JFK Air Cargo Roundtable
Cargo, freight, trucking and security veterans talk shop
Veterans of air cargo
industry Worldwide Flight
Services Phil Jensen,
Mobile Transportation Pete
Debenigno, Silkway VP Joe
Badamo, CLPA Security
Joe Clabby and Hawaiian
Air John Ryan gathered for
a roundtable discussion on
past, present and future of air
cargo.
Each of these individuals
has a minimum of 30 years
experience in many areas
of airline cargo, ground
handling, trucking, security
and freight forwarding.
Each is on the Board of the
JFK Air Cargo Association,
and held executive titles in
Kaamco, the JFK Chamber of
Commerce, JFK Rotary, and
other airport organizations
both for business and social
responsibility.
The conversation revolved
around the history of JFK
air cargo, deregulation and
competition in this article.
12 AIRPORT VOICE, MARCH 2019
This is Part One of the
Roundtable discussion.
Question:How did you get
into the air cargo world?
Clabby-40 years. I started
in 1980 and have tried to
understand how the airport
operates. I was a detective with
the NYPD working on high
jackings so I was introduced
to the airport and intrigued.
In 1980 I took over Korean Air
Bldg. 261 and the rest is his
history with my security fi rm.
Phil Jensen is a mentor. So
is Pete here. There are many
others. This is good about the
culture in our community, we
depend and look to each other.
Debenigno- I have been
here for 40 years. I began in
trucking and stayed with it
after my fi rst job from a NT
Times ad with Eastern. NY
Times ad with Eastern at
JFK. “It’s like a prison, LOL”.
The Fuel gets in your blood.
My mentors Mentor were
downtown with DOT, over
years with Port and DOT and
state. Quite the experience.
Jensen-I’ve been at JFK
for 30 years in a variety of
positions in cargo, passenger,
charter and ground handling
starting with Braniff, then
JAL air cargo operator charter
corp jets. Long Island Airlines,
Northwest then Evergreen.
I helped design Bldg 73 , then
then Consolidated Aviation
Services CAS (strictly cargo)
and then stayed on the ground
handling path. My time as
board member of the Chamber
of Commerce , Kaamco and
Kaamco Cargo committee
along with other airport
organizations have helped
me provide resources to the
community and those who
request assistance. My mentor
was Carl Spitelli, who knew
properties, and operations
who built Consolidated Airline
Services as a small cargo
customer to largest round
handler in North America.
CAS was then taken over by
Worldwide Flight Services
and most recently purchased
by Cerberus,
Ryan- I started fi lling.
boxcars on 12th Ave. Job at
WTC then GSA in freight
and 16 years at Virgin
Atlantic. Continual growth in
career under mentor Angelo
Pusateri, then president of
Virgin’s North American
cargo division. We built that
business biz from nothing
into powerhouse and cargo
handling. One airline 747-
100 only. Started and ended
in London. Started cargo
handling as airline business
grew, here at JFK.
Badamo. I studied criminal
justice but fascinated by the
airport as my father was a
Customs Supervisor here
at JFK. I am currently VP
of Sales at Silkway Silkway
sales, on my 38 th year at JFK
with many at KLM . KLM,
Evergreen, and last decade
with Silkway. Jacques Ancher
was my mentor at KLM for the
21 years I was there. He was a
respected EVP and responsible
for opening different cities and
developing cargo integration.
How is cargo different
today?
Clabby: it is very Different
from 30 years ago. The you
did not worry terrorism. Now,
everything built on terrorism.
Our job is to provide safety
to fl ying public. We Cant take
another hit.
Pete: Airlines had own
people for their own cargo. The
age scale was double then as is
today. With deregulation in
1978 the teamsters were broken
up,wage and productivity went
below normal levels.
Phil added, “ This was
the advent of outsourcing.
Unions busted and everyone
started all over again with
productivity taking a big
nosedive as well. We are still
trying to recover from that
deregulation. Its cyclical.
A lot of times new ground
handlers hired former airline
employees had experience but
at a lower rate.
Jensen-Deregulat ion
changed everything. Markets
were protected in both areas
and airlines. After that once
they could compete on pricing
alone, the airline competition
drove some out of business.
There wasn’t a choice But
one thing that did not change
was the on -ime requirements,
Airlines had to be on time.
Selling on getting there
soon. Time was important.
So we maximize cargo and
mail in better timing as well
and luckily mail paid a high
premium so this worked out
for us. We maximized cargo
loads, having to fi ll in gap of
light passenger loads at that
time.
Ryan-new airlines coming
are the new kids on the lot
against BA, Lufthansa, after
the freefall in pricing with
everyone trying to compete. It
just changed and not pricing
for profi t, but putting cash
and cargo at whatever cost to
them. Everyone was punching
each other out for cargo. It’s
still crazy.
Q: Is it still a crazy
environment now?
Badamo: Absolutely.
Previously pricing was
structured and rates protected.
People did as they pleased to
get a load; drop prices. The was
the beginning of the end. But
the industry has continued
and now specialization is a
path to profi t with pharma
and animals, KLM wrote the
strategy. First with Combi
planes which have being
phased out in favor of the
larger 747 freighters.
Q- How do you stay in
business?
Badamo: Have to have a
superior product, customer
service.You live and die by
reputation in this industry.
Mu customers from 30 years
are my friend but you still
have to deliver.
Ryan: You are the go to
person. You are the problem
solver and operation person.
JOHN RYAN,GSA, HAWAIIAN AIR.
Peter Debenigno, Mobile ASir Transportation
CLABBY: Our job is to
provide safety to flying
public.