Flyingtypers Cargo Talks!

Having spent most of my life in logistics, when we started talking about COVID19 vaccines in the springtime I was anticipating the greatest logistics challenge of our times: delivering COVID19 vaccines as soon as available to thousands if not millions of POU’s all over the world. Famously we recall challenges such as the Berlin Airlift which kept west Berlin alive in times of cold war, perhaps less famously but even more challenging we record the yearly feat of delivering the Beaujolais Nouveau wine to the five continents, ready for its grand opening every autumn. This year of 2020, a year loathed by most, will nonetheless witness the kick-start of the largest logistics operation of all times. We have had ways of understanding that 2020 is one of a kind. This is especially true in logistics, and will be on our records for many years to come. Here  from Marco in Turin is the latest news from Europe  as  vaccine deliveries worldwide quicken and Christmastide promises to be like none other in

Ronald Edward George (REG) Davies is probably someone you may not have heard about. Davies died in England nine years ago at age 90. Simply said, REG Davies was and today remains the greatest and most prolific airline historian that ever lived anywhere in the world. His legacy to aviation, captured in 25 books and other social efforts, are as pioneering and important in scope as many of the subjects he wrote about including Lindbergh, Earhart, Berlin Airlift and almost every major airline in the world, past and present. His service via his immense output of books and research and work as the very first Curator of Air Transport at the National Air & Space Museum (NASM) in Washington, D.C. is detailed and enormous. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/geoffrey-arend/support

This could be the week that the world has been waiting for as that now imminent vaccine is on the boards to begin deliveries. From India to Indiana, the world will be able to breathe a long sigh of relief as air cargo jumps centerstage to commence what could be the greatest airlift in history. But are we ready? Here we talk to some leading transportation professionals of India. The Flying Cool Warehouse "Opticooler protects the most temperature sensitive and risky cargo and is a flying cool warehouse, at any climate and any temperature offering  almost unlimited runtime (compared to passive solutions),"  says Andreas Seitz.  --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/geoffrey-arend/support

Here  just for Thanksgiving in America 2020, we step back a bit and widen our scope revisiting one of most famous "airport happenings" in New York City history. The date was February 7, 1964 and the great international airport for New York City John. F. Kennedy International Airport  (JFK) said hello  to the Beatles musical group and the city went wild. Actually the story of that flight has been well documented during the past 55 years in all aspects but one. What about the people that handled the flights and the ground support for that epoch trip? Here we include personal recollections of cabin crew and ground people alike in a romp that also relives the golden days of Pan American World Airways during a time when Pan Am was America's Airline To The World. Thanks to Michael Webber who created this piece , despite the lockdown and COVID-19, we all get a "Ticket To Ride". --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/geoffrey-arend/support

Stanley Lim Pioneering Singapore-based freight forwarder and Member of the Extended FIATA Board says:  “A lot is happening in FIATA:  the reset idea is very good, but there are issues. FIATA has gone through a complete overhaul within a few months, in one of the most complex times of our lives due to the pandemic. I am fully committed to assist and my impression is that the new management would have an advantage to count on experienced members who recognize the demanding tasks of the association.” Knocking Around The Zoo By now our regular listeners have known Jim Larsen who served the pioneering all cargo U.S. carrier Seaboard World Airlines, and later as cargo marketing manger at The Port Authority of New York & New Jersey. Jim, as we have learned as we approach the 20th Anniversary of that terrible day, was a genuine hero of 911 as he rescued fellow workers from One World Trade Center.. That inspiring story will appear here on New Year's Day 2021. Here Jim shares a lighter hearted story of an

In less than two weeks the curtain will ring down on a career that has endured at an airline, nearly 46 years or since Gerald Ford was USA President and Helmut Schmidt served as Chancellor of The Federal Republic of Germany. In Frankfurt, when Heide Enfield packs it in and retires on November 30 and says her last farewell, she will also bring to close a family affiliation in the airline business that dates back almost as far as the creation and development of post 1950s modern commercial aviation in Germany. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/geoffrey-arend/support

These days more often than not we hear some new language  driven by the COVID-19 global pandemic “We are OK, safe inside of our bubble.” I have often wondered how secure some of these perceived ‘bubbles” are. Also think of our Son’ Geoffrey 11 about 20 years ago the day he left Queens New York and headed out to Hollywood where he starred as Flipper Boy in his first big production movie titled Bubble Boy. Today I guess we all live in some kind of bubble and like the Bubble Boy in Guffy’s movie, we all have to learn how live breathe and think and move around for some time longer inside it. Webber Weaves A Tale S/H Mike Webber has contributed a diverse array of articles to Flying Typers over the years. From data-rich state-of-the-industry overviews to features about the Beatles’ arrivals at JFK and LAX that were shared in music (and Pan Am) forums where Flying Typers doesn’t typically land. An Autumn Serenade For 2020 “Our look into the future must be guided by intelligence, experience, and common sense.&n

CNS Departures Mean  Industry Will Suffer "Now we are witnessing some of the best leadership in our industry departing  when this is the time they are needed the most,",former CNS President Warren Jones told Flying Talkers.  "With the recent post of Mike White leaving CNS  and some other great individuals at IATA like Gordon Wright, our industry, while resilient, will suffer." Kicking The Cans By now unless you have been living on the moon or accidentally got locked up the a cool box somewhere since 1985, Envirotainer the pioneering cool box company from Sweden says it can deliver all the vaccines needed anywhere in the world with no excuses or let up, and its system is the go-to way to move pharmaceuticals, worldwide on short notice. Freeze Dry Vaccines? (Revisited) Now the world awaits a  COVID-19 vaccine, reportedly a two- shot sequence, delivery to 8 billion people alongside other therapeutics, that might add another two step that would see that dreaded one-way trip to the hospita

“CNS will focus on its core mission on ensuring that the CASS continues to meet the needs of the U.S cargo industry,” came the terse announcement from IATA confirming that our exclusive story of Mike White an icon of change advancing the airline forwarder partnership, departing as Cargo Network Services President at year’s end, is sadly all too true. After finishing 40 years in the airlines and retiring sixteen years ago, Kari Tikkanen is not only still watching but involved with the industry. “I began as Finnair Cargo Manager in Helsinki on May 15, 1969 when we launched a Douglas DC-8 Combi jet aircraft to New York with the pallets loaded forward. “The Finnair first class cabin was located behind the wing on that aircraft,” Kari smiled . . .  --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/geoffrey-arend/support

When it comes to air cargo, The International Air Transport Association (IATA) seems to be adapting a bunker mentality in 2020 as top management and other key personnel connected to air cargo are retiring in droves. Glyn Hughes, IATA Head of Cargo departs IATA in January, and Mike White, President of IATA Cargo Network Services (CNS) will depart by year’s end. Add to that the diminishing number of support staff at IATA in Geneva, including maybe all the team at CNS in Miami. Some in air cargo may feel like those “Six Characters Looking for an Author” a la Luigi Pirandello; a family of industry people left incomplete by an author who can’t finish the work for which we were conceived. This June just past – at the height of the pandemic lockdown in India – there was a quiet celebration in the Chennai-based Blue Dart Aviation family (which is part of DHL eCommerce Solutions) celebrating its 24th anniversary on June 17. Blue Dart Managing Director Tulsi Nowlakha Mirchandaney crossed a huge milestone. Heard on the

Michael R. White, the well-liked and much respected President of Cargo Network Services (CNS) is retiring December 31, to pursue other interests. Mr. White joins a parade of recent IATA top cargo management retirements... Dr. Jan Hoffmann is Chief, Trade Logistics Branch in the Division on Technology and Logistics at UNCTAD (http://UNCTAD.org). In different capacities through our careers, I have been able to meet with Jan Hoffmann several times. Becoming acquainted with Jan has been both a privilege and a discovery for me (http://JanHoffmann.live). Gusto In Forschung  However, Dr Hoffmann was not born a civil servant, his gusto in “Forschung” (in English: Research) is probably the engine behind his choices, which brought him from his family tramp shipping business Hoffmann Shipping, based in Horneburg, Germany, to many other contiguous interests: import-export agent, seafarer, translator, consultant and assistant professor, before joining the United Nations. Sky Bar Is Back! Blast from our past . . . The

We have been thinking about IATA as air cargo becomes more famous in the mainstream media in regards to COVID-19 PPE flight performance. In the face of all the attention, IATA has shuttered all its cargo expertise in Geneva and Montreal. Glyn Hughes, Head of Cargo, and others in both locations have taken packages and are out. Is Cargo Network Services (CNS) next?  Do we stand to lose the expertise of Mike White and his team? --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/geoffrey-arend/support

A 2020 reality check is in order, with China having unleashed COVID-19 earlier this year and now ending One Country Two Systems in Hong Kong, and also apparently up to a lot of other less than glamorous things. As the pharmaceutical industry dedicates its resources to the creation of an effective vaccine, one of the greatest challenges will be the design and implementation of an efficient distribution system that will address the demanding logistical requirements. Airports and their partners will be critical elements in the planning and operations. “We actually make a difference in people’s lives, albeit indirectly - and it is this thought that makes me love my work and inspires me to work harder,” Chaitaly Mehta separates the signal from the noise with an insightful, direct view to best practices moving forward. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/geoffrey-arend/support

If you count up the years Wally Devereaux, Southwest Airlines Managing Director Cargo and Charters, and a 28-year veteran of the carrier has been a force in air cargo for 14. But to look at him you might think he is a new kid on the block. Wally is a youthful and energetic "Mohair Sam" which is language from the 1940s that was often used to describe someone who is smart, easy going and always comfortable in his clothes. Here the Texas born and bred native talks about Southwest Cargo at full strength the way it ought to be, and he speaks with some spirit and elan telling us the way it is right now. Harold Hagens died September 10 in Atlanta. A great patron and spirit of the air cargo business is gone, but he shall not be forgotten for all the good he did. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/geoffrey-arend/support

Sorry, this move toward laptop webinars with six people on a screen has gotten old in a hurry. I think that split screen face to face from a distance with family and loved ones works with Uncle Claude, young Obishek, Nilu and Zahir. But for business, while going thumbnail face-to-face did serve to open up our COVID-19 closeted world a bit, today that contact at times feels like  what used to be said about sitting in an audience watching a burlesque show. You've seen one, you've seen them all. Maybe it's time now to get street smart , and go face- to-face by trying something different. Also here two industry veterans, Nils Haupt and Isaac Nijankin share a view of the future having served air cargo successfully in the past. Virgin Atlantic Cargo opens new cargo flights to Italy and Pakistan connecting UK & U.S. shippers. Cargo Human Care seeks help powering up a new dispensary  to help the people of Kenya. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/geoffrey-arend/support

Labor Day 2020 and unofficial end of Summer in the USA: we step back a bit to the black and white world of 1942 and spend some moments recalling the outstanding cargo movement of WW II by sharing with you dear reader the exact time period when our industry as we know it today, (albeit the modern version) was born. The China India Burma Hump flights that moved cargo from Assam, India to Kunming, China above the Himalayan Mountains paved the way for air cargo to come to the rescue of Berlin post-war. From both those movements, air cargo was born via hundreds of surplus DC3 and C46 aircraft, some that were purchased for as little as a dinner for two tab at Sardis here in New York. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/geoffrey-arend/support

Something I learned early on in our early effort 45 years ago to create a publication quite unlike any other for the air cargo industry: In order to have a clearer vision of what lies ahead be sure and gather as much information as possible that deals with what has already happened. So, the first order of business at Flying Typers has always been to cast a clear line to the history of air cargo. Now with COVID-19 touching every part of the world with every person that you ever met part of a common experience we thought to write to some people who have spent the best years of their lives building the industry but now in retirement might be nudged into venturing forth with some ideas and opinions to share with the folks who in 2020 are actively day to day doing the heavy lifting in our business today. Thankfully we have something to report for that effort that begins today with Jacques Ancher who created the wildly successful modern air cargo structure at KLM Cargo , Ram Menen the man who began on the ramp when

As the world awaits a  COVID-19 vaccine, reportedly a two- shot sequence, delivery to 8 billion people alongside other therapeutics that might add another two step that would see that dreaded one-way trip to the hospital turn into a roundtrip.Meantime waiting in the wings is the technique of freeze drying vaccines in a process mostly under wraps for now at Pfizer and others promising  big changes are ahead in global medicine, Covid-19 has no immediate of going away. But across India amidst lifting of lockdowns and restrictions, the air cargo industry has battled on. Forwarders survey across India  underscores  that  this group is strenuously adapting to keep themselves and their businesses going. Summertime  Means Fun...Here we continue the saga of Speed Gibson last heard here on May 31. Slow down a bit.Here radio contact is messages by Morse Code and Short-Wave Radio.In 1938 Speed Gibson, boy hero was always ready to climb aboard a Pan Am Clipper flying boat on the way to anoth

Workers in the fields of life sciences and transportation are laboring diligently to discover a COVID-19 vaccine and researching the means of moving that vaccine to restore the balance of normal life all over the world. Voices Behind a Mask The word from our pharma sources is that “deadlines to save lives is uppermost as companies have committed vast resources to develop not only serums but also to secure the vials to carry the precious liquids to people everywhere.” So, in terms of getting ready to carry relief to billions in an extremely high-charged moment in time, the path to that long-awaited shot in the arm comes into sharper focus. The consensus is that it will require quite a bit of work and broad cooperation from everybody in all disciplines moving ahead. Pete Hamill Prince of the City In New York the reporter who  covered everything from boxing to politics for a half century Pete Hammil once wrote, “I don't ask for the meaning of the song of a bird or the rising of the sun on a misty morning.”

American Airlines Cargo is opened wide & declaring it is “ready to deliver”vaccine and therapies to combat the demon global pandemic. “While the production of a COVID-19 vaccine remains unclear, we are inspired that experts and scientists around the world are working together to beat COVID-19,” Jessica Tyler President of American Cargo told Flying Talkers in an exclusive interview. Forwarder Confident Jo Frigger EMO Trans Chairman told Flying Talkers: “Much will depend on which manufacturer will get the approval for their vaccine. There will be a mad rush and the logistics may be under control of the shipper or importer. It is very difficult to predict where the vaccine will be coming from and who will be the initial consignee. The vaccine could come from Europe, Asia, Russia or North America." India China Dustup In the beginning of July, when FedEx and DHL stopped picking up cargo from China for India, it was not surprising. If the Corona Virus pandemic made transportation difficult, ever since the blood