Northwest believes the experience with KLM will help in forming a combined passenger and cargo alliance, dubbed Wings, that may include Continental Airlines, Alitalia, Air France and Air China. Continental is working with Northwest Cargo and is already seeing some improved flows, said Continental Vice President for Cargo Jack Boisen. I think the alliance process improves the possibility of a freighter fleet, Boisen said. But Alitalia s separate cargo pact with American adds a wrinkle to that. Clearly the marketplace is demanding more destinations and more paths to get to those destinations, Friedel said.
Alliances offer more destinations and paths.
But that is only the first step. The second step, which is much bigger, is improving how freight is moved across the carriers. The key is being distinct companies but operating as though you re one that s what the forwarders want. Separate but together sounds ideal to some forwarders. Philadelphia-based BDP International says multiple carriers working in concert would give BDP the flexibility to work with all of them in a global alliance setting, or just one of them, according to Diane Hofman, BDP s director of corporate air freight.