HONG KONG's Cathay Pacific Airways has warned that it expects "disappointing" first half results due to weak demand and high fuel prices.
"Looking ahead, economic uncertainties have continued into the first half of this year - while these uncertainties continue, we expect pressure on economy class yields and our cargo business in particular to remain weak," the airline said in a filing to the Hong Kong stock exchange.
"Fuel prices have risen further. As a result, 2012 is looking even more challenging than 2011 and we are therefore cautious about prospects for this year."
It expected capacity growth to fall to two per cent from the original seven per cent, as frequencies of some long-haul routes to North America and Europe are reduced to cut fuel cost.
And it expected the growth in the cargo business to drop from seven to four per cent. "The cargo business, despite a temporary improvement in March, has shown no sign of a sustained recovery," it said in the statement.
Said Cathay CEO John Slosar: "This is not just a Cathay Pacific problem, it is clearly an industry-wide issue, and continued high fuel prices in particular are hitting airlines hard across the globe. We have no option but to take concerted action to adapt to this volatile operating environment."
In addition to reducing capacity to cut costs, the airline has announced some other cost-cutting measures, including the earlier retirement of older aircraft, deployment of more fuel-efficient planes, a freeze of ground staff hiring and a restart of the voluntary unpaid leave for cabin crew.
But orders for 93 fuel-efficient aircraft would proceed as planned. Worth a total of HK$190 billion (US$24.5 billion), the delivery of the first batch is expected to start from 2019.
Source Shipping Gazette - Daily Shipping News
RUSSIA's Volga-Dnepr Airlines new freighter, with a reduced four-man crew, IL-76TD-90VD, has delivered 20 tonnes of coiled tubing from Malabo, Equatorial Guinea for oil production in Prestwick outside Glasgow.
The flight carried a coiled tubing which is a continuous length of steel or composite tubing used for well drilling and intervention operations. Its flexibility makes it a cost and time-effective solution by reducing cost of repair and maintenance.
Airnautic France, a charter broker and Volga-Dnepr's subsidiary AirBridgeCargo Airlines, operated the flight which loaded the equipment by forklifts and cranes.
Airnautic said using the new freighter was a first for the company and it was "proud to charter it into Europe."
Using the Kupol-III-76M-VD flight navigation system, the IL-76TD-90VD is equipped with PS-90A-76 engines and modern avionics.
Source Shipping Gazette - Daily Shipping News
KARACHI, Pakistan-based Air Indus Pvt Ltd is interested in gaining three of Russia's civil aviation flagship the Sukhoi Superjet 100, reported the Gulf Times.
The Aeroflot jet is the product of a joint venture of Russian aviation giant Sukhoi, Europe's Superjet International and several dozen other companies with a price tag of around US$35 million each.
The recent full compliance of the twin-fuelled 100-seat jet has boosted its safety requirements, said Sukhoi Aviation spokesman Igor Syrtsov at a road show at Karachi Airport.
Source Shipping Gazette - Daily Shipping News
TERRORISTS are developing bombs with detonation systems which cannot be detected by airport X-ray screening, seen in the latest foiling of the early stages of Yemen-based al Qaeda group plot to destroy a US-bound or other Western country using an updated underwear bomb, said aviation expert Andrew Thomas.
The assistant professor at the University of Akron claims that the device shows a refined approach to building bombs that can pass through airport security systems. This means that a focus on uncovering plots rather than stopping devices coming through will be essential, Mr Thomas said.
"The good news is that the intelligence network seemed to do a better job in terms of being able to thwart the individual who had the bomb on them which means that our intelligence agencies the airport security folks are spending more time looking for bad people then simply trying to stop bad things from getting through."
The device never presented a direct threat to public safety, said a statement from the FBI which is examining the device in the US after leaving the Yemen.
Using commercial aircraft for terrorist activity is not going to stop being a target. "So as long as theirs been commercial airliners flying in the skies there's been people looking to blow them up."
Source Shipping Gazette - Daily Shipping News
ONE hundred pilots of the Indian Pilots Guild (IPG) has intensified its grievances in a strike of Air India by calling in sick because of management sidetracking at the negotiating table.
The work stoppage expected to more than double to 250 workers was considered "illegal" by the country's civil aviation minister Ajit Singh for its lack of a notice period leading to disruption of four international passenger flights to Hong Kong, Toronto and Chicago and New Jersey.
In a report from CNN-INB news, Mr Singh said: "This is not appropriate. Every section has grievances, they should have some patience". Particularly in light of the government's approval of a bailout package for the country's carriers, including Air India.
But IPG president Jitendra Awhad said the action is a matter of principle when management backtracks on what had been agreed over the delayed training of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner in preference to colleagues from Air India rather than the former Indian Airlines.
"No time is good for agitation. But at times things come to such a pass when agitation is the last resort to get the pending issues resolved," said spokesman for IPG, following court ruling of a the delay of training for both equal number of pilots of each airline.
The issue of Dreamliner training is to be carried forward by the Indian Airline's representative of the ICPA with the IPG happy for equal representation but wishing to see further solutions to its pilots progression prospects.
The airline has sacked 10 of the striking pilots and has sent doctors to the remaining pilots homes who called in sick.
Source Shipping Gazette - Daily Shipping News
2012-05-11
On May 9, at the port of Odessa took place the ceremony of paying honor to the heroism of the veterans who defended their homeland in the Great Patriotic War in 1941-45. Early morning on the festive cleared-up square in front of the port administration building lined up the rows of cadets of maritime schools. Brass band from Fontanka boarding school met the guests with front-line topic songs. At the foot of the monument to the port workers who died during the Second World War was burning a bright orange flame of "eternal fire". At 9:00 the Head of port’s press service Elena Giryaeva opened the rally. Congratulations to the veterans expressed the General Manager of the enterprise chief SE "OMTP" Yuriy Vaskov, the Honorary President of the port, the Hero of Ukraine Nikolay Pavlyuk, the chairman of the Trade Union Committee Vladimir Zaikov, the Chairman of the Council of Veterans, the veteran of the Second World War, Nikolai Debelyy, the chairman of the Youth Organization of the port Ivan Brovkin. - Veterans of the port of Odessa have a special status in the city, exactly because the port the first got the attack of the fascists and the port workers have played a key role in the defense of Odessa - said in the speech Yuriy Vaskov. - Adressing to you, dear veterans, I want to assure you that we have no greater value than your heroism during the Great Patriotic War ... The rally ended with a moment of silence in memory of fallen in the battle against fascism, and that was the ceremony of laying flowers to the memorial of "eternal flame"; the veterans were photographed with the management of the port and the cadets of marine schools. On May 9 the ceremony of laying flowers to the monument to workers of port ship yard and. As always this day the passenger terminal and approaches to it were decorated with festive banners with the images of the Great Patriotic war medals; in a large hall of the terminal sounded festive music. At13:58 the air above the harbor was filled with whistles of the ships standing at the berths. That is how the port of Odessa celebrated the 67th anniversary of the Great Victory.
Source the port of Odesa press-service
The Full Bay Scallop Association (FBSA) in Canada has entered an Atlantic sea scallop (Placopecten magellanicus) fishery into independent, third-party assessment to the Marine Stewardship Council’s standard for sustainable and well-managed fisheries. If successful, products would be eligible to display the blue MSC ecolabel. The FBSA fleet is comprised of approximately 55 operating vessels ranging in size from 45 to 65 feet.
About the Fishery
The fishery takes place in Canadian waters in the North West Atlantic primarily in the Bay of Fundy and Area 29, a nearby fishing zone adjacent to Nova Scotia. Scallop beds in these areas have been commercially fished since the mid-1800s. Total Allowable Catch (TAC) in this area in 2010-11 was 1,265 tonnes, of which the FBSA client share is 69.5 percent. In 2009, the FBSA fleet landed 831 mt for an approximate value of $12 million. The gear type used is Digby fishing dredge, which is a steel cage towed along the seafloor.
The Canadian Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) manages the fishery and establishes annual catch limits, fishing areas and management measures, including limited entry licensing, shell size and scallop meat counts based on weight, individual transferable quotas, dockside and vessel monitoring. Every vessel in the FBSA uses a Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) while fishing. In addition, there is 100% dockside observer weigh-out of the harvest and submission of documents for data entry.
The season is open all year with a concentration from early June and to early October. Fishing in Area 29 includes at-sea observer coverage developed in collaboration with the local lobster industry to monitor any lobster bycatch. In the Bay of Fundy, vessels can retain landed monkfish, but all winter skates must be returned to the water with the least amount of harm. In Area 29, all bycatch must be returned causing the least amount of harm.
The assessment will be conducted by Food Certification International, an accredited certifier for MSC assessments. Stakeholders wishing to participate in the assessment process may contact the certification body, specifically Joanna Kabut, Fisheries Administrator at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
What the fishery says
Dick Stewart, Manager of the Full Bay Scallop Association, says “the full bay fleet is the longest standing scallop fishery in the area producing well-known Digby scallops for restaurants and retailers across North America. We look forward to the time we can claim MSC certification for our products.”
What the MSC says
Kerry Coughlin, Director of the MSC Americas Region says “we welcome the Full Bay Scallop Association into assessment and note the arrival of independent certifier Food Certification International as an active company in our region.”
About the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC)
The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) is an international non-profit organization set up to help transform the seafood market to a sustainable basis. The MSC runs the only certification and ecolabeling program for wild-capture fisheries consistent with the ISEAL Code of Good Practice for Setting Social and Environmental Standards and the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization Guidelines for the Eco-labeling of Fish and Fishery Products from Marine Capture Fisheries. These guidelines are based upon the FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fishing and require that credible fishery certification and ecolabeling schemes include:
· Objective, third-party fishery assessment utilizing scientific evidence;
· Transparent processes with built-in stakeholder consultation and objection procedures;
· Standards based on the sustainability of target species, ecosystems and management practices.
The MSC has offices in London, Seattle, Tokyo, Sydney, The Hague, Glasgow, Berlin, Cape Town, Paris, Madrid and Stockholm.
In total, over 270 fisheries are engaged in the MSC program with 156 certified and 121 under full assessment. Another 40 to 50 fisheries are in confidential pre-assessment. Together, fisheries already certified or in full assessment record annual catches of close to nine million metric tonnes of seafood. This represents over 10 percent of the annual global harvest of wild capture fisheries. Certified fisheries currently land over six million metric tonnes of seafood annually – close to seven percent of the total harvest from wild capture fisheries. Worldwide, more than 14,000 seafood products, which can be traced back to the certified sustainable fisheries, bear the blue MSC ecolabel.
For more information on the work of the MSC, please visit www.msc.org.
Source MSC
The IRU has published a manual for bus and coach operators, providing them with useful information before the 1 March 2013 deadline, regarding their obligations to passengers and aiming to promote increased service quality within the sector.
Brussels – The IRU has developed a manual that provides information to bus and coach transport managers about their new obligations towards passengers under the EU Regulation on Passenger Rights that enters into force on 1 March 2013, and includes provisions on assistance, reimbursement, rerouting, compensation, assistance to disabled persons and passenger information, among others.
Commenting on the new EU Regulation, IRU Vice President and President of the IRU Passenger Transport Council, Yves Mannaerts, stated, “It is vital that bus and coach operators fully understand the new EU Regulation and are prepared for the consequent major changes to passengers’ rights before the March 2013 implementation date. The new regulation will have significant implications for our industry.”
The IRU manual, chaptered in three sections for regular services over 250km, under 250km and for occasional services, focuses on passenger rights during the handling of accidents, delays and cancellations, the rights of disabled passengers, and how passengers are provided with information.
Mr Mannaerts continued: “These new regulations provide a solid framework for ensuring that we continue to provide high quality services to all categories of passengers before, during and after their journey. I urge all operators to take note of the new rules and be well-prepared for their implementation.”
Source IRU Communications
THE Westbound Transpacific Stabilisation Agreement (WTSA) has recommended a new round of rate increases with effect from July 1 for frozen and chilled beef, pork and poultry, as well as animal hides, as a guideline for its member carriers in renewing the upcoming contract for those cargo.
For those cargo shipped from the US west coast, the rate increase will be US$300 per FEU, and for intermodal and the US east coast all-water shipments, the increase will be $400 per FEU. Rates for hides will be increased by $100 per container. Proportionate increases will be applied to other box sizes, according to the WTSA statement.
WTSA executive administrator Brian Conrad said shipment of the so-called "protein cargo and hides" generally move under 12-month contracts running from July 1 to June 30. Therefore, "they have not been covered under previously announced general rate increases for 2012."
Mr Conrad said demand is strong in Asia for US exports of frozen and chilled meat. Also, supply in different trade lanes remains limited for refrigerated equipment in circulation, particularly temperature-controlled container for carrying chilled commodities.
WTSA members include APL, Cosco, Evergreen, Hanjin, Hapag-Lloyd, Hyundai Merchant Marine (HMM), "K" Line, NYK, OOCL and Yang Ming.
Source Shipping Gazette - Daily Shipping News
2012-05-10
STX Pan Ocean, a South Korean shipping line, has started offering a Far East-Middle East service by purchasing container slots on the joint service operated by CMA CGM, CSCL and UASC, respectively branded as AMA/CIMEX/AGX 1.
According to Alphaliner, the service uses ships ranging in size from 13,000 to 14,000 TEU.
The port rotation is: Xingang, Dalian, Busan, Shanghai, Ningbo, Shekou, Port Kelang, Khor Fakkan, Jebel Ali, Port Kelang, Nansha, returning to Xingang.
It also reported that Chun Kyung Shipping Co (trading as CK Line) has joined fellow South Korean container shipping line Namsung Shipping Co on its Korea-Hong Kong-Ho Chi Minh City-Thailand service (KVT), with the first joint sailing from Korea on May 5.
It said the 1,043-TEU ships presently used on the service are to be replaced with 1,500-TEU chartered vessels, including the Hansa Kirkenes and Hansa Langeland, with Chun Kyung to operate one of the three ships used.
Prior to this development, CK Line was purchasing slots on the Korea-China-Thailand service jointly operated by TS Lines and KMTC (CHT), as well as the Korea-China-Thailand service jointly operated by Heung-A, STX Pan Ocean and Cheng Lie (KCT/CTS).
Source Shipping Gazette - Daily Shipping News
WHAT makes a top super hub port can be found in the growth of in different stories Shanghai and Singapore, according to analysis by the UK's Port Strategy.
The key to a super hub in the Far East in both cases is the intra-Asia transshipment trade, as intra-Asia surpasses transpacific and Asia-Europe by box volume, at a time when market is depressed by economic slowdowns.
Shanghai's widening margin is due to its successes in capturing high growth intra-Asia transshipments, said the report.
Said Drewry top analyst Neil Davidson: "You don't really see many small transshipment ports. It's a high intensity operation, and the speed of handling really needs to be high. Quick turnarounds require a high-tech approach."
Thus, technology is key to Singapore's streamlined future: last year, PSA Corp launched a Research and Development fund to look into automated systems and optimisation programmes for its container ports, in Singapore and around the world
The Shanghai International Port Group (SIPG) counts on its Yangshan Deepwater Port with its 15 metres alongside lying 50 kilometres from the old port of Waigaoqiao and which can now handle 13,000 TEU vessels.
More than anything else, says the report, Yangshan Deep Water Port's location is excellent to capture transhipments, becoming a hub and processing port for coastal cargo, which includes volumes from the old port and well as freight from nearby logistics parks.
The Phase 2 expansion includes private port operators AP Moller's APM Terminals and Hong Kong's Hutchison Port Holdings. And unlike other jurisdictions, labour availability and work rules are not constraints.
"It's possible to be highly advanced, but not completely automated. The ports can have the latest kit, sensor capabilities, anti-sway or driver assisted gear, but not go the fully unmanned route," said Mr Davidson.
This is contrasted with Singapore, a long-time transshipment specialist, where space is at premium, though its location makes it ideal for hub and spoke operations as well as mainline handoffs.
Unlike Shanghai, port owner PSA (controlled by the state's Temasek Holdings sovereign investment fund) has built world class information connectivity around the port.
Consultant John Corley at CH2M Hill, told Port Strategy that planners in Singapore have begun crafting a long term plan, with some thinking about a possible relocation of the port as they implement the next generation of facilities.
Technology is very much a part of Singapore's streamlined future, he said. Last year, PSA Corp launched a Research and Development fund to look into automated systems and optimisation programs for its container ports, in Singapore and around the world.
Source Shipping Gazette - Daily Shipping News
THE number of ports with a throughput tonnage of over 100 million tonnes has risen to 26 last year from 2010's 22, according to the Ministry of Transportation, reports Xinhua.
Among the 17 seaports and nine river ports, Ningbo-Zhoushan ranks at the top 694 million tonnes throughput. The Yangtze River Delta has 11 ports on the list, the most of all regions.
Chongqing and Beibu Gulf Port from the western region are also on the list. Huanghua, another major port for coal transportation after Qinhuangdao, for the first time handled more than 100 million tonnes last year.
Three of the four new members on the list, Taizhou, Chongqing, Jiaxing, are river ports. The flourishing development of river ports in China is brought by China's plan to boost domestic demand and the supportive policies. Last year, the Ministry of Transportation decided to spend CNY45 billion (US$7.14 billion) on river shipping during the five years from 2011, 170 per cent more than in the previous five years.
In 2006, China has 12 ports of 100 million tonnes. In 2009, the number had increased to 20. But as China's economic growth slows down, throughput growth will become steady. Analysis shows that this year, China's port throughput will be growing at about 10 per cent, 2.4 per cent down from 2011's 12.4 per cent.
Source Shipping Gazette - Daily Shipping News
DACHSER has announced the establishment of a joint venture in Malaysia at the beginning of May, in a bid to continue expanding its service portfolio in the Asia-Pacific region.
The services provided by Dachser Malaysia Sdn. Bhd. range from air and sea freight business to customs clearance and other logistics services.
It said in a statement that through its new joint venture partner, Malaysian entrepreneur Tan Ah Seng (holdings in Multitrans, Megalift), it is also able to offer special transports. It is planned in the short-term to employ a staff of 15 for the joint venture. The head office, and at the same time first branch office, are located in Petaling Jaya, near the capital Kuala Lumpur. There are also plans to open a second branch office.
"In Malaysia we are now present in another Tiger State following Singapore and Thailand, enabling us to develop both international and inner-Asian freight services for the benefit of our customers," said Thomas Reuter, managing director Dachser Air & Sea Logistics.
"Thanks to years of experience and sound knowledge of the local markets, our joint venture partner provides access to established local contacts and in-depth knowledge from the word go."
Huned Gandhi, a former member of the Dachser India management team, has been appointed as the CEO of Dachser Malaysia. He reports to Detlev Janik, chief regional director South/South East Asia, who is based in Singapore.
Source Shipping Gazette - Daily Shipping News
IMPORT cargo volume at US major retail container ports will be flat in May compared with the same month last year, but is expected to see solid year over year hikes through this summer and the back-to-school season, according to the monthly Global Port Tracker report produced for the National Retail Federation (NRF) by the consulting firm Hackett Associates.
"Consumers are spending despite gas prices and other economic concerns, so retailers are stocking up to meet the demand," NRF vice president for supply chain and customs policy Jonathan Gold said. "These numbers show imports growing through the back-to-school season and even into beginning of the shipping cycle for the holiday season. That's a sign that retailers are expecting a good year."
US ports followed by Global Port Tracker handled 1.18 million TEU in March, the latest month for which numbers are available. That was up 14.1 per cent from February, traditionally the slowest month of the year, and 8.5 per cent from March 2011.
April was estimated at 1.24 million TEU, up two per cent from a year ago, and May is forecast at 1.28 million TEU, the same as last year. June is forecast at 1.3 million TEU, up four per cent; July at 1.35 million TEU, up 1.8 per cent; August at 1.42 million TEU, up 7.2 per cent, and September at 1.45 million TEU, up 8.7 per cent.
The first half of 2012 is expected to total 7.3 million TEU, up 1.9 per cent from the same period last year. The total for 2011 was 14.8 million TEU, up 0.4 per cent from 2010Õs 14.75 million TEU. NRF projects 2012 retail sales will grow 3.4 per cent to US$2.53 trillion.
"The economy is on the mend and all the leading economic indicators continue to point the way toward positive growth," Hackett Associates founder Ben Hackett said. "2011 was a year of uncertainty that resulted in virtually no growth in import volume but we are witnessing a resurgence of confidence and demand."
Source Shipping Gazette - Daily Shipping News
GLOBAL shipping and logistics company, Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics (WWL) has made its inaugural call recently at Adelaide, Australia, with the arrival of m/v Aida on its route from Europe via North America.
The company said the ro-ro ship Aida, a pure car truck carrier (PCTC) with a capacity of 6,700 cars and built to the highest class of Lloyd's Register of Shipping.
The announcement comes on the heels of the recent addition of Galveston on the US east coast to the route, said the company statement. WWL carries cars to the Oceania but the trade is increasingly driven by Australia's mining and agricultural industries and the need for heavy equipment in the country.
"We have for some time seen increased demand in the market place for Adelaide, both from North America as well as Europe, mainly driven by large mining projects. We have had several inducement calls over the years and to support this continued customer demand we now establish a fixed port call," said Rob Lord, head of region Oceania.
Australia has an impressive number of mining projects being planned, with numerous projects approved each month. In 2010, Australia attracted 12 per cent of global mining exploration budgets.
The enhanced ocean service reflects WWL's ongoing desire to meet customer needs. It's part of a long history for the company: WWL ships first called at the port of Sydney in 1895, and have been sailing there ever since. In addition to Adelaide, the company has regular calls to Brisbane, Port Kembla, Melbourne and Fremantle in Australia as well as to Auckland in New Zealand.
Source Shipping Gazette - Daily Shipping News
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