AUSTRALIAN flag carrier Qantas has announced that it will conduct a feasibility study, starting from May, into the potential for an Australian sustainable aviation fuel industry, backed by government funding.

The announcement comes as the carrier embarked on the nation's first flight powered by sustainable aviation fuel from Sydney to Adelaide using a fuel type derived from recycled cooking oil.

Supplied by SkyNRG, the fuel type is a 50:50 blend of biofuel and conventional jet fuel certified for use in commercial aviation. Its life cycle carbon footprint is around 60 per cent smaller than that of conventional jet fuel, a statement from the carrier said.

Qantas CEO Alan Joyce said the project would explore the conditions needed for the production of aviation biofuel from sustainable sources within Australia.

"Today is a historic occasion in Australian aviation," Mr Joyce said. "Alternatives to conventional jet fuel are vital to the aviation industry meeting ambitious targets for carbon-neutral growth and emissions reduction.

"Australia has the skills, resources and infrastructure to take a lead in this emerging sector, which the CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation) has estimated could generate up to 12,000 jobs over the next 20 years. But there are also significant challenges, which is why we need to establish a clear plan.

"Until sustainable aviation fuel is produced commercially at a price competitive with conventional jet fuel, we will not be able to realise its true benefits. This study aims to tell us how that can be achieved in Australia," said Mr Joyce.

On April 19, the group's subsidiary airline Jetstar will power flights JQ705 and JQ706 from Melbourne to Hobart and back with the same fuel type used in the Qantas flights, which the group said underlines its commitment to sustainable aviation fuel.

Government funding for the study will be allocated under the Emerging Renewables Programme, while Shell will provide technical support.

Shipping Gazette - Daily Shipping News

THAI Airways International has appointed Air India SATS Airport Services (AISATS) to provide ground handling for its freighters at Hyderabad International Airport.

Effective from April 12, AISATS will manage the entire ramp operations for the airline's freighter aircraft at Hyderabad, reports India's Economic Times.

Thai Airways first Boeing 747-400, retrofitted as 100-tonne capacity long-haul freighter, now serving Taipei, Tokyo, Hyderabad, Chennai, Delhi, Frankfurt, Amsterdam, Sydney and Bangkok.

"We are proud that they have selected AISATS as their partner for ground handling at the Hyderabad. We look forward to partnering with Thai Air as an extension to our successful partnership for the handling of their passenger flights," said AISATS chief executive Willy Ko.

AISATS is a joint venture between Air India and SATS of Singapore. It began offering ground-handling services at Hyderabad in March 2008, serving Air India and other international airlines. With a staff of 900, the joint venture has in the past year handled over 9,000 flights out of Hyderabad.

Shipping Gazette - Daily Shipping News

THE Woodland Group has become the first UK freight forwarder to purchase and install a Westminster dual view cargo and pallet X-ray scanner, a state-of-the-art machine more commonly seen in the United States.

The company's first WG IS1517 cargo and pallet X-ray scanner is already operational at Woodland's air cargo centre at Heathrow airport. The company said it's so impressed with the unit that it is now considering a second machine for the group's warehouse in New York.

"We believe that logistics providers will come under increasing pressure to ensure cargo is scanned from multiple angles and so we are delighted to be leading the way with the latest technology," said Andy Dennis, Woodland's head of air.

"This purchase represents a substantial investment and highlights the importance that Woodland place on securing the global supply chain."

The WG IS1517, which is 7.9 metres in length and stands 2.9 metres high, is used to inspect cargo, pallets and large parcels and can accommodate a maximum load of 2,000 kilogrammes.

Peter Fowler, the chief executive officer of Westminster Group PLC, which supplied the machine, said: "Woodland is the first UK freight forwarder to install Westminster's high performance, dual-view scanners which will not only increase efficiency but also give piece of mind that cargo has been properly screened."

Shipping Gazette - Daily Shipping News


Softlink’s Logi-Sys Enables Delight Logistics’ to Augment its Operational Capability and Service-Level for More Efficient, Cost-Effective Customer Service

Softlink today announced that a leading logistics company, Delight Logistics Pvt. Ltd. is using its enterprise logistics management software Logi-Sys to augment its operational capabilities and service level. Delight logistics deployed the integrated software to improve the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of its logistics operations and enhance service levels

Delight is a leading Logistics company that employs innovative processes & methods with emphasis on excellence and professionalism. The company possesses expertise in Forwarding and Custom Clearing Services, Multi modal transportation & distribution, and Warehousing. Delight is dedicated to making logistics easier for its customers, and as such has placed an emphasis on prioritizing service delivery and the customer experience. Delight started using Logi-Sys since December 2011.


Mr. Vijayan Nambiar, Director, Delight Logistics Pvt. Ltd. says, “Logi-Sys has enabled us to fulfill our commitment to provide the highest standards of customer service and optimized performance across our operations. The advanced monitoring tools, in-built alerts and notifications system of Logi-Sys has enabled us to manage our business efficiently and adhere to timelines at all times.


“Logi-Sys is well-suited for helping logistics companies like ours improve performance and efficiency in a challenging market and I am confident that it will help us in achieving our goals. Using Logi-Sys we are benefiting from its advanced features superb reporting systems that helps us execute our operational strategy, and further advance our business plans” Says Mr. Rajendran, Director, Delight Logistics Pvt. Ltd.
“This implementation of a Logi-Sys from Softlink is part of our initiative to create the highest level of operational efficiency and customer service,” said Mr. Rakesh Pillai, Director, Delight Logistics Pvt. Ltd. “We are very much convinced that the use of such advanced technology will enable greater capabilities to achieve accelerated business growth.”


Logi-Sys helps logistics companies integrate, automate and simplify their freight forwarding, clearing, transportation and warehouse activities providing visibility into operation’s processes. The organization implemented the solution in November and now plans to leverage its strategic planning, performance management, and process. The customized system for electronic data interchange with customers, developed by Softlink, will help Delight to cut delays and ensure faster deliveries. Managers can use Logi-Sys’s advanced functionality to observe patterns in workflow and process, manage adherence to schedules, and identify and rectify activities that adversely impact service levels and handle times.

“We’re pleased to extend our relationship with an existing customer by providing our specialized solution for their logistics service,” says Amit Maheshwari, CEO, Softlink. “Logi-Sys offers valuable features that make logistics processes more streamlined and economical, while also helping the organization maintain its high standards of customer service.”

Source Softlink Global


Finnair and TAP Portugal announced today the companies will start code-share cooperation on flights between Portugal and Finland. Cooperation begins on April 20, 2012, and customers can immediately make reservations on these new flights.  

With this code-share agreement, Finnair’s code will be added to TAP’s direct flights between Lisbon and Helsinki. This is an attractive additional destination for Finnair customers, including customers flying to Europe via Helsinki from Finnair’s eleven Asian destinations.   

Additionally, new connection opportunities between Helsinki and Lisbon will be made available through new combined code-share services over intermediate points in Europe, such as Brussels, Amsterdam, Geneva and Zurich, with TAP code added to the flights between Helsinki and these cities, and Finnair code added to the flights to and from Lisbon.    

The new code-share services will bring further convenience to customers of both airlines by giving access to a wider flight selection range, one-ticket itineraries, consecutive boarding pass issuance and baggage through check-in.   

TAP started direct operations between Lisbon and Helsinki on June 2010.      

Source Finnair Plc

Riga. airBaltic Training has joined European Business Aviation Association (EBAA), an organization that represents interests of its members specializing in air transport tailored to the specific needs of company executives, government officials and individuals.

Vilmantas Mažonas, Deputy Director of airBaltic Training: “Last year, airBaltic Training introduced a new training programme for business aviation pilots. Building on the experience in training aviation personnel, airBaltic Training expanded into a new area. Becoming a member in EBAA, we can strengthen our ties with business aviation professionals and achieve better representation of our interests in this particular segment of the industry.“

Last year alone airBaltic Training qualified approximately 3000 professionals – more than 1500 pilots, almost 1000 cabin crew members and several hundred of ground handlers, cargo agents, security personnel and others. They represented almost 30 countries including Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Spain, Italy, Finland, Estonia, Germany, Belgium, England, Ireland, Iceland, France, Lithuania, Portugal, Netherlands and the CIS. airBaltic Training, subsidiary of Air Baltic Corporation, is offering a wide range of aviation training services in Riga, Latvia. The modern and purpose-built airBaltic Training facility is equipped with a B737 Full Flight Simulator, Multi Purpose Trainer, several door trainers, computerized and convenient classrooms. In February 2011 airBaltic Training became IATA Regional Training Center, the only one of its kind in the European Union.

Last year, the experience and training resources of airBaltic Training made it possible to create a unique programme for business aviation pilots, arranged in convenient training blocks. The package of training programs is unique as it introduces training blocks that allow business aviation pilots to take focused courses in one location.

airBaltic serves over 60 destinations from its home base in Riga, Latvia. From every one of these, airBaltic offers convenient connections via North Hub Riga to its network spanning Europe, Scandinavia, Russia, CIS and the Middle East.

Source A/S Air Baltic Corporation

After 18 years on the Executive Board of Hamburg Süd, Joachim A Konrad, Deputy Chairman of the Executive Board, is to retire at the end of April 2012. The Advisory Board of Hamburg Süd has appointed Peter Frederiksen and Frank Smet to succeed him. They will be joining the Executive Board with effect from 1 May 2012. The scale and importance of the duties performed by Joachim A Konrad in past years prompted the Advisory Board to split the scope of responsibilities in the future.

Joachim A Konrad’s career in shipping began in 1963 with a traineeship at Norddeutscher Lloyd. Following the amalgamation of Norddeutscher Lloyd and Hamburg-Amerikanische Packetfahrt-Actien-Gesellschaft in 1970 to form Hapag-Lloyd, he held numerous managerial positions there – lastly as Regional Director Asia and Regional Director Latin America. In 1994 he made the move to the Executive Board of Hamburg Süd. Responsible for worldwide Trade Management and for Marketing & Sales, Joachim A Konrad made a substantial contribution to boosting Hamburg Süd’s shipment volume from some 235,000 TEU in 1994 to roughly 3.2 million TEU in 2011. At the same time, he played a considerable part in building up an extensive network of services in Hamburg Süd’s core trades.

Peter Frederiksen has been Commercial Manager of Region Europe for Hamburg Süd since 2008. Prior to this he held leading positions in liner shipping at A.P. Moller Maersk for more than 25 years – amongst others in Asia and the USA. As Group Senior Vice President he was latterly responsible there for developing and supervising the global network. As a member of the Executive Board of Hamburg Süd, he will take charge of Sales & Marketing, Customer Order Management and Region Europe beginning in May 2012.

Frank Smet moved to Hamburg Süd in October 1993 after working for over 16 years in leading positions for the Belgian shipping line Compagnie Maritime Belge (CMB) in South America. He was initially Commercial Manager Region South America West Coast and Region Australia/New Zealand. In the same function from 2004 he was instrumental in establishing the Hamburg Süd liner services and organisation in Asia. Since March 2008 he has successfully built up the new Line Management division in Hamburg. As from May 2012, his duties will include overseeing Network Management, Logistics and Region Caribbean/Latin America West Coast.

Hamburg Süd

Latvian national airline airBaltic has concluded a cooperation agreement with AirFrance, including code-sharing of flights. AirFrance offers convenient connections via its Paris hub to and from destinations worldwide.

Martin Gauss, Chief Executive Officer of airBaltic: “As we reinforce links between Riga and other hubs, our customers benefit immediately from better connectivity with regions where direct flights are unavailable. A strong family of partner airlines with whom we code-share ensures smooth and seamless travel for airBaltic customers via these points. Current code-share partners include a number of world’s major airlines. We are very pleased to add AirFrance to this growing family, enabling us to offer excellent connections via the Paris hub to destinations worldwide.”

The partnership with AirFrance will enable airBaltic passengers to reach over 150 destinations worldwide. Furthermore, AirFrance passengers from any point in the world will have better access to Riga, Latvia.

airBaltic serves over 60 destinations from its home base in Riga, Latvia. From every one of these, airBaltic offers convenient connections via North Hub Riga to its network spanning Europe, Scandinavia, Russia, CIS and the Middle East.

A/S Air Baltic Corporation

Sweden’s Minister for Trade, Ewa Björling and ministers of the Kurdistan Regional Government today inaugurated the Swedish Transport Academy in Erbil, northern Iraq. The training is targeted at young unemployed Iraqis with a secondary school background and offers occupational skills demanded in the transport sector. The establishment of the school is the result of close cooperation between Scania, the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), the United Nations, EF Education First and the Kurdish Regional Government’s Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs.

The Swedish Transport Academy opened in early April, when almost one hundred young Iraqis commenced their training in three different courses – information technology (IT), English and basic mechanics. Later this year, the Academy plans to expand its activities to include courses in advanced mechanics, driver training and also in sales and marketing.

“The school will serve as an important base for recruitment of the employees needed for the continued expansion of our service and sales units in the country,” says Gustaf Sundell, who is Scania’s Country Manager forIraq.

The establishment of theSwedishTransportAcademywas made possible through financial assistance from Sida, which is investing SEK 20 million over a four-year period. The operations are supervised by the UN’s development organisation UNIDO together with the Kurdish Regional Government’s Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, which is also providing premises and paying part of the personnel costs. Scania is contributing certified teachers and equipment for the training of service technicians, while EF Education First will be providing free access to their online English language school.

“Sida’s task is to help reduce poverty in our partner countries. Creating jobs and sought-after skills is tremendously important for stability and growth in conflict-stricken countries. It is gratifying that we have found a way for Swedish development assistance and companies to collaborate where we have common interests – it will offer so much more development for money,” says Henrik Riby, Coordinator, Business for Development at Sida.

“This investment in training is a good model for cooperation between business and the public sector which should be interesting for more Swedish companies. Scania is already conducting discussions with Sida and UNIDO about the prospect of similar cooperation in other developing countries,” concludes Gustaf Sundell.

Scania

The Shah Deniz consortium has reached an important milestone and approved the decision to commence Front End Engineering and Design (FEED) on the estimated $25 billion Shah Deniz Stage 2 project.

This was officially announced in Baku today during the meeting between the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan H.E. Ilham Aliyev and Bob Dudley, Group Chief Executive of BP, the Operator of Shah Deniz, who is on a working visit to Azerbaijan.

The Shah Deniz Stage 2 project will bring gas from the Caspian Sea to markets in Turkey and Europe, opening up the 'Southern Gas Corridor'. Achieving this important milestone allows the consortium to maintain its target for first gas exports around the end of 2017.

The Shah Deniz 2 project is set to produce 16 billion cubic metres of gas per year. The entry into FEED represents the start of a key phase in the project during which engineering studies will be refined, further wells will be drilled, commercial agreements will be finalised and key construction contracts will commence.

During the FEED phase of the project, the Shah Deniz consortium will finalise its selection of export routes across Turkey and into Europe.

Rashid Javanshir, President of the Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey Region of BP, said: ''We are pleased to announce this major step forward. Over the past two years we have made substantial progress on all the individual components of this mega-project. Engineering studies, commercial agreements and the support of the State of Azerbaijan and other governments give the Shah Deniz consortium the confidence to embark upon this FEED phase.''

''With over 30 trillion cubic feet of gas resources, Shah Deniz is truly a giant field. And with more than 26 wells, two new platforms, a terminal expansion and up to 4000km of new pipelines to Europe, this chain of major projects represent one of the largest oil and gas developments in the world,' he added.

Shah Deniz Stage 2 is expected to add a further 16 billion cubic meters per year (bcma) of gas production to the approximately 9 bcma from Shah Deniz Stage 1.

This Stage 2 development of the Shah Deniz field, which lies some 70 kilometres offshore in the Caspian, is expected to include two new bridge-linked production platforms; 26 subsea wells to be drilled with 2 semi-submersible rigs; 500 km of subsea pipelines built at up to 550m of water depth; a 16 bcma upgrade for the South Caucasus Pipeline (SCP); and expansion of the Sangachal Terminal. Further pipelines will be built and expanded to transport Shah Deniz gas through Turkey and Europe.

Gas sales and transit agreements were signed in October 2011 with BOTAS, the Turkish pipeline company, and the Turkish Government, - all within an Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA) signed by the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Republic of Turkey. Since that date, agreements have been signed to allow the Trans Anatolia Pipeline to commence engineering studies for potential gas transportation across Turkey. Three options are being considered to carry gas into Europe: the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) with a route to Italy; Nabucco West taking gas from Turkish-European border through Eastern Europe to the West and the South East Europe Pipeline (SEEP) taking gas through Hungary, Bulgaria and Romania. The Shah Deniz consortium will make a final route selection in 2013.

BP


With four weeks to go, more than 170 participants have already registered for this year’s ESPO conference. The programme has now been completed with a closing roundtable discussion on port privatisation. This has again become a topical issue in Europe as the economic crisis is pushing some countries to sell off ports and other vital infrastructures. The question is whether this a trend that is here to stay and whether full privatisation would be in the interest of port communities and the trade that they serve?

Based on the experience of past and ongoing privatisation cases in the United Kingdom and Greece, a panel of experts representing port authorities, trade unions and terminal operators will discuss the costs and benefits of port privatisation:


Moderator:

Prof Dr Theo Notteboom, Institute of Transport and Maritime Management Antwerp (ITMMA)

Theo Notteboom is President of ITMMA (an institute of the University of Antwerp), Professor at the University of Antwerp, part-time Professor at the Antwerp Maritime Academy, Visiting Professor at Dalian Maritime University in China and World Maritime University in Sweden and formerly holder of the MPA Visiting Professorship in port management at the Nanyang Technological University in Singapore. He is also President of International Association of Maritime Economists (IAME), Co-Director of the PortEconomics.eu initiative and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Belgian Institute of Transport Organisers (BITO), an institute of the Belgian Federal Government. Since 2010, Theo Notteboom has been involved in the ESPO PPRISM project on port performance, representing the University of Antwerp (ITMMA) as one of the 5 academic partners.

Case studies:

David Whitehead OBE, Director, British Ports Association

David Whitehead is the Director of the British Ports Association. He joined the ports industry in 1990 and is a founder member of ESPO. He was elected Chairman of ESPO on two occasions, holding office from 2001 till 2004 and was the first Chairman of the ESPO Sustainable Development Committee. Currently he is a member of the Greenwich Forum and of the Industrial Advisory Panel to the Marine Geography Department, Cardiff University.  In 2011, he was awarded an OBE in the New Year’s Honours List for services to the ports industry.


Dr Thanos Pallis, Secretary General Ports and Ports Policy, Greece

Dr Thanos Pallis is General Secretary for Ports & Port Policy at the Ministry of Development, Competitiveness & Shipping, Greece. He is currently responsible for the extensive port privatisation programme, involving both major and small ports, that Greece has embarked upon since 2011 as part of the country's economic adjustment programme. Prior to this, Thanos Pallis had completed a study for UNCTAD on how to utilise FDIs to advance port competitiveness. Thanos Pallis holds the Jean Monnet Chair in European Port Policy at the University of the Aegean, co-directs the PortEconomics web-initiative and is the author of several port studies, including the book "European Port Policy" (2002).

Panel:


Molly Campbell, Deputy Executive Director, Port of Los Angeles

Molly Campbell is Deputy Executive Director of the Finance and Administration Group for the Port of Los Angeles. Appointed in January 2007, she directly oversees the port’s accounting, audit, contracts and purchasing, debt management, financial management, human resources, information systems and risk management divisions. Molly Campbell is responsible for the development and implementation of the Port’s short- and long-range financial plans including the identification of capital development financial needs, revenue and tariff considerations, financial performance and analysis, and debt requirements. She also oversees the port’s information systems needs including network infrastructure and mainframe computer operations. In addition, Molly Campbell is responsible for the port’s administrative functions including recruiting, hiring, labour practices and contracts administration.


Victor Schoenmakers, Director European and International Affairs, Port of Rotterdam

Besides his function as Chairman of ESPO, Victor André Schoenmakers holds the position of Director of European and International Affairs at the Rotterdam Port Authority. He is responsible for the strategic political design and the positioning of the Port Authority in the 27 Member States of the European Union. At European level, he represents the port for the whole policy spectrum (competition, infrastructure, environment, energy etc.) and seeks coalitions for business development in the field of hinterland hubs and trans-European freight corridors. In this function he makes a strong case for strategic cooperation with the major ports in the North West European Range, the Atlantic, Baltic and Mediterranean.


Peter Shaw, European Coordinator, International Dockers Council

Peter Shaw is  a dockworker in the port of Helsingborg. He has been active in the Swedish Dockworkers Union since its formation in 1972 and has been a local Chairman and National Executive from 1980 till 2008. Currently he is responsible for European Port Policy at the International Dockers Council (IDC), a position he has been holding since 2000. He is very much involved in the problems relating to privatisation of ports in European countries, France, Portugal and, especially, Greece. Peter Shaw is also an expert in topics related to the Swedish transitions from public port authorities/private stevedores to municipally-owned port and stevedoring companies during the 1980s and the more recent, shift to landlord models in Gothenburg, Stockholm and other countries.


Jean Jacques Moyson, Chief Commercial Officer, DCT Gdansk S.A.

Jean Jacques Moyson is Chief Commercial Officer at Deepwater Container Terminal Gdańsk (DCT Gdansk S.A.), Poland’s newest and most modern container and Ro-Ro terminal facility. Jean Jacques Moyson has been active in the maritime industry for more than 30 years. Upon earning a degree in Applied Economics, he began his career at Noord Natie Stevedoring in Antwerp where he worked during 25 years and was occupying the position of Commercial Director. Following the fusion between Noord Natie and Hesse Natie and purchase by PSA International, Jean Jacques Moyson became in 2002 Director of Sales and Marketing of PSA HNN in Antwerp / Zeebrugge. From October 2009 until the end of 2011 he was a Consultant / Senior Maritime Expert for APEC (Antwerp / Flanders Port Training Centre). In this position he gave tailor made maritime sessions in Antwerp and abroad. In January this year he became Chief Commercial Officer of DCT Gdansk.


The ESPO 2012 Conference will be held on 10 and 11 May in Sopot, Poland and is hosted by the ports of Gdansk and Gdynia. The overall theme is ‘Port Financing and Investment’. The full programme and all practical information are available from the conference website, through which registrations can be made. Hotel bookings should be made urgently as capacity at the main hotels is becoming scarce.



At noon on April 17 in the port of Odessa within the cruise "Black Sea Panorama" passenger ship of the luxury class MINERVA (length of 135 m, flag of Bahamas) was moored. 350 tourists from European countries departed from Istanbul on 12 of April and next will visit Kerch, Yalta, Sevastopol. The cruise members will get acqainted South Palmyra only during one day - on 18th m/v MINERVA will head for Constantza. During the day, passengers will be able to visit not only the bus sightseeing tours in Odessa, but also to participate in historical tours. The historical focus - the main feature of the cruise company Swan Hellenic. The liner built in 1996 with a symbolic image of a white swan (the name of the company founders - brothers Swan) visited the port of Odessa several times, even during the hasty renaming associated with the change of operating companies cruises in 2003-2007 . Another distinctive feature of the ship MINERVA - its ship's hull. Built by Nikolayev shipyard "Okean" for the Soviet research vessel, which after the dissolution of the Union has not been claimed. The ship was completed as a cruise ship in the shipyards of Mariotti, and in June 1996 in London, it was christed Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Gloucester.


Odessa Commercial Sea Port

HONG KONG's Orient Overseas Container Line (OOCL) has announced that sea freight rates for containers from Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Philippines, the Indian subcontinent and the Mideast to Australia will be increased US$500 per TEU.

The move, which is to "maintain a viable service level and a comprehensive liner network" will go into effect May 1.

Said OOCL: "Ocean freight rates continue to be below the required level to cover basic operating costs or transportation costs in our southeast Asia-Australia services. Considering that current levels are unsustainable for the long term, we are announcing a rate restoration programme to restore freight rates to a more sustainable level."

Shipping Gazette - Daily Shipping News

FIGURES from the Hong Kong Marine Department show the port handled 1.97 million TEU in March, an increase of 7.1 per cent over the 1.8 million TEU in March of last year.

Singapore's Maritime and Port Authority reported a 5.8 per cent increase in container movement in March, having handled 2.65 million TEU compared to 2.5 million TEU in March of last year.

Shipping Gazette - Daily Shipping News

SWISS forwarding giant Kuehne + Nagel has posted a 12.2 per cent year-on-year increase in net profit in 2011, achieving a record high of CHF606 million (US$660 million) despite a 3.3 per cent decline in revenue to CHF19.9 billion.

In sea freight, the company achieved 11 per cent growth over the year, with the number of container units hitting three million for the first time, said the annual report.

In air freight, Kuehne + Nagel recorded an increase of 13 per cent in tonnage year on year. "The outstanding performance is based on the targeted expansion - accelerated by acquisitions - of perishables logistics activities and the successful provision of industry-specific air freight solutions," said the annual report.

Also, groupage activities were boosted by the acquisition of RH Freight, leading to a 10 per cent market volume growth, which was attributable to a growth in the full and part load and industry-specific distribution segments.

"Improvements in efficiency are expected from the further increase in the density of the overland network in 2012, the start-up of the Eurohub in Bad Hersfeld and the further standardisation of IT systems," said the chairman Reinhard Lange in the annual report.

Mr Lange said Europe performed well despite the debt crisis. "Germany recorded an outstanding development of turnover and earnings. The results of the national companies in Italy, Spain and Portugal were satisfactory."

In North America, Kuehne + Nagel restructured its contract logistics business unit, which led to better results, and its international forwarding business continued to expand despite the slowdown of economy.

In South America, the group's investments and expansion, such as in Brazil and Colombia, contributed "over-proportionally from the region's dynamic economic development and achieved a substantial improvement in volume and earnings in relation to the preceding year."

Middle East business was adversely affected by civil strife, but the group was able to maintain 2010 business levels.

In 2012 the Kuehne + Nagel Group plans to invest CHF155 million in Europe, CHF22 million in the Americas, CHF22 million in Asia Pacific and CHF19 million in the Mideast, Central Asia and Africa.

Shipping Gazette - Daily Shipping News
 

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The magazine JŪRA has been published since 1935.
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