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American Airlines Cargo is a division
within the American Airlines Group, the
holding company for American Airlines
and US Airways. Every day, American
Airlines transports cargo between major
cities in the United States, Europe,
Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean,
Latin America and Asia. The airline
operates, on average, over 6,500
flights daily to 339 destinations in 54
countries from its hubs across the US.
For those of you who are unfamiliar
with this giant of the skies, American
Airlines cargo is the market-leader
in Latin America with 10 touchpoints
operating in Brazil and a total of 53
Latin American cities overall. Making
the list of 53 cities includes 22 in
the Caribbean/Mexico, 9 in Central
America and 22 in South America.
As the leading U.S. carrier to Brazil,
American Airlines Cargo aims to cater
for their customer’s needs by offering
new destinations where possible. The
most recent service includes Viracopos
International Airport in Campinas, from
both hubs at Miami and JFK.
Within Europe, the airline’s destination
portfolio is equally impressive. Currently,
there are 21 European destinations with
18 American Airlines flights operating
out of Heathrow on a daily basis.
Linking the European market to the
domestic markets in the US remains a
key strategy for the airline. Butler feels
that, “through the European market we
Transport Logistic Munich 2015 hosted over 2000 logistic organisations during the week-
long exhibition, an ideal opportunity for
Alex Cottard
to grab a quick word with JimW. Butler,
President of AAC, about American Airlines Cargo’s involvement in the air cargo industry.
are able to expand, which fits in with our
global expansion desire.” One of the
most recent trans-Atlantic operations is
the service from Miami to Frankfurt, a
development which Butler was keen to
mention to visitors during the exhibition.
Naturally, with such plans to expand
and venture into new markets, certain
challenges will arise. Butler identified 2
areas which are key in order to integrate
effectively. “Correct preparation and
extensive training are key,” he added.
Through AAC’s extensive services,
the pharmaceutical industry remains a
stronghold within the cargo operations.
Thanks to a brand new 25,000ft
2
, state-
of-the-art facility in Philadelphia, medical
and pharmaceutical products are able
to be transported and dispatched safely
and efficiently.
AAC don’t just offer your typical
shipment cargo. As Butler highlighted,
there have been a variety of interesting
and somewhat unusual services and
shipments undertaken over the years.
“We cater for shipments across a wide
range of sectors and markets which
include valuable cargo, dangerous
goods, perishables, global alliances and
even live animals and human remains.”
Continuing on the trend of services
provided, a feature which AAC have
invested greatly in is temperature-
controlled shipping. Naturally, this
aspect of shipping requires an efficient
and smooth operation within the supply
chain. This delicate process begins
with the network that caters for over 157
cities in 45 countries around the world.
Customers can choose either active or
passive cold chain solutions through the
‘ExpediteTC’. The product functions by
using advance temperature-controlled
containers in order to constantly
regulate temperatures levels. For the
passive solution, the main feature is pre-
packaged shipment protection which
requires additional temperature control
during transportation.
To summarise the vast range of services
provided by AAC, I asked Butler for 3
keys words to capture what the airline
is all about. “Focused, innovative and
customer-driven,” he said. On the basis
of the comment given by Butler, it would
seem his words mirror the strategic
goals in place.
Trans-Atlantic Antics
18
Logistics Business Magazine | September 2015
Air Cargo