CF AIRFREIGHT EXECUTIVE ADDRESSES CHANGES IN AIR CARGO INDUSTRY

CF AIRFREIGHT EXECUTIVE ADDRESSES CHANGES IN AIR CARGO INDUSTRY    Richard McCrady, president of CF AirFreight, has scheduled a series of focus groups in key U.S. and European markets to address the changes in the air cargo industry since the Sept. 11 attacks.
   During the next six weeks, he will meet with groups of customers who rely on air cargo go get their products to market. Those cities for the focus group meetings are: Chicago, St. Louis, Dallas, Amsterdam, and one more Eastern U.S. city.
   “With all the uncertainty surrounding new FAA and airline regulations, it’s important that our customers understand how to adapt to a shipping environment characterized by heightened security and regulatory oversight,” McCrady said. “Our goal is to work on our customers’ behalf to expedite their shipments as quickly and smoothly as possible.”
   McCrady has identified several trends that will affect the air freight business, including:
   * Reduction of capacity and staff by airlines.
   * Curtailment of routes.
   * Greater security which increases cycle times.
   * Increased security, including x-ray requirements or decompression.
   * Deep, widespread profit warnings among carriers.
   * Accelerated aircraft retirement.
   In addition, the FAA and airlines themselves have proposed new security measures, including visual verification against manifest, verification through screening procedures, verifying and recording of cartage, and personnel identification.
   Compliance with these regulations will place additional demands on the shipper and customer alike. “CF AirFreight will be requesting additional credit and business histories on all current and prospective customers,” McCrady said. “But whatever measures are imposed on us, we will do everything possible to mitigate any negative impact on our customers.”