United Nigeria Airlines crew commended for professionalism during unruly passenger incident

Jan Krems, the long-serving cargo chief at United Airlines, is set to retire after a distinguished career that spanned more than a decade at the company. Krems, who currently resides in Spain, will be succeeded by Chris Busch, the managing director of Cargo Americas. United Cargo spokeswoman Elise Goldstein announced Krems' departure at the end of September, in line with the company's recent announcement.

Krems, a member of the Air Cargo Hall of Fame, played a pivotal role in transforming United Cargo into a major player in the industry, consistently outperforming U.S. competitors such as American Airlines and Delta Air Lines. The former KLM Cargo executive was instrumental in building a global cargo network that generated record revenues, even during the challenging times of the Covid pandemic.

United Airlines' cargo divisions saw a 22.6% increase in revenue, reaching $527 million in the second quarter of 2023, compared to $294 million for Delta.

Krems' success can be attributed to his ability to build strong relationships with freight forwarders, who are responsible for booking a significant portion of cargo with airlines. By cultivating loyalty with these forwarders, Krems ensured that United Cargo retained business even when rival airlines offered lower rates. This strategic approach helped United Cargo maintain its position as a leader in the industry, even without its own fleet of freighters, relying instead on the cargo space of its widebody passenger aircraft and chartering ad hoc freighters as needed.

In addition to his focus on building relationships, Krems was a strong advocate for the growth of pharmaceuticals and perishable food cargo. United Cargo has placed a priority on these sectors, while keeping the company's base capacity focused on the needs of freight forwarders. Major customers for United Cargo include the U.S. Postal Service, Amazon, FedEx, and UPS.

Krems' commitment to innovation and customer service was widely recognized, with United's chief commercial officer, Andrew Nocella, praising his leadership during the Covid pandemic and his role in positioning United Cargo as a global industry leader.