By Karen E. Thuermer, AJOTFreight can be sweet to an airline’s bottom line. To boost staff enthusiasm for the carrier and new priorities that include better cargo service, Delta Air Lines doled out more than heart-shaped boxes of chocolates to its employees on Valentine’s Day. This year, staff received profit sharing checks—big ones. “This was not money for lunch at Quiznos,” said Neel Shah, Delta’s new vice president of air cargo, in an AJOT interview. “It’s millions of dollars back to employees in profit sharing.” Delta officials peg the figure at $158 million. The reason: Delta believes happy employees translates to content customers. It’s part of the carrier’s dramatic shift that includes a new approach towards cargo and service. Shah, who has been on board with Delta only since January 14, wants to capitalize on this event. His aim is to first and foremost enhance Delta’s sales force and “fix” its cargo service. “We need more technology, people, and equipment,” he said. “We need to get our identity back in the market.” According to Shah, Delta’s previous lack of investment in cargo resulted in unacceptable service levels. Shah uses United Airlines as his baseline. In his previous job as vice president for sales and marketing for United Airlines Cargo, he was responsible for the revenue side of a $765 million business. Between 2005 and 2007, Shah helped rebuild the sales and marketing branch of United Cargo, increasing revenue by $145 million and doubling its contributions to the parent organization. Shah plans on big changes in Delta’s cargo operations over the next 90 days to six weeks. “We are going to invest in the business by right sizing our Atlanta warehouse and fixing our transfer capabilities through Atlanta,” he said. “This will reduce transit times and improve product flow—one of the biggest problems we face. Shipments get to Atlanta and then get stuck.” Key to the effort is educating Delta’s ground and ramp staff on the value of cargo. Hence, why profit sharing is a bit event this year. “We need a real grass roots campaign to rally the troops,” he said. Besides its employees, the carrier will partner closely with its airport operations group to bring them in tune with Delta’s cargo product and accountable for cargo performance. “We have a tremendous leadership team there,” he said. “They want to partner with us on this effort.” In addition, Delta is implementing a one-stop-shop partner program for global customers similar to the program Shah built at United. “But this will be more robust because we will have six to seven individuals dedicated to this program and led by a new general manager whom we just hired,” commented Shah. He anticipates 30 customers participating in the program. “We will sit down with them and do global deals for business, putting incentive agreements in front of them,” he said. Delta has already executed and agreed upon many customer incentive agreements for 2008 that have significant growth targets. “Our goal is to make doing business with us the easiest of any carrier,“ he explained. “Creating this one-stop-shop is a key pillar for re-engaging our customers.” TOP COMMITMENTGiving the effort a huge push is Delta management with its new commitment to cargo. “That’s a dramatic change,” Shah said. “Before, cargo at Delta was not given a seat at the table. Cargo wasn’t given the resources to realize its potential.” Changes have been underway since Richard Anderson came on board as CEO of Delta Air Lines in September 2007, Shah explained. The former CEO of Northwest Airlines, Anderson questioned Delta’s cargo revenue performance. “Cargo can be a highly leveraged product for passenger airlines,” Shah said. “It can make a carrier profitable or unprofitable.” According to Shah, it’s not uncommon for