Air Cargo News


Bill DeCota	Mark Najarian

     Current events framed the third annual JFK Air Cargo Expo as a full house of over 300 attendees and a sold out exhibit area of display tables and booths were intermixed with discussion sessions, a luncheon and all-day networking Thursday March 27.
     Sponsored by the Air Cargo Association at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, the JFK gathering tackled a vibrant set of issues confronting air cargo today, such as security, the airline situation and business conditions due to recession and the war in Iraq.
     Most significant to where air cargo is now and will be in the future were two speeches delivered at the opening of the event and at lunch.
     Keynote speaker, Port Authority of New York & New Jersey director of aviation, William DeCota was moved and moving as he celebrated both the Expo, the air cargo industry itself and the importance of JFK International Airport.
     “Today,” Mr. DeCota pointed out “despite vast change and development of many other North American aerial gateways, JFK still retains a solid 25% or one quarter of the total volume of all the air cargo shipped in the USA.”
     At the luncheon, dashing Mark Najarian, who at times looked like he would rather be bowling, did know that this wasn’t Kansas anymore, as he delivered a crisp, albeit at times terse summary as to the current situation at the company, where he serves as director of cargo marketing, American Airlines.
     But super-trouper that he is, Mark’s comment, evaluations, hopes and dreams were delivered in a straight from the shoulder, right from the heart fashion that has always been the hallmark of this fine air cargo executive.
     As Mark spoke, he made it very apparent how AA became the biggest airline in the world. Truly great companies have the ability to train above average people.
     Everything else aside, Mr. Najarian times thousands of other people at American add up to the best this industry has to offer.
     The words to the song about New York came to mind:
     “If you make it there, you’re going to make it anywhere.”
     We kept thinking, American Airlines is populated top to bottom with some of the best people the industry has to offer, many of whom were trained by the airline.
     It is perfectly ridiculous that American is on the cusp of financial ruin because world events conspired to crush its business (See “US Owes Its Airlines”).
     As he concluded his remarks, after a couple of questions, Mark moved purposefully toward the exit door chatting, ever moving, never stopping as he headed out.
     Somebody asked him what was the rush and he replied:
     “I’m on the next flight to Miami.” MIA is a critically important air cargo station, and division headquarters for American.
     As American struggles, Mark Najarian has changed. Now he speaks and moves at a pace that is kind of three quarter time.
     It’s like he wants to be everywhere at once, or he is against some kind of deadline.
     As mentioned, it is probably that way for a lot of the executive corps at AA right now.
     But here was this dreamer and a doer, in the city that brought new honor worldwide to the job of firefighter.
     We kept thinking as he moved toward the door, Mark is a kind of fireman too as he travels American’s route system making sure that the cargo keeps flowing.
     Just the evening before (3/25) on a flight MIA/JFK, an Airbus A300-600 sat on a rain-soaked MIA hardstand for an hour with 245 people aboard while some late arriving cargo was boarded.
     The aircraft arrived at JFK on time, but the incident underscored an apparent and very important fact of life at AA right now.
     Cargo shipments and passengers will fly as booked, even if once in a while they have to accommodate each other getting to their destination.
     But anyone who thinks American Airlines is done for has got to have rocks in their head.
     American will be back whatever happens.
     Mr. DeCota is a new style of airport executive who came up through the ranks, is visible, hands on and takes the heat.
     Bill DeCota and his Port Authority team have been about a full menu of great things that despite 9/11, has transformed JFK International steadily during the past few years.
     Just outside the hotel, down a strip of four and six lane highway called The Van Wyck, along the main entrance road to JFK International Airport, a new “Miracle Mile” of cargo sheds, including both the size and dramatic sweep of Korean Air, JAL Cargo, United and others has changed the landscape at the facility forever.
     Where, once maintenance hangars ruled, as they serviced world fleets of DC6s, Lockheed Constellations and DC8s, today mammoth B747-400s and MD11 freighters are automatically emptied and filled from cargo facilities that are also architectural statements.
     At JFK, cargo business continues around the clock, up and down the road to the big airport bringing double meaning to a city within a city that never sleeps.
     Bill DeCota set the tone for a day of Expo Air Cargo.
     Let’s rally around the start of the new season Spring 2003, certain that we are building our business as partners from an expanded renewed airport, ready for a future serving the greatest city in the world.”
     Bill DeCota’s remarks were a welcome change like a fresh breeze off of nearby Jamaica Bay.
     That’s why local air cargo events at airports everywhere are so important right now.
     Everybody wants to know what’s going to happen.
     A robust allegro, a glimpse inside the world’s biggest airline, some good first hand information and a chance for understanding face to face, were elements of an altogether perfect air cargo day at JFK.