Air cargo champion retires

Now that David Brooks has stepped down as American Airlines’ cargo president, the shipping community has lost one of its staunchest advocates on Capitol Hill.

Brooks, who built one of the most successful cargo divisions in the industry, presided over cargo for 16 of the 30 years he had been with American.

According to Brandon Fried, president of the Air Forwarders Association, he was “a tireless worker” when it came to representing airlines at their darkest hour after 9/11.

For many shippers, Brooks was the voice of reason when it came to resisting the panic-driven inspection policies first advocated by law makers and federal security agencies.

The news comes at a time when American Airlines – a wholly owned subsidiary of AMR Corporation – is resisting another threat to its independent viability: a merger with U.S. Air.