Alexandria, VA, July 8, 2009 - National Air Transportation Association (NATA) President James K. Coyne announced the new leadership of the association's Airline Services Council (ASC). The NATA formed the Airline Services Council in 2002 to further the interests of companies providing services to scheduled air carrier as their primary business.
ASC members represent domestic and international firms employing a combined workforce in excess of 90,000 people and generating more than $2.5 billion in annual sales at more than 450 airports. ASC member company services include aircraft fueling, baggage service, catering, terminal services, cargo services, aircraft handling, deicing, maintenance, security services and aircraft cleaning.
Fernando (Fred) DiBenedetto, vice president, business development at Fortbrand Services Inc., concludes his tenure as chairman of the NATA Airline Services Council after three years. DiBenedetto has been involved in the airline services industry for more than 36 years, including serving as president and COO of Servisair/GlobeGround, a leading, global provider of a full range of services to airlines and airports, where he was responsible for the delivery of ground handling services to more than 700 customers at 145 airports with annual revenues of one billion dollars. DiBenedetto led the council in tackling a number of critical issues in recent years including independent cargo handling participation in the TSA's Certified Cargo Screening Program, highlighting the importance of ground handling services to the commercial airport community and doubling membership within the NATA ASC.
"Fred has been a true champion of the airline services community, advocating for the clear business and safety advantages that the ground handling sector provides to the commercial airline industry," stated Coyne. "Fred's devotion to the NATA ASC was seen in many, many ways, including his ability to attract new members that resulted in the more than doubling of the council's membership over the last two years."
Replacing DiBenedetto as the NATA ASC chairman is Jack Evans, chief executive officer of Total Airport Services, Inc. (TAS). Evans previously served as the council's vice chairman prior to taking the chairman's position. Evans formed TAS in November 2004 with a single contract and nine employees in San Francisco, California. Within two years, the company had grown to 200 employees and five operating locations including Hartford, Connecticut; Columbus, Ohio; Huntsville, Alabama; Chicago, Illinois; and Newark, New Jersey.
"We are quite fortunate to have had one great chairman with Fred, followed by another with Jack, on the council," Coyne said. "Jack has laid out an aggressive agenda for the council to tackle over the next two years, and we at NATA look forward to working with him to achieve these goals."
