CHC effort.”
     Next Geyharde Meyke, who started his professional life as a bank clerk and ended that career as director of the bank and today uses his great skill to the advantage of CHC, shares some emotion, rare perhaps elsewhere talking to a bean counter:
     “While we live in abundance, there is a great deal of poverty and misery all over the world. Those most affected are always those who are least able to defend themselves— children.
     “We cannot change the world, but we can give a few people new hope and perspectives, and every effort is worthwhile!”
     Next is Dr. Wolf Cyran, who organizes CHC medical missions together with Dr. Berger.
     In 2025 he celebrates a decade of living and working in East Africa (Tz/Ken) in various assignments, including practical work in rural hospitals, and in the CHC Medical Center, health project management.
     Standing next to Fokko in the middle of all the men is Sieglinde Reinhard, whose CHC Board duties include Secretarial work and Member Management.
     A team leader for IT projects at Lufthansa Cargo, Sieglinde delivers an even hand and also some passion here:
     “I have great respect for what has been achieved so far and much joy in continuing the work here.
     “CHC is expanding in such a way that a reliable and lasting improvement in basic medical care for a large number of children and adults is happening.”
Finally Arno Pfeifer whose background in economics has been a driving force for CHC success during the past decade shares some further thought here
     “In vocational training and school sponsorships, CHC is a small association that has had long-term success in the areas of education and medical care for many years thanks to its exclusively voluntary commitment.
     “Education in particular is a cornerstone of a stable, future-oriented society.
     “Very happy that CHC can make a small contribution to this effort,” Arno Pfeifer concluded.
     You Can Help. From anywhere in the world you can help with a one-time donation or regular membership to join air cargo hands around the world supporting this most worthwhile air cargo charity effort.
     Sieglinde Reinhard is available to answer any questions you may have. Contact her here.
A postscript . . . Recall meeting Fokko several years ago in Frankfurt, once upon a time in between flights.
     Glad to see these great people and this most admirable constant outreach charity that deserves support from all of air cargo, continuing with its spirited and dedicated leadership in 2025.
     Cargo Human Care makes everybody in our industry look good.
Geoffrey

     We think, remembering people in our business is a good idea and also some fun during our 5Oth year.
     Right now, up and down the line in air cargo United Airlines Cargo is a huge story.
     Big part of that story is the first class team in place around the world and at company headquarters in Chicago’ Willis Tower.
     Here we step back a bit and remember our friend, Michael Kelly, the Cargo Communications Manager who served at United Airlines Cargo reporting to Jan Krems, when Jan flew into town and blew the doors off at Willis over a decade ago.
     During the pandemic, Jan absolutely pulled the airline's chestnuts out of the fire with his bold and beautiful COVID plan that sent tens of thousands of cargo aircraft into the otherwise empty skies.
     Mike retired in 2020 after several decades of service. He was an absolute professional in every sense of the word, who shared and enhanced the sense of excitement as cargo came front and center as the biggest transportation story in this decade.
     Unfortunately not all stories have happy endings, or come out equal at every level.
     The airlines, as we all know by now, have had to stick to very stringent guidelines to be able to stay in business. Even today, as routes close, then open, and are in some cases closing again, making it necessary for managers to keep cutting jobs up and down the line and in some cases contracting work out.
     Mike loved the cargo business and was someone, who always made me think of The Hartigans and the Irishry that once ruled in United Chicago, back when UA operated that gigantic 10-story horizontal office building in Des Plaines near O’Hare Airport.
     One day I had to walk from one office to another, in that building to get somewhere. I think I was visiting Scott Dolan, when he was the cargo boss there.
     At one point I had walked for what seemed like an hour, so I finally called up Scott and asked if we could meet halfway before I passed out.
     One thing Mike, Jan and I always did every summer was get together. We would have a session in Willis, where you can look out the window down at everything, including some twenty-five floors beneath our perch at another building, a city jail with prisoners in action, exercising on a roof.
     But our get together allowed some face time at a big time airline, United, to build story lines aplenty. It turned out to be the period of the most exciting transformation after Krems got there.
     Today many of the people of that era have retired, including Mike, who the last time we spoke was still right here with his eclectic collection of great musical artists of the 1930s big band era and artists like “Whispering” Jack Smith and Dick Haymes.
     Once we looked for memories in a file cabinet or phone numbers on a rolodex and thought about friends.
     A break for a coffee at work would allow a moment to read a paper or an email as time moved inexorably toward the cell phone sending us instructions.
     Now our pictures are timed on our phones to appear as favorites in no particular order.
     I wrote this in one go just after this picture appeared on that little slice of electronics on my desk.
     Maybe you recall The Kelly Air Mail Act that was enacted February 2, 1925, which authorized the U.S. Postmaster General to contract for air mail carriage at three bucks a mile and that led directly to the formation of the U.S. airlines.
     Well, move over long dearly departed Rep. Clyde Kelly of Pennsylvania.
In our generation, Mike Kelly delivered word pictures of what makes a great airline work and, he did it for decades with wonderful spirit and élan.
     It was also a lot of fun just walking down the street with him.
Geoffrey

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
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