| Lynden Air Cargo: The Limitless Skies |
| Transportation | |||
| Saturday, 31 May 2008 | |||
 Judy McKenzie tells us why, even in rugged conditions, this air cargo transportation company can deliver.
 Judy McKenzie, President For instance, the company recently flew to Yellowknife in Canada’s Northwest Territories for diamond mining companies. If ice roads melt early with tons of supplies in need of transportation, the Hercs head where the trucks can no longer go. Lynden Air Cargo’s six planes can fly in some of the most challenging conditions on the planet. Antarctica is the only continent one of its planes has yet to visit. Based out of Anchorage, Lynden Air Cargo provides scheduled service to some of the larger population centers outside of Anchorage and Fairbanks, hauling mail and commercial freight. Another of the company’s specialties is its oil spill response capability. Its specialized Herc aircraft can open its rear door in flight and send out dispersant spray arms as part of an airborne dispersant spray delivery system, allowing the company to be part of rapid response teams after environmental accidents. The company also does work for the fishing industry. During peak fishing season, Lynden supplements its scheduled service to haul fish, occasionally doing charter runs to fly fish directly to the lower 48 states. The company created a niche for itself in air cargo transportation due to the aircraft it operates. Lynden’s Hercs are the commercial version of the military’s C-130. These L382 commercial versions were built in limited numbers from 1970 through 1993. Lynden is one of a few US companies to use the Herc, operating under FAA Part 121, the most restrictive and the only certificate that allows large aircraft to operate for common carriage. Maintaining attitude “Our planes are more fuel efficient than turbojets on most of our routes,” said McKenzie. “Often times, we finish missions in remote areas ahead of schedule, not through shortcuts, but because of our efficiency.” When Lynden Air Cargo is measured against other air cargo haulers, its capability for moving difficult loads of outsized freight stands out. Its rear-loading aircraft and short take off and landing ability means the company can operate in isolated areas. The aircraft is self-sustaining and can provide its own power, allowing it to take off and land on short, undeveloped runways often made of ice or gravel. “No other aircraft can do that, especially when you consider the size of our payloads,” said McKenzie. “Depending on the runway, we can carry 48,000 pounds.” When outsized requests come up, companies have limited options. That is where Lynden Air Cargo’s specialized equipment comes in. Some cargo physically cannot be loaded onto a 727 or 737. Those aircraft have cargo doors on the side of the fuselage, making it impossible to load large, outsize freight. The Herc’s rear loading capability is similar to loading a semi-trailer. “You can back a trailer up to our planes and slide the freight in,” said McKenzie. “We’ve even hauled a large container that had a whale in it from Vancouver to California. You can’t put that on a jet with similar capacity.” With a service crucial to some companies, Lynden Air Cargo separates itself from its competitors through experience, service, and safety. The company’s turnover rate is well below the industry average, and McKenzie attributes that to the family atmosphere of the Lynden companies. “Our employees continuously progress through education, experience, and promotions,” said McKenzie. Lynden Air Cargo’s fleet of Herc aircraft is maintained by a team of professionals with the highest of standards. The company passed recent intensified FAA inspections with flying colors. This is due to the daily efforts of dedicated staff and quality control personnel. Lynden continually invests in its fleet, far beyond the minimums required by the FAA, with fleet enhancements such as state-of-the-art avionics with all-glass cockpits, as well as a high standard of scheduled inspections and service. A rigorous internal surveillance program monitors any abnormality or maintenance issue to detect recurring patterns that need to be analyzed and addressed. “Customers tell us we shine over competitors in reliability. We’ve often flown as support for other airlines whose aircraft failed or went in for maintenance,” said McKenzie. Lynden Air Cargo is one of the Lynden family of companies, whose combined capabilities include truckload and less-than-truckload transportation, scheduled and charter barges, rail barges, intermodal bulk chemical hauls, scheduled and chartered air freighters, domestic and international air forwarding, international ocean forwarding, customs brokerage, trade show shipping, remote site construction, sanitary bulk commodities hauling, and multi-modal logistics. Potential clients know Lynden Air Cargo is part of an organization capable of moving anything regardless of the mode. Though the company is concerned about rising fuel prices and increasing cost of maintenance and upgrades, McKenzie said Lynden’s focus on staying lean will provide resources needed to compete with other air carriers. By land, air, or sea, the commitment to customer service runs through all Lynden companies, and Lynden Air Cargo is no different. |
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© 2008 American Executive - RedCoat Publishing. All rights reserved.
American Executive is a RedCoat Publishing publication.
American Executive is a RedCoat Publishing publication.
