Northwest implements changes to freight charges

Effective October 15, Northwest Airlines Cargo will implement the following changes to freight charges and commissions.

The 5% IATA commission will be eliminated. This applies worldwide where not prohibited by governmental regulation. All existing customer pricing agreements remain in effect after October 15th, but these rates will be non-commissionable after October 15th.

Air Waybill minimum charges will be increased. This also applies worldwide where not prohibited by governmental regulation. The following outlines the new minimum charge per Air Waybill effective October 15th: Domestic: $50, Transatlantic: $125 (or equivalent in local currency).

A new Security Surcharge of $5 per Air Waybill will be implemented on October 15th. This new charge will apply to all international and domestic Air Waybills system wide.

Northwest said it regrets the necessity of implementing these changes without the customary 30-day courtesy notice. These changes are necessary in order to offset the immediate and drastic cost increases that Northwest has experienced since September 11th for items like aircraft hull insurance and new security procedures.

Northwest Airlines Cargo says it has also been forced to close freight facilities at the following 11 stations in the U.S.: Birmingham, AL (BHM),Chicago – Midway (MDW), Fargo, ND (FAR), Grand Rapids, MI (GRR),Green Bay, WI (GRB), Hartford, CT (BDL), Madison, WI (MSN),New Orleans, LA (MSY), New York – La Guardia (LGA), Salt Lake City, UT (SLC), and Washington DC – National (DCA).

These stations will no longer accept freight for shipment, nor handle freight on incoming flights from other locations.