GAC BUNKER FUELS Limited has started offering customers a new pricing and market information platform accessible over the Internet to provide data on a daily basis and facilitate fast and informed fuel procurement decisions.
This new interactive service, which allows shipowners and operators to design their own customised daily pricing page, is available at http://www.gac.com/bunkerfuels .
The service provides historical data, allowing users to track and analyse market trends. In addition, GAC's website hosts ship agency details, information on specific ports and weather routing data in order to give its customers market intelligence to make efficient and cost-effective bunker purchasing and operational decisions.
The company is also launching a weekly market intelligence bulletin that will provide insight and information from across the group, including port congestion updates and bunker availability.
"The process of procuring the right bunker fuel at the right time, in the right place and at the right price can be highly complicated, particularly in a volatile market where prices continue to fluctuate amid rising trends," said the GAC statement.
Shipping Gazette - Daily Shipping News
SCHENKER Khimji's LLC, the joint venture that DB Schenker Logistics established with long-time partner Khimji Ramdas Group in Oman, commenced operations this month.
The new company provides air and ocean freight, land transport, contract logistics, supply chain management and event logistics solutions. DB Schenker Logistics' delegate in Oman, Martin Hackl, has assumed the role of managing director of the joint venture.
Said DB Schenker regional CEO Peter Glatz: "We see a big potential in Oman to become another hub in the Middle East. This market is growing steadily, with new ports and airports being established. This joint venture will enhance our strong position in the GCC [Gulf Cooperation Council] region."
Shipping Gazette - Daily Shipping News
HONG KONG's Cathay Pacific Airways and its unit Dragonair carried 124,531 tonnes of cargo and mail in April, declined 11 per cent year on year, the company announced in its monthly report.
The combined air cargo and mail load factor fell five percentage points to 63.3 per cent. Capacity, measured in available cargo/mail tonne kilometres, dropped 6.8 per cent, while cargo and mail tonne kilometres flown decreased 13.7 per cent. For the first four months, tonnage has shrunk 10.7 per cent against a capacity reduction of 3.3 per cent.
Cathay Pacific general manager for cargo sales and marketing James Woodrow said: "After the temporary surge in business in March, driven by large shipments of hi-tech products from mainland China, demand softened again out of our key markets in April. The general air cargo market remains soft, especially to Europe, though intra-Asia traffic is holding up better, helped by a recent expansion of the passenger network in the region. Looking forward, we will continue to manage capacity in line with demand, particularly on long-haul flights to Europe and transpacific. Fuel prices continue to be a major concern on these long-haul routes."
But both airlines carried a total of 2.5 million passengers in April, up 11.7 per cent versus the same month in 2011. The passenger load factor also rose 2.8 percentage points to 83.1 per cent. Capacity for the month, measured in available seat kilometres (ASKs), grew 8.2 per cent. For the year to date, passenger numbers have increased 9.7 per cent compared to a capacity growth of 8.5 per cent.
Said Cathay revenue chief James Tong: "Passenger volumes showed an increase compared to April 2011, though in the same month last year traffic to and from Japan was still being heavily affected by the earthquake and tsunami. Regional traffic last month was boosted by additional Cathay Pacific and Dragonair frequencies. The biggest problem at the moment is yield, which continues to decline in all classes, especially economy, while our business in the premium cabins is coming under increasing pressure."Sino-Indian CO2 defiance2
Shipping Gazette - Daily Shipping News
EIGHT Chinese and two Indian airlines have defied the EU carbon tax scheme requiring that they submit emissions data for entire flights and not just over European airspace, reports Reuters.
Penalties start at EUR100 (US$127) per tonne of carbon airlines fail to pay for, while the cost of compliance is estimated at EUR2 per passenger for a flight from Shanghai to Frankfurt, says the EU.
The European Union's Climate Commissioner Connie Hedegaard said 1,200 airlines have submitted to the tax. But 20 countries have grouped themselves into a "coalition of the unwilling", meeting in Moscow to consider retaliation, saying they would meet again in Saudi Arabia at an unspecified date.
"You cannot enforce laws outside your sovereign area. The implications are huge," Indian Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh told Reuters.
But Ms Hedegaard stood firm. "We have given them [China and India]) until mid-June to report their data."
To reduce tension, said Reuters, the commission has looked to the UN' International Civil Aviation Administration (ICAO) to come up with a global approach to curbing carbon emissions.
The European Court of Justice ruled in December that the law was valid and did not breach international treaties. It said the scheme was a market-based mechanism and not a tax.
Shipping Gazette - Daily Shipping News
THE 30-hour strike by Chennai airport cargo loaders of Bhadra International on May 14 had paralysed the cargo movement though the workers withdrew the strike later after gaining Bhadra's assurances on a wage increase.
A senior airport executive said the damage caused to the normal operation was "chaotic," reports The Times of India. "There is a cargo pile-up in the export and import divisions. We have started clearing cargo from the import section which will take a minimum of three days," said the official.
The airport needs to handle most cargo in the first few days of the week as many flight movements take place on Sunday night, Monday and Tuesday.
Shipping Gazette - Daily Shipping News
2012-05-17
Checks of taxi drivers, a widespread information campaign for passengers and increased vigilance of security services are some of the measures to be taken by Chopin Airport and the Warsaw authorities to tackle illegal taxis at the airport.
"The comfort and safety of passengers using Chopin Airport is our top priority. We cannot let them be targeted and cheated by bogus taxi drivers. With the support from the City Hall and state services, we are determined to finally put an end to this practice," said Michał Marzec, director of Chopin Airport.
Representatives of the Trading Standards Authority, Road Transport Inspection Authority and the Police have been working incognito for a couple of days now, checking the drivers' licenses and fares. Those who are caught without the required documents or provide misleading tariff information face heavy fines.
The airport's operator has also put up additional information posters in the Terminal, providing a list of names and phone numbers of the recommended taxi companies. The posters appeared in the baggage reclaim hall and on exit doors, among other places.
"Soon, the recommended taxi rank will be better signposted, with new signs put up in the arrivals hall and outside the terminal. Passengers will be assisted by special staff wearing bright colours, who will show them the way to the legit rank," promised Michał Hofman, head of Chopin Airport's Passenger Handling Service.
Before UEFA Euro2012 kicks off, there will also be stands with leaflets prepared by the city authorities and special posters with tips on how to recognise a legal taxi. In addition, the airport's operator plans to put up barriers at the rank outside the terminal, helping form a line of customers waiting for a taxi.
Any passenger who has been approached by touts or feels cheated or otherwise unfairly treated by a person posing as a taxi driver can report this to an Airport Security Service officer, who will pass the complaint on to the Police for further investigation. Apart from personal details of the person reporting the incident, the complaint will also include CCTV footage and other available evidence. Complaints, including information on when the incident happened and personal details of the sender, can also be emailed to pr@polish airports.com. These will also be referred to the police to deal with.
"We encourage anybody who feels they have been treated unfairly to report this. They are the only people who can help the Police as witnesses in the investigation," said Radosław Żuk, director of Chopin Airport's PR Bureau.
"The problem of illegal taxi drivers can only be resolved with the help of our passengers. The first thing we can all do is to raise awareness of the fact that it is only safe to use properly licensed and marked taxis. Reporting attempts of touting and cheating will allow the competent state bodies to take the right action. I hope that the measures we have put in place together with the city authorities and the Police will soon enable us to tackle the problem of illegal taxis once and for all," added director Michał Marzec.
Source Warsaw Chopin Airport
2012-05-17
17 May 2012 - The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) today launched an online marketing toolkit - http://marketing.msc.org - to help more retailers and brands promote their commitment to certified sustainable seafood.
Inspire, Educate, Navigate: a ‘turnkey solution’ to promote MSC labelled products
The online platform offers MSC partners a ‘turnkey’ solution to engage with consumers on seafood sustainability issues at the point of sale.
As consumer demand for certified sustainable seafood continues to grow, the web-based toolkit is designed to allow more MSC partners to take part in marketing activities that help drive shoppers’ preference for MSC labelled products, enhance partners’ sustainability credentials and reward fisheries that have demonstrated they are operating sustainably.
Created with the support of renowned shopper marketing agency Saatchi & Saatchi X, the toolkit follows their shopper journey model and includes everything required to Inspire, and Educate the shopper and help them Navigate to MSC labelled products in store. It also highlights a number of case studies of successful joint campaigns carried out by Albert Heijn in the Netherlands, Aeon in Japan, and Loblaw in Canada.
Disrupting shopping patterns
“For a number of years the MSC has been working with Saatchi & Saatchi X and retail partners around the world to create very successful marketing campaigns. The extraordinary results of the campaigns demonstrate how much shoppers value ‘sustainability’ i.e. with a little prompting they will act on those values in store.
This online toolkit builds on the lessons that we have learnt and provides a wealth of inspirational ideas and materials that are available to all partners to download and which have been shown to connect with shoppers very effectively.” said Simon Edwards, Global Marketing and Communications Director, Marine Stewardship Council.
Inspirational ideas to roll out innovative campaigns
The website shows how the ideas can be applied to a host of shopper touchpoints using examples created in a number of different languages by Saatchi & Saatchi X offices around the world.
Providing a flexible marketing solution has been a feature of MSC’s marketing support and partners with a valid Ecolabel Licence Agreement are free to adapt these ideas to fit their own retail template to promote their MSC labelled range.
This new platform complements other MSC tools and activities that promote partners’ commitment to sustainability such as joint marketing campaigns, sustainable seafood product finder, and a new seafood app.
Source MSC
DeLorme, the innovation leader in personal satellite tracking, messaging and navigation technology, today announced that it is contributing an inReach™ two-way personal satellite communicator and airtime to support Beneteau Powerboats’ Greatest Loop Expedition.
The DeLorme inReach product, which won the National Marine Manufacturers Association Innovation Award at the 2012 Miami International Boat Show, is the first consumer-affordable personal satellite communication device offering two-way Follow-Me/Find-Me tracking and locating, text messaging and SOS alerting anywhere on the face of the Earth through the Iridium satellite network.
For the Greatest Loop Expedition, a new Beneteau Swift Trawler 34, crewed by teams of Beneteau dealers and journalists from major U.S. boating magazines, will circumnavigate Eastern North America. The voyage will launch from Annapolis, Md. today and will include inland rivers and canals, the Great Lakes, Gulf of Mexico, Atlantic Ocean and Intracoastal Waterway, returning to Annapolis in September.
“The inReach device will provide an important margin of safety for the crew with its built-in SOS button that sends an instant distress alert to the GEOS international search-and-rescue center in case of an emergency,” said Laurent Fabre, vice president of sales and marketing for Beneteau’s Powerboats Division. “The inReach’s GPS tracking facility will also enable families, friends and other interested parties to view the vessel’s latest position and progress on a map display on our dedicated website www.thegreatestloop.com.”
“In addition to SOS and GPS tracking, the inReach service will permit the crew to send and receive text messages through a wireless Bluetooth connection and mobile app that runs on smartphones and tablets,” said Patrick Shay, DeLorme vice president and general manager for Connected Solutions. “This effectively converts the smartphone into a global two-way satellite texting device for use when outside cellular coverage. The free mobile app also allows DeLorme terrain maps and NOAA nautical charts to be downloaded to the mobile device for improved situational awareness and backup GPS navigation in an emergency.”
Marine NewsWire
2012-05-17
Existing terminals just a download away from multiple voice lines
Thrane & Thrane has launched Inmarsat Multi-voice across its entire SAILOR FleetBroadband portfolio. The new service, which Inmarsat made live in May 2012, is standard on all new SAILOR FleetBroadband systems and is accessible on existing terminals with a straightforward software update. Multi-voice enables FleetBroadband users to expand from the original single voice line to a maximum of nine simultaneous voice lines, on a single SAILOR FleetBroadband terminal.
SAILOR 500 FleetBroadband offers the full nine simultaneous voice lines available through Multi-voice, while a SAILOR 250 FleetBroadband can offer up to six concurrent calls and a SAILOR 150 FleetBroadband up to four concurrent calls. With no requirement for extra hardware besides the additional handsets, existing users can upgrade their SAILOR FleetBroadband terminals quickly and easily via the free software update. With the software update in place, all users need to do is configure their SAILOR FleetBroadband terminal via the user-friendly web-interface and attach the required number of Thrane & Thrane or third party handsets, or if desired connect an existing PBX.
Users choosing the sophisticated Thrane IP Handset for Multi-voice on SAILOR FleetBroadband benefit from high-quality hardware, functionality, flexibility and ease-of-use. It offers extra convenience as it provides easy access to a dedicated BGAN menu via the integrated screen, where value-added supplementary voice services, such as phone book and call forwarding, can be operated from the handset itself.
“With multiple handsets integrated to a single terminal, facility for dedicated voice lines can be made anywhere on board, from the engine room or canteen on a merchant vessel and the public areas on a passenger vessel, to the saloon and staterooms aboard a luxury vessel,” explains Casper Jensen, VP Maritime Business Unit, Thrane & Thrane. “Additionally, we have ensured that the SAILOR 3771 Alarm Panel FleetBroadband works alongside the Multi-voice service, ensuring that distress alarms can be sent, regardless of how many voice lines are being used.”
“Multi-voice will enable operators to offer even better crew and passenger welfare services, by increasing the number of telephone lines available on board,” continues Jensen. “The design of SAILOR FleetBroadband allows Multi-voice functionality to be introduced without the need for engineers or hardware changes to the BDU, making it extremely straightforward to add extra voice lines.”
Saltwater PR
2012-05-17
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) called upon the Polish government to accelerate its pro-aviation policies to enable aviation to facilitate economic growth and development in the country.
“Poland sees aviation as an important driver of the economy. And we are eager to work in partnership with the government to build a strong foundation for aviation to deliver even greater economic benefits. Aviation plays a major role in Poland, contributing PLN 6.8 billion to Polish GDP plus an additional PLN 1.6 billion in catalytic benefits through tourism,” said Tony Tyler, IATA’s Director General and CEO while speaking at IATA’s Aviation Day East Central Europe in Warsaw.
However, Tyler noted that some economic opportunities provided by aviation are going unused. “In 2009 there were 18 million air travelers in Poland. This accounts for just 2% of the total European market. Moreover, only 5% of visitors to Poland arrive by air. If we can achieve a common vision to further improving the environment for air transport to do business here, I am convinced that the prospects for Polish aviation are indeed very bright.”
Tyler identified two major areas in which IATA is working with the Polish government to make aviation more competitive:
Fuel charges: The price of jet fuel at Warsaw airport is among the highest in Europe largely owing to the monopoly position of the fuel supplier and the lack of cost transparency of fuel facilities and services. “Fuel represents an average of 34% of airline operating costs. Anything that makes it even more expensive is a heavy negative for travel and tourism as well as any business that depends on connectivity,” said Tyler.
The Polish Airports Authority (PPL) recently agreed to changes in how fuel is supplied at Warsaw. In April, a second supplier obtained access to the jet fuel market. “Now we need to ensure that the new supplier can start doing business quickly and with supply capacity that will make it a credible competitor,” said Tyler.
IATA also welcomed the support of Poland’s Air Transport Department in addressing revisions to the Goods and Services Tax Act that resulted in some airlines not being VAT-exempt on fuel purchases for international flights which contravenes International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) policies.
Air Traffic Control: This year Polish en routes air navigation charges were reduced by 0.2% and terminal navigation charges saw a 32% reduction. These reductions are mainly the result of a significant reallocation of costs from the terminal navigation charges to the en route cost base, assisted by a traffic forecast significantly higher than the European average.
As a result of the cost-reallocation the Polish en route cost base has actually increased at three times the European average. And the Polish Air Navigation Service National Performance Plan for a 6.7% cost efficiency improvement in the 2012 to 2014 period falls short of the EC target of a 10.1% improvement for the period.
“These are challenges that must be managed. Airlines are under constant pressure to reduce costs and increase efficiency. We therefore look to our air navigation service providers and their regulators to control costs and ensure this service is provided as cost-effectively as possible. We are all in this together,” said Tyler.
“The future of aviation in Poland is very bright. I am confident that government and industry, working together, can put aviation on the flight path toward becoming an even bigger contributor to the country’s economic development,” Tyler said.
IATA
SpecTec launched the new version of AMOS Mail.
The Company says AMOS Mail 9.2 transforms the world of maritime communication, bringing the Customers cost effective, easy to-use and reliable connectivity onboard the vessels – and potentially saving you up to 80% of your satellite communications costs thanks to its high-optimized and solid compression algorithm.
Communication functionalities have been extended and now are available to the crew members to enjoy a better experience while working with the software they know from more than 20 years.
AMOS Mail improved its seamless integration with all of the SpecTec’s software applications (AMOS Business Suite and AMOS2 Enterprise Management Suite – for more info about the mentioned product, please visit www.spectec.net) sharing, along with them, the same database engines.
AMOS Mail, starting from version 9.1, runs on Sybase, Oracle and Microsoft SQL Server Database management systems and, the just introduced MySQL. AMOS Mail is compatible with all Microsoft Operating Systems, both 32 and 64 bits, Windows 8 included.
The AMOS Mail release includes:
- Improvement of the User Interface look and usability
- Full compatibility with all the latest Microsoft™ Operating Systems (x86 and x64)
- Increase of the Interface’s Customization possibilities
- A native interface to Microsoft Exchange Server™
- Revamp of the client user interface and all the database management tools
- A new HTML enabled editor for incoming and outgoing messages
- Message Categories to assist and facilitate when invoicing Communication costs
- Spotlights and Smart Folders to search and better organize all the messages
- The AMOS Mail Service to let the software run in background and automatically after a server reboot and to let all the devices accessible no matter the computers they are connected to
- Message Categories to assist and facilitate when invoicing Communication costs
- This is just a hint of the application’s general revamp connected to the last release.
“AMOS Mail strikes back and ask the Customers to get ready for more exciting and innovative features which will be implemented in the upcoming future releases – says a confident Alberto Rinaldo, AMOS Mail Product Manager – I’ve been working with AMOS Mail since 1998, at the beginning as a Support Consultant, in the last 4 years as Product Manager and, I must say, AMOS Mail is never been so alive and kicking as it is now. The efforts we are spending on the product to add new features and make the existing one better are remarkable. The AMOS Mail Team is working hard implementing features the Customers were asking from years but also engineering brand new applications the Customers will take advantage from in the future.
Right now we are working to add some extra protection while exchanging data with the office and to optimize the communication protocols when working on the latest broadband satellite equipment. The new features will be introduced on AMOS Mail 9.3.0 which is planned to be released before the end of the year”.
SpecTec Group
DENMARK's AP Moller-Maersk Group has posted its first quarter results, which its container shipping unit Maersk Line suffered US$599 million year-on-year loss despite a 18 per cent growth in volumes.
The carrier said the average freight rate fell nine per cent compared to the same period last year.
Overall, the group delivered a profit of $1.2 billion, drawn on revenues of $14.32 billion, down one per cent year on year. Compared to the same quarter of 2011, it experienced almost zero growth in the first quarter. Excluding divestment gains and one-off tax income from the settlement of an Algerian tax dispute, the group recorded zero profit in the first three months, against a profit of $1.1 billion in the same period of 2011.
Group CEO Nils Andersen said the company is "not satisfied" with its first quarter performance, adding "earnings in shipping were weak due to the continued loss-making rates in the container and tanker markets. However, our efforts to increase container rates are paying off and we will continue our initiatives to improve rates throughout the year.
"We will also maintain a high level of costs for oil exploration and development of discoveries for production. We are confident that these investments will enable us to stop the decline in our oil production and then return to growth towards our target of 400,000 barrels per day."
Looking ahead, Maersk expects the group's year-end 2012 earnings will be slightly lower than the $3.4 billion recorded in 2011. Cash flow used for capital expenditure is expected to remain the same as in 2011.
For container shipping, Maersk Line said it "expects a negative up to neutral result in 2012, based on the assumption that the rate restoration that has taken place since March 2012 will continue."
The carrier projects the global demand for seaborne containers will increase by four to six per cent in 2012, with lower increases on the Asia-Europe trades, but higher increases on the north-south trades.
Shipping Gazette - Daily Shipping News
KOREA's Hanjin Shipping, the world's ninth largest carrier, has announced it will impose peak season surcharge by US$300 per TEU and $700 per FEU on all dry reefer and special shipments from Asia and the Middle East to North Europe and the Mediterranean from June 1.
The carrier said in a statement: "This peak season surcharge is inevitable for the company to sustain quality service in the midst of rising operating costs resulting from repositioning containers back to Asia to accommodate increased demand for outbound cargo."
Other major carriers, including OOCL, MSC and Zim, have announced similar of $300-$375 per TEU on the route in June.
Shipping Gazette - Daily Shipping News
FIGURES from the Hong Kong Marine Department show the port handled 2.1 million TEU in April, a year-on-year decrease of 4.2 per cent over the 2.2 million TEU in April of last year.
Singapore's Maritime and Port Authority reported a 5.6 per cent increase in container movement in April, having handled 2.6 million TEU compared to 2.4 million TEU in April last year.
Shipping Gazette - Daily Shipping News
THE European Union's Navfor squadron has "conducted an operation to destroy pirate equipment on the Somali coastline" but at no time were there "EU boots ashore" as the destruction of pirate boats was helicopter borne, reports the BBC.
"The focused, precise and proportionate action was conducted from the air and all forces returned safely to EU warships on completion. Whilst assessment is on-going, surveillance of the area during the action indicates that no Somalis were injured ashore as a result of EU action," said the EU Navfor statement.
EU forces were transported by helicopter to the pirate bases near the port of Haradhere and destroyed several boats.
The attack followed a March 23 decision by the Council of the European Union to allow the EU Naval Force launch attacks ashore.
EU Navfor said the operation was conducted in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 1851 and has the "full support" of Somalia's transitional government.
Commanded by the Royal Navy's Rear Admiral Duncan Potts, also commander of Britain's Maritime Command, the operation was "an extension of the disruption actions carried out against pirate ships at sea, and Operation Atalanta remains committed to fighting piracy off the Horn of Africa and the humanitarian mission of protecting World Food Programme ships that bring vital aid to the Somali people."
Said Admiral Potts: "We believe this action by the EU Naval Force will further increase the pressure on, and disrupt pirates' efforts to get out to sea to attack merchant shipping and dhows.
"The local Somali people and fishermen - many of whom have suffered so much because of piracy in the region, can be reassured that our focus was on known pirate supplies and will remain so in the future," he said.
The BBC noted anti-piracy forces have been reluctant to attack mainland bases, fearing for the crews of captured ships and said that currently pirates are believed to be holding about 17 ships and 300 crewmen.
A Greek-owned suezmax tanker was hijacked last week to bring the current number of ships held by Somali-based pirates to nine with more than 250 seafarer hostages either on those vessels or incarcerated ashore.
Shipping Gazette - Daily Shipping News
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The magazine SEA has been published since 1935
International business magazine JŪRA MOPE SEA has been published since 1999
The first magazine in Eurasia in the four languages: English, Chinese, Russian and Lithuanian
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