Former KLM employees with decades of work under their belts. John Kieling, Walter Luber,
Paula Ostuni, Karan Deswal, John Grasser, Stewart Gormal, Udaya Pathak, Chris Tyson and
Pete Campo. Photopage by Jeff Yapalater
AIRPORT VOICE, NOVEMBER 2019 5
JFK air cargo
improvements
Port seeks to develop out area
BY JEFF YAPALATER
We had an opportunity to speak
with Rick Cotton, Executive Director
of the Port Authority about
cargo at JFK.
This was an impromptu conversation
bout the stat of the cargo facilities
at JFK.
Many cargo companies feel that
there is little emphasis on the cargo
area when compared to the vast redevelopment
set to happen at JFK
Airport.
They see many buildings vacant,
decrepit and in need of demolition
or complete renovation.
So, it was opportune to meet Cotton
at a recent redevelopment event
and ask a few questions.
You will see that he refers to the
Vision Plan. You can see the recommendation
of the plan at the bottom
of the conversation.
Q-There is some concern by the
cargo community people that they
have been left out of the cargo development
plans.
Cotton: Look at the Vision plan
by the Airport Advisory panel by
the Governor’s set up. You will
see a significant discussion about
cargo. Their (Vision Plan) conclusion
about existing cargo facilities
is that they are not well organized;
they are disparate and therefore
they operate on a sub-par basis.
And what the panel recommended,
and the direction the airport is
moving, is to reorganize the cargo
facilities around what is called the
North Cargo area, which they have
identified in their report. We have
actually put out two RFPs on this
point and actually awarded 2 contracts
so there are two cargo facilities
that are building warehouses
facilities where we are building
new taxiways for them. What remains
to be done is to fill in the rest
of the cargo picture.
And so, that hat has two focal
points that is, new facilities where
planes can come in, but as least
equally to try to solve the problem
of truck congestion.
So, the airport has that on its
plate; the thought and planning
process is under way but a problem
that is very much on the table and
airport is trying to address.
Q-The GatewayJFK has major
community concern with truck
traffic. Any short term mitigation
in the works?
Cotton: All I can say is that the
airport is looking at it at it and one
of the main elements of terms of
planning and thinking about the
construction that is going to take
place out there and how to minimize
the amount of truck traffic.
Well, so we are looking at
whether barges and a waterway capability
might be a way to address
this.. No
Q-Is that in the immediate plan?
C-Not in the plan, but it is one of
the things we are looking at.
Q-cargo would like to be included
is be included in the process.
Cotton: Well, that is a good suggestion.
The two developments Cotton
referenced are the Aero and Air-
Cargo LLC.. warehouse facilities.
Neither facility has broken ground
yet.
Phase one of the cargo modernization
effort was authorized by the
Port Authority board in 2017, with
a long-term lease with Aero JFK II
LLC for a 346,000-square-foot handling
facility. The Aero building is
on the site of current, unused building
260 and 261. Reconstruction of
Taxiways CA and CB authorized by
the 2017 vote are already in progress
are those referenced by Cotton in
his response to one of the questions.
A second project is long-term
lease with JFK Air Cargo LLC to
develop a state-of-the-art handling
facility at the airport authorized
with a 31-year lease agreement; a
deal expected to bring $152 million
in rentals and a $70 million investment
by JFK Air Cargo. It is to be
located behind the FedEx building
off Hangar Road and not from the
other two buildings.
According to some members of
the JFK Air Cargo Association and
the KAAMCO Cargo Committee,
cargo improvements are necessary
but have not received the same attention
to detail as the passenger
terminal plans. Generally cargo
tonnage has increased at JFK, but
due to lack of facilities some companies
are finding space off-airport
or using other airports that are less
expensive and less difficult to reach
by truck on slow roadways into the
airport. The improvement on the
Van Wyck Expressway will hopefully
help but this is years away
and increased transfer times.”
So, the intent and over arching
thoughts are well received but
the cargo community would like a
more detailed plan and input into
the future of cargo at JFK Airport.
KJM TURNS 100 YEARS OLD
CELEBRATES BIG AT JFK AIRPORT
KLM, Dutch Royal Dutch Airlines
celebrated its 100 birthday
worldwide and especially at JFK
Airport. It first flew on October 07,
1919.
Station Manager Ajay Dhawan
and KLM V.P. Stéphane Ormand
proudly represented the airline to
the leadership at JFK with a visit
and performance of the Royal Concertgebouw
Orchestra Amsterdam,
a large sheet
cake cut into hundreds
of pieces for
sharing with travelers.
In addition,
A randomly chosen
nonagenarian
and partner were
upgraded to first
business class to coincide
with being
roughly the same
age of KLM.
On hand were
top KLM executives,
aircraft crew,
staff colorfully
dressed as traditional
maidens, and
many former longterm
employees
of KLM who got together to celebrate
the “good old times .” It was
evident that with this celebration
and announcement of the new 787-
10 just deployed that KLM is looking
back with good memories,
but also working hard to create
a bright future as it is currently
working with TU Delft on plans to
develop a “Flying V” aircraft for
the future.
KLM JFK workers prepare treats for departing passengers on
the celebratory flight.
KLM celebrates 100 years of flying. (L) Deputy General Manager Teresa Rizzuto, KLM
V.P. Stéphane Ormand, KLM JFK Station Manager Ajay Dahwan, JFK FAA David Siewert,
JFK Airport General Manager Charles Everett, JFKIAT President Roel Huinink partake in
festivities celebrating 100 years of KLM in the air.