NATA News

*  It should be noted that starting operation date refers to new facilities, not changes in ownership.

Due to the many changes the SPCC rules have undergone in the past several years, NATA fully supports the EPA’s proposal to delay compliance until November 2011. The proposed rule change is available here and will be open for comment until August 18.

H.R. 5900 also included several provisions enacting new aviation safety reforms similar to H.R. 3371, the Airline Safety and Pilot Improvement Act, which passed the U.S. House of Representatives last October as a result of the Colgan Air crash outside of Buffalo, New York.

Click here to read NATA’s Legislative Report on H.R. 5900.

In addition, the House passed the fiscal year 2011 (FY11) funding bill for the Department of Transportation that includes the FAA. H.R. 5850 provides $67.4 billion in discretionary spending, $1.3 billion below the President’s request and $500 million below FY10 levels. For aviation safety programs, $1.3 billion was provided, $70.42 million above FY10 and $10.5 million above the President’s request for FAA safety enforcement efforts. 

To read NATA’s Legislative Report on the FY11 Transportation Appropriations Bill, please click here.

Link to Agenda

Link to Participation Form

To read the third quarter edition of NATA’s Aviation Business Journal, including the profile on Airport Terminal Services, please click here.

To read Air General’s press release on this announcement, please click here.

One major problem is that many airports allow permittees to self-report and then conduct audits every few years (usually three to five years). At the end of the audit, often the airport will seek additional fees that they allege should have been paid but were not and, to add insult to injury, often demand interest and penalties. Some airports do not allow the business professionals to intervene with the audit department.

We strongly recommend that any uncertainty be cleared up early and not be left to linger. Airline services companies rarely accrue for future airport fees and unexpected fees are never place in a budget. Also remember, just because the airport says it is so does not mean that it is. Fee disputes can be challenged. If the fee dispute is based on uneven or disparate treatment, this is considered unjust discrimination and may be a violation of the airport’s grant or sponsor assurances given to the FAA in return for federal funding.

For more information about any issue governing gross receipts fees, send us an email and an aviation attorney at McBreen & Kopko will be happy to assist.  

Leonard D. Kirsch, Esq.
McBreen & Kopko
500 North Broadway, Suite 129
Jericho, New York 11753
Tel. (516) 364-1095
Fax (516) 364-0612
Cell (516) 318-5991
LKirsch@mklawnyc.com

Cargo Airport Services USA (CAS) was formed as a limited Liability Corporation in May 1998 in Jamaica, New York. Its founders are Carl A. Smitelli and Simon Caviezel, both entrepreneurs and successful managers in the air cargo services sector. They saw a business opportunity to counter high operating costs and inefficient productivity when KLM Royal Dutch Airlines sought to outsource their cargo services.

Carl Smitelli brought his experience as founder of Servair, later Dynair and Swissport, and applied the concept of ensuring that CAS employees maintain ownership of their work processes at all levels. Simon Caviezel used his successful experience as president of Cansica, later acquired by Federal Express, to develop business relationships with air carriers and freight forwarders. Together, their experience and backgrounds created the mission and principles that have achieved a reputation for honesty, fairness, and reliability in the cargo handling business.

After the initial start-up, CAS was awarded additional cargo carrier business, and by 2003 had six cargo handling contracts in the original cargo facility 87 and Building 263 at JFK. In 2005, CAS took on equity partners to grow and expand the business to other locations. At that time, the name was changed to Cargo airport Services USA, LLC. In the same year, CAS acquired the third largest JFK-based cargo handling company resulting in 14 customers and three cargo facilities at JFK.

In 2006, Michael A. Duffy was recruited as president to run the company and oversee business development along with Steve Crescenti, director of cargo operations, and Phil Jensen, director of sales and marketing. Duffy developed a strategy to secure new cargo warehouse space and increase and diversify the customer base through more acquisitions along with a reputation of reliability. The company focused on maximizing the square footage of each cargo facility with the right mix of customers and cargo types.

Since then, CAS has experienced significant growth in the cargo service handling business. One of the original business objectives was to remain focused on the primary core business of cargo handing and to become one of the best and most reliable cargo ground handlers in the industry. CAS gained valuable experience in handling the diverse specialized cargo products for KLM, which helped them become a world class service company with the ability to handle all types and sizes of cargo.

As the reputation of reliability grew, CAS was awarded five new carrier contracts in 2006. CAS had a reliable reputation with Pacific Rim operators and entered into business relationship with EVA in November 2006 at JFK and Newark Liberty Airports. EVA was interested in restructuring their costs and partnered with CAS to take over both of their warehouse operations and provide cargo ramp service handling at JFK.

Additional acquisitions in 2007 included Houston-based Genesis Aircraft Support and Cargo Zone in Montreal and Toronto. In 2007, twelve more carrier contracts were added to the CAS customer list, including another modern cargo facility at JFK Building 73. In 2008, CAS took over operations in the Korean Cargo facility at JFK and added a second cargo location at Washington Dulles International Airport. In 2009, CAS opened for business in Dallas/Forth Worth International airport with China Airlines.

In 2009, CAS also added Kalitta, Japan Airlines and Finnair and Alitalia at JFK. At Newark Liberty International SAS, EL AL and Singapore came on board as CAS customers. CAS also added Air France, Korean and ANA at Washington Dulles International Airport in the same year.

2010 started with new customers British Airways World Cargo and Delta Cargo at Washington Dulles, China Airlines and Egypt Airlines at JFK and EVA in Toronto. In July 2010, CAS added British Airways World Cargo at JFK and opened in Chicago O’Hare with Air France, KLM and Alitalia.

Cargo Airport Services continues to be a unique type of service company with a special interest in partnering with their customers and recognizing the efforts of its stakeholder employee groups. Ongoing investments in technology, ground service equipment and employee training continue to support steady growth and product reliability. CAS continues to recognize the importance of cargo security and has continued to make investments in TSA cargo screening equipment and training to meet the demands of 100% cargo screening.

Currently, operations are in place at JFK, EWR, IAD, ORD, DFW, IAH, SAT, SEA, YUL, YMX and YYZ. Today, CAS is the largest privately owned North American cargo ground handler in the United Sates serving more than sixty airline customers system wide at sixteen cargo facilities in eight international gateway airports.

Those of us in the aviation industry can certainly understand why so many people are disappointed with the recent performance of our political leaders. We’ve seen up close and personal how inefficient, ineffective, and inept government can be. The sorry tale of FAA reauthorization legislation over the past three years is a good example. Click here to read post.

Employees’ compensation is broken down by geographic region of the country, by the company’s gross sales, by size of the town or city in which the company is located and by the number of employees in the company. In addition to pilots and maintenance technicians, the report includes compensation for inspectors and line service and customer service representatives, among others.

Association Research Inc., a leading economic research firm based in Rockville, Maryland, conducted the salary study. For privacy reasons, none of the individual responses are provided to NATA.

The report is provided to NATA members who participated in the survey at no cost. The downloadable pdf version is available at a cost of $125 for non-participating members and $299 for non-NATA members. There is an additional $25 charge to receive a hardcopy of the report.

A copy of the report may be purchased on the NATA Web site at www.nata.aero in the NATA Store.

NATA is pleased to announce a new program with ARAMARK Uniform Services to provide its members access to a discounted uniform rental and leasing solution. This money- and time-saving membership benefit was recently negotiated to provide added value to your membership.  
 
ARAMARK Uniform Services is America’s leading supplier of rugged work wear, uniforms, outerwear, safety apparel and anything else you need to outfit your workers for America’s toughest jobs. Their state-of-the-art facilities let you personalize your work wear for a professional brand image. ARAMARK is also a single-source provider of flame resistant apparel and arc flash protective equipment.

NATA members may now take advantage of these valuable and convenient savings:

• 20% off rental and lease uniform rates

• 20% off facility services (mats, towels, mops, restroom supplies, etc.) 

To learn more about ARAMARK and the products and services that are available, please click here to log in and visit the Member Resource area of www.nata.aero.

Wherever your travel takes you, close to home or around the world, your NATA CDP number is the key to special savings. Be sure to include it in all of your reservations. To view and print an NATA CDP card, click here. To find the lowest rates, special offers and information about Hertz locations, vehicles and services, click here for a link.

NATA’s Spring Training Week takes place on February 21-24, 2011, at the Aviation Industry Expo (AIE) in Las Vegas, Nevada. Spring Training Week seminars include the Line Service Supervisor Training, Environmental Compliance and NATA Safety 1st Trainer Seminars. Visit www.nata.aero/springtraining for AIE and seminar details.