Obituary – Nol van Fenema

It is with great sadness that we learned that our former colleague and friend, Nol van Fenema, passed away on 11DEC25 in his home in Calpe, Spain. Nol was a highly respected doyen of cargo reporting with a long journalistic career, of which we at CargoForwarder Global are grateful to have also benefited from. He was an amiable, loyal, highly intelligent, and impressively well-informed personality, to whom the doors of corporate headquarters opened as soon as he announced his arrival for an interview or background discussion.

With his passing, journalism and the entire air freight industry have lost one of their brightest and most profound minds. His reporting was always based on facts, which he embedded in a larger context to give readers a holistic picture. He remained fair at all times, never indulging in any unsubstantiated rumors, and he frowned upon the spreading practice of copy-and-paste journalism.

Nol’s journalistic career was remarkable. He started out as a speaker for the former Dutch aircraft manufacturer, Fokker, before founding Payload Asia in Singapore in 1984, at a transformative time for Asian freight development. Still today, Payload Asia is a leading print and digital publication focused on air cargo news, analysis, and industry trends across Asia-Pacific, Middle East, Europe, Africa, and the Americas. Upon selling his publication, he joined CargoForwarder Global a decade ago where he became Senior Correspondent Asia.

After returning to Europe from Singapore, Nol and his wife, Joyce, moved into a chateau in the small French village of Autichamps. It was to be their retirement home. But after her passing, he left France and rented an apartment in Calpe, Alicante at the Spanish Mediterranean coast. “It’s warmer there and I can play pétanque with like-minded people all the time,” he once told me.

His former fellow players must now manage without him. As must all those who had the privilege of being his friends or media colleagues.

Nol, RIP. We will miss you. Heiner

The following lines were sent to us by Ram Menen, the former head of Emirates SkyCargo. He and his wife, Malou, had a particularly close relationship with Nol:
I am deeply saddened by the news of Nol’s passing. He was an extraordinary individual – both in his professional life and in his personal character – and his absence will be profoundly felt by all who knew and cherished him.

Nol was not only a highly respected journalist within our industry, but also a trusted confident and a true friend. Over the years, our bond grew into a genuine friendship, sustained by frequent conversations, the exchange of ideas, and countless moments of laughter.

In recent years, Nol faced multiple battles with cancer, meeting each one with remarkable courage and determination. He carried himself with dignity and strength, never allowing his spirit to falter, even as the challenges became more difficult. Despite his resilience and tireless efforts, he was ultimately unable to overcome the final illness.

With his passing, the industry has lost a gifted journalist and valued colleague, while those closest to him have lost a kind, loyal, and generous friend. Gentleman Nol will forever remain in our hearts – remembered for his wonderfully quirky habits, his sharp sense of humor, his unmistakable Dutchness, his vegetarian cooking, and his fondness for candied ginger.

Our heartfelt condolences go out to his children, siblings and their families during this difficult time. Nol will be remembered with deep affection and respect, and his legacy of warmth, integrity, and dedication will continue to live on in the hearts of all who had the privilege of knowing him. Dear Nol, Rest in Peace. Ram Menen

We received this personal contribution from his brother, Peter van Fenema:
Apart from a tumor on his lower lip, which had been successfully treated since June with immunotherapy at the AVL in Amsterdam, he also had a leaky heart valve that affected his body in many ways and caused him a lot of discomfort in recent months.

At the age of 84 his heart finally gave up. Fortunately, he had sufficient time to say goodbye to his beloved ones. He looked back with gratitude and satisfaction to an adventurous and often exciting life, culminating in his successful and rewarding (‘Payload Asia, Clean Asia, Photo Asia’) years in Singapore together with Joyce and their children Veronica and Carlos.   

On Monday, 15DEC25, he will be cremated in Spain in a small circle.

At the end of January, probably on the 25th, a gathering will take place in the Netherlands to give family and friends the opportunity to ‘celebrate the life of Nol’, as the English so beautifully put it.

Further details will follow. Warm regards, Peter van Fenema.