Tony Charaf to retire as cargo is downgraded
20 / 03 / 2015
TONY CHARAF is taking retirement and Delta Air Lines is downgrading its cargo division to align it more closely to the passenger side of Delta’s business, says the company.
Cargo sales will now become part of the airline’s global sales team, and cargo operations will be aligned with its Airport Customer Service division.
Charaf, Delta’s senior vice-president and chief cargo officer, has elected to retire effective August 1 after 18 years of service with Delta.
“Delta Cargo’s new structure will set the organisation up for even greater success and benefit customers by giving cargo greater access to resources on the passenger side of the business,” says a statement.
“This will allow it to continue offering the products and service levels customers expect from Delta while continuing to make investments in the customer experience.”
The airline insists that Delta Cargo remains “a highly valued part of our business, and these changes will provide each group with the resources they need to meet our cargo-related goals,” says Ed Bastian, Delta’s president.
Under the new structure, Ray Curtis, vice-president of global cargo sales, will report to Steve Sear, senior vice-president global sales, while the Cargo operations team under the leadership of Scott Barkley, will report to Bill Lentsch, senior vice-president of Airport Customer Service.
“Under Tony’s leadership, Delta Cargo outperformed the industry in revenue and volume and improved operational performance despite a challenging freight industry landscape – including competitors with larger aircraft and more freight-carrying capabilities.
Delta Cargo has become a leader in e-freight practices, increasing its e-airwaybill adoption to 50 per cent domestically and more than 20 per cent internationally.
