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A R C H I V E S

“Mr. Frankfurt Air Cargo,” Bernhard Lessmann, Head Marketing Freightlogistics, Frankfurt Airport pictured in front of a sculpture that once sat next to the reflection pool surrounded by an outdoor restaurant at the original Frankfurt Airport during the 1930’s. Mr. Lessman who planned much of what is the great cargo enterprise at Fraport and stayed on to operate it, is busy planning the airport’s cargo expansion.

FEATURED CLUB

THE BOYS OF FRANKFURT

Key players in the international airfreight industry are frequent guests in the Air Cargo Club Germany. Just recently, George Midunsky Lufthansa Cargo Americas spoke about “The airfreight Industry” after 9/11. He is pictured with two ACD board members, Georg Sahler, Lufthansa Cargo, left and Hans Helge Westerholt, Siemens. (Photo: Mosler)

     "Once upon a time” could easily be the headline for this story since much of this belongs to the past.
     People of the “Air Cargo Club Germany” (ACD) have left their footprints upon this institution we call air cargo. Members began in entry level jobs, worked hard, became prominent and then disappeared.
     Airplanes went from 2 tons payload to 118.
     The Air Cargo Club Germany is a unique industrial body for a number of reasons.
     ACCG is a working club.
     Members participate and contribute as people, not only just because they fill an important position in a company related to the air cargo industry.
     Also members represent the entire logistics chain from shipper to consignee, involving agents as well as carriers etcetera.
     ACD has been that way for 40 years.
     As ACD took off, it was a time of the “Wirtschaftswunder,” when GIs were enjoying the friendship of German wurst, beer and “Frauleins” and the export-engine as a prominent economical factor in Germany emerged from practically zero after WWII.
     Lufthansa was flying again and by 1955, rapidly expanding.
     But as if to underscore the belief that timing is everything, events in Germany were taking place at just the right time:
     The German manufacturing industry chose “Made in Germany” not only as a trademark but connected it with reliability, punctuality and high service-standards, before and after sales, the world around.
     Lufthansa, Seaboard World, BOAC, Pan Am, KLM, SAS, Swissair and other airlines discovered the unused belly-space on their prop airplanes offered shippers the tool they needed to satisfy their worldwide customers’ service expectations.
     Brands like Siemens, Bösch, Volkswagen, Hoechst, BASF, Merck, Boehringer and BMW moved from seaborne shipments, becoming hungry airfreight consumers.
     Demand grew fast.
     Then in the late 50’s and early 60’s, global players like IBM, HP, DOW, Honeywell and many others established themselves in the German market and also became valuable targets for the emerging air cargo sales forces.
      German Forwarders were alerted and added “air cargo” to their traditionally highly professional portfolio of services, IATA applications and accreditations boomed.
     Airfreight specialists from other countries read the development correctly and invaded Germany, settling in Frankfurt.
     By 1962, the legendary City of Goethe welcomed the new air cargo players AEI, Airborne, Danzas, Panalpina and MSAS.
     It was about that time when the hard to believe news came about Jet-powered airplanes with more than 100 seats and an additional belly space for six tons of freight.
     Even more amazing, any one of those B 707s, DC 8s or Coronados configured as a freighter could possibly carry 20 tons of cargo across the Atlantic.
     USSR-Secretary of State Mikojan brought the first commercial Jet ever to Germany in early 1959, the “Tupolev 104” on a state visit. Aerolineas Argentinas was the first carrier to serve Germany in May 1959 by Jet, the “Comet IV”.
     But as air cargo entered the jet age, carriers and agents never knew ahead of time when the big shipment would be booked because “air cargo” was only an emergency tool for shippers.
     Meantime IATA had an eye on the use, or misapplication of “Specific Commodity” rates while the American CAB continually checked shipments, rate applications, volume-calculations as well and fines were “Business as Usual”.
     With millions of Deutschmarks at stake, developments, regulations and changes had to be discussed among transportaion managers of all trades concerned. Sales calls on a senior level became very expensive. The number of “contacts” to be seen grew, so - why not consolidate? Ten key players in the German airfreight industry had conducted meetings together a few times, talking shop, and covering many of the aforementioned subjects of unique, common interest.
     In order to allow more participants take part in the exchange of ideas the original ten reached out to the entire air cargo community inviting all concerned to form a club.
     The Air Cargo Club Germany, abbreviated “ACD” was founded in Frankfurt by a handful of airfreight enthusiasts in the fall of 1963. Today ACD counts as active members close to 300 members representing all participating in the transport-chain, i.e. shippers, agents, airlines, airports, handling specialists as well as truckers, integrators, GSAs, lawyers and some involved individuals like the trade press.
     Membership is strictly personal. An applicant is requested to present two members as references. ACD-members should be in supra-regional leading positions in their company and the nature of their activity should allow them to promote and stimulate the airfreight industry.
     ACD is a working club with regular jour fixe-meetings and profiled guest speakers. But members also meet with families and friends in varying outings once a year.
     Familiarization trips are conducted on partly sponsored basis to destinations such as Hong Kong , Dubai, Toulouse, Berlin and other locations of interest to the trade.
     The club is strongly supported by FraPort.
     Location for the regular “second Tuesday of the month”-meetings is the “Exprix-Hotel”, Cargo City South, Frankfurt Airport.
     At 04:00 p.m., ACD orders activities with happy hour first, later work. Visitors related to airfreight from abroad are always welcome when accompanied by an active ACD member.
     The board of the ACD is elected every January, i.e. the chairman, the deputy, a treasurer and presently six delegates. That number varies with the membership headcount.
     Currrent ACD president is Winfried Stamer, former Lufthansa Cargo Executive and IATA/CASS-director.
     But back in the beginning, the first ACD chairman elected in 1963 was Hans Doelter, managing director of AEI Germany.
     For several years Guenter Huhn the diplomatic manager of the famous and unique “DLK-Deutsches Luftfracht Kontor”(DLK) headed the ACD.
     It’s worth recalling that at one time, DLK pioneered air cargo consolidations.
     “Mr. Airfreight”, Herbert Braunagel, founder and owner of the respectable agency “IMPEX” was ACD chairman for 17 years. Herr Braunagel promoted the club globally and membership reached 150 by 1983.
     Walter Reuther, director cargo then at Frankfurt Airport was elected president for two years, followed by Dieter Oesau, traffic manager of Siemens who kept the chair for three years. Siegfried Koehler was in the driver’s seat for about seven years, before Stamer was elected as membership reached the 300 mark.
     Monthly guest speakers at ACD are not just from the worldwide airfreight industry.
     Top executives of insurance companies, banks, container shipping lines, IT-companies, in addition to airlines, airports and freight forwarders have highlighted ACD programs.
     Favorites speakers include John C. Emery Jr. , Bruno Sidler of PANALPINA and George Midunsky, Lufthansa Cargo The Americas.
     “Cargo Lifter”, “Fast Ship”, “Airbus A-380” and many other high tech subjects have headed the speakers agenda during 40 years of ACD.
     Today, just as before, the ACD board continues to select and invite interesting personalities to present their product or standpoint towards today’s aircargo industry.
     The ACD is open for guests, as mentioned before, and for suggestions. The club has its home-page at http://www.aircargoclub.de. Come in and visit, if you are interested.

CLUB NEWS

> November’s ACA speaker is Jim Friedel, vice president cargo Northwest Airlines. But this ACA meeting is set for Thursday November 21, (the last Thursday when the meetings are usually held, is Thanksgiving). Seats are limited. Contact Gerry Kash (718) 995-9178 or Johnn Norcum (718) 656-8111 . . .

> Three Associations -The Air & Expedited Motor Carriers (AEMCA), The Air Forwarders Association (AFA) and the Air Couriers Conference of America (ACCA) have pooled their resources for Air Cargo 2003 to be held at the Sheraton Wild Pass Resort & Spa Phoenix Arizona March 9-11, 2003. The organizers promise this event will be one of the largest of its kind during 2003. More information Contact: info@aemca.org.

> Congratulations to Air Cargo Association of Hawaii for its well-attended and thoroughly professional Air Cargo Symposium. Themed “Holo Mua: Air Cargo Bridge Hawaii To The World.” Held at Hyatt Regency Waikiki the all-day event will be held again next year. Hawaii Club meets regularly. contact: aircargo@aircargohawaii.com.

JFK Cargo Expo 2003
Back In The Flight

     2002 has been a year of constant upheaval in the aviation industry. Security and economics will prove to be the largest stumbling blocks for the remainder of the year while, hopefully, 2003 will prove to be its salvation. At least that’s what the experts say.
     Where have we been? Where are we going? These are questions the air cargo industry has been asking itself since the 1950s and we are no closer to an answer now as we were back then. To be fair it’s hard to hit a moving target and the industry over the years has proven to be just that, a moving target. Aircraft were too small, bulk loading aircraft wasn’t practical, containers were too prone to damage, 20 foot containers were too large, bar- coding was the answer, dot coms were the answer. All sound familiar? You bet they do! We live in a time when change can take place overnight and we serve an industry where change can take place in a matter of hours. Think of it, on September 11th immediately after the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon the entire air transportation system in the U.S. shut down. That never happened before and hopefully will never happen again but it does show how quickly change can take place in aviation. Neither the trucking, rail nor ocean shipping industries could have reacted as quickly the aviation industry did that day.
     We have, picked ourselves up, brushed ourselves off and we are ready to get back in the fight. How we go about doing that is what we will address at the 2003 Air Cargo Expo
     On Thursday March 27, 2003 at the Holiday Inn at JFK International Airport the JFK Expo Conference and Exhibition will address these ques- tions, head on, and try to offer some solutions or at least a clearer picture of what we are facing. Panel sessions and addresses, through the day, will examine the challenges and the solutions as our own experts see them.
     In addition to the conference we will have larger exhibition area able to accommodate more exhibits than ever before where you will meet members of the industry from airlines to freight forwarders and have the opportunity to talk with them about their products and services.
     For more info on the conference and exhibition please call Johnn Norcum at 718-656-8111 or Gerry Kash at 718-995-9178 or keep an eye on this website.
     Registration Fees:
     For registration by March 15, 2003: $50.00
     For registration after March 15, 2003: $65.00
     The conference fees include participation in all conference sessions, lunch and coffee breaks as well as access to all exhibits.
     Method of Payment: By cash or check in the full amount in USD (dollars) payable to the: