THE UK's Barloworld Handling has announced its ports and terminal specialists are willing to offer free advice and site surveys to companies wishing to lower handling costs and/or bolster their operations ahead of the expected growth in traffic volumes.

The free advice and site surveys will be conducted through the use of the company's materials mapping and 3D simulation software. This enables the operator/facility to test various operating scenarios and equipment choice before committing to a particular investment.

The company said the expected increase in rail freight volumes will prompt the requirement to improve rail/yard operations, reports London's Containerisation International.

Ports and terminals sales manager Mike Parkin said: "The UK's Department of Transport says rail freight has expanded by 60 per cent over the past decade and is expected to grow by a further 30 per cent by 2019."

According to the company official, "ports and freight terminal operators are highly motivated to review options that lead to improved efficiency and carbon reductions".

Source Shipping Gazette - Daily Shipping News

 

FEDEX Express is preparing to deploy an unspecified number of electric Newton Step Vans for use in select markets over the course of the year.

Neither the logistics firm nor the manufacturer would say how many vans will be deployed this year. The electric step vans, which are standard shape walk-in vehicle in which one can stand up, are able run up to 100 miles on a single charge.

It said the Newton Step Van features Smith Electric Vehicle's proprietary battery-based technology and a walk-in body manufactured by Indiana-based truck-body maker Utilimaster.

The Newton Step Van can be specified for gross vehicle weights of between 14,000 and 26,000 pounds. The report added that the electric step vans have been deployed and tested as an urban pickup and delivery vehicle by several companies already, including Coca-Cola, Duane Reed and New Deal Logistics.

Source Shipping Gazette - Daily Shipping News


CATHAY Pacific Airways has announced the combined cargo throughput of Cathay Pacific and Dragonair in February was up 0.8 per cent to 117,800 tonnes year on year.

But the cargo and mail load factor was down by 1.8 percentage points to 65.8 peer cent. Capacity in available cargo/mail tonne kilometres rose 4.7 per cent, while cargo and mail tonne kilometres flown increased two per cent. For the year to date, tonnage has declined 10.4 per cent while capacity has shrunk 1.6 per cent.

Cathay Pacific general manager cargo sales & marketing James Woodrow said: "On the surface the February cargo figures look reasonably okay, but comparisons with 2011 are distorted because of the Chinese New Year effect. Our key markets remained soft, with weak demand to Europe in particular out of Hong Kong and Shanghai. We continued to manage capacity in line with demand, which helped to keep load factors reasonably stable. At the end of February, demand out of Hong Kong and mainland China did improve due to large project shipments."

Source Shipping Gazette - Daily Shipping News

SINGAPORE's big aviation engineering company is playing a central role in helping Airbus reduce Boeing's air freight dominance by converting redundant A330 passenger aircraft into cargo carriers to compete with converted versions of Boeing 767s, reports Bloomberg.

According to the agreement with Singapore Technologies, the Asian company's ST Aero unit will develop the model with Dresden-based Airbus Group unit EFW, that already does Airbus conversions. Conversion work will be split between the two, with most work done in Germany.

The EFW facility already does A300s and A310s, which are up to 40 years old and expensive to fly though they are about the same size as the A330s. "The converted planes offer fuel-efficiency at a relatively low price.

While Airbus SAS (EAD) dominates the civil aviation sales worldwide, Boeing has 90 per cent of the dedicated freighter market. Airbus had no model to match Boeing's products and would face prohibitive costs to produce one.

"This makes good sense," said Oddo Securities analyst Yan Derocles in Paris. "Given the size of its order backlog, Airbus is in no position to do something like this on its own, so partnering with Singapore Technologies avoids cannibalising its own resources. Plus a freighter conversion extends the life of the A330 passenger model and protects residual values."

Airbus estimates a demand for 2,731 cargo jets through 2030, according to the company's first ever market forecast solely for that sector, published last month.

Airbus CEO Tom Enders said the converted aircraft - known as the A330P2F (passenger to freight) - won't affect sales of the purpose built A330 cargo aircraft as they appeal to different markets.

Purpose-built freighters are mostly deployed by carriers with high-intensity cargo operations and minimal downtime, said Andreas Hermann, who heads the Toulouse-based company's freighter unit, whereas converted aircraft are preferred by airlines that have lower utilisation and are not willing to pay high prices for new planes.

The Airbus plan was influenced by Qatar Air CEO Akbar Al Baker's announcement last year that he planned to switch a batch of the planes to cargo use by 2016 and would buy converted 767s if the Airbus could not do the work.

Qatar Air, which has expanded its cargo business after buying a 35 per cent of Cargolux, Europe's biggest air freight carrier, now wants to convert twenty A330s. The carrier is also looking at converting 777-200ERs.

"We will not buy new freighters," said a Qatar executive. "The cost of ownership is so high that there's no way we'd make money."

But Emirates thinks conversions are over-rated. Ram Menen, the Dubai-based carrier's cargo chief, is adding nine new 777 through 2014 to double its freighter fleet and will consider placing an order for 747-8Fs once traffic picks up.

"I'm not keen on those converted airplanes, especially when you have oil prices where they are right now," he said. "They tend to be a bit more inefficient because they tend to be heavier, and their payload capabilities are a bit challenged."

Source Shipping Gazette - Daily Shipping News

AMERICA's biggest plane maker Boeing expects to win 200 orders for the company's 737 MAX aircraft in China this year, reports Bloomberg.

"We're out talking to every single airline in China about the 737 MAX," said Jim Albaugh, the company's commercial aircraft chief, adding that he also plans to sell "quite a number" of 747-8s.

Boeing must compete for orders with the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China's (Comac) C919 aircraft, which has won 225 orders. Single-aisle planes like the C919 and 737 MAX are expected to account for 71 per cent of the 5,000 new planes flown by Chinese airlines by 2030, according to Boeing.

Mr Albaugh said that Comac will be "a tough competitor" in coming years, but despite this, Boeing plans to set up a jointly-funded research centre with the Chinese company in Beijing to develop fuel-efficient technologies.

Boeing forecasts the new 737 MAX to play a big role in taking half of a US$2 trillion market in the next 20 years and fend off a challenge from Toulouse-based Airbus. Boeing has been helped in this by Beijing's refusal to pay Europe's new carbon tax on aircraft emissions, and its recent instructions to domestic carriers to minimise Airbus business.

"Comac is going to sell into their domestic market and they'll probably also sell some of their planes around the world," he said. "In the years to come, they're going to be a tough competitor."

The C919 and 737 MAX compete in the single-aisle segment that dominates global airline fleets. The market will probably account for 71 per cent of the 5,000 new planes that Chinese carriers will order through 2030, according to forecasts from Chicago-based Boeing.

In the wide-body segment, Boeing anticipates "several dozen" 777 orders in China this year, and deals for both 747-8 passenger and freighter jumbo jets, Mr Albaugh said. Hainan Airlines, backed by the government of Hainan province, may swap 787 orders for 747-8s, said Chen Feng, chairman of its Hainan Airlines, parent company, Grand China Air.

China Eastern Airlines, the country's second-biggest carrier by passengers, swapped 24 orders for 787 Dreamliners last year in favour of smaller 737s because of delivery delays and a slowdown in demand for long-haul international travel.

Source Shipping Gazette - Daily Shipping News

THE wholly-owned subsidiary of the Lufthansa Group, Lufthansa Systems, announced that its Electronic Logistics & Warehouse Information System (ELWIS), with its new interface that supports the entry summary declarations required under ICS (Import Control System) regulations, will help simplify the work of cargo handlers.

The new European ICS stipulates that when goods are first brought into the European Union, an electronic entry summary declaration must be submitted to the respective national customs office of first entry prior to the arrival of the cargo.

The company explained that through its integrated ICS interface, ELWIS enables handling agents to communicate with the connected customs authorities, generate entry summary declarations and receive the movement reference numbers (MRN) allocated by the customs authorities for the safekeeping of the cargo.

ELWIS covers the entire cargo handling workflow - from physical handling, documentation and generation of air cargo documents, to recipient notification, customs clearance and billing. For physical handling in the warehouse, ELWIS offers a special module for mobile data recording which quickly and efficiently scans, records and links items of cargo and storage areas, helping to integrate all elements of the transport chain in a single process.

Source Shipping Gazette - Daily Shipping News

XINING Airport, in north western Qinghai province, recorded a cargo throughput of 820.1 tonnes in February, an upswing of 81.6 per cent compared to 481.7 tonnes in the same month in 2011.

Outbound cargo amounted to 203.7 tonnes, soaring 93.45 per cent over the 105.3 tonnes in the same month last year.

Xinhua's report said that the satisfactory performance of Xining airport in February, which is traditionally a slack season for Qinghai's air cargo market, will lay solid foundation for the airport's materialisation of its yearly target.

Source Shipping Gazette - Daily Shipping News
    
Marlink, the world’s largest maritime VSAT service provider recently acquired by Astrium, has announced an agreement with Telenor Satellite Broadcasting (TSBc), a major satellite provider of broadcast and data services throughout Europe and the Middle East, to renew and increase Marlink’s capacity for the next three years. Utilising TSBc’s IS 10-02 high powered satellite capacity, located at the prime orbital location, 1°West, Marlink is able to meet the future requirements of its many maritime customers in the busy oceanic areas of the Nordic, European and Middle Eastern regions.

TSBc’s capacity on Intelsat 10-02 provides unsurpassed coverage above 60° North offering high throughput for Offshore, Transportation and Ferry customers of Marlink, one of few providers offering reliable services in this far Northern region. The contract confirms Marlink’s commitment to providing its customers with robust Ku-band coverage in these key areas of business. The agreement provides significant Ku-band capacity on Spot 2 of the satellite and almost 200 MHz Ku-band on Spot 1.

In a further move to create a flexible growth path, the agreement with TSB cconfirms an option for Marlink to use the Ka-band payload of the new THOR 7 satellite which will be operational in early 2014. This will provide additional capacity to support the increased demand anticipated from maritime customers in the coming years.

Tore Morten Olsen, CEO of Marlink commented, “We have enjoyed a long standing relationship with Telenor Satellite Broadcasting which has helped us to develop a reliable and trustworthy VSAT service for our customers in these essential regions. Coverage extends from the busy sea lanes North of Norway to Northern Africa and the Middle East. Our customers can therefore continue to rely on us to provide exceptional service and continuity. When the new THOR satellite comes online, Marlink will now be one of the first to utilize this new frequency band.”

“We are delighted that Marlink are confident in the high quality satellites services that Telenor Satellite Broadcasting provides by renewing and increasing their long term agreement“ said Cato Halsaa, Vice President and CEO of Telenor Satellite Broadcasting. “With the launch of THOR 7, we are particularly pleased to be able to offer Marlink a future growth path at 1° West, providing additional capacity to support increased communication services.”

Source Marlink

VR is celebrating its 150th anniversary this year. The celebrations reach a high point this week, for 17 March 1862 was the date when regular rail services began between Helsinki and Hämeenlinna.

“We look back with pride at our long, splendid history, during which the railways have played a key role in the development of Finnish society,” states President and CEO Mikael Aro. “At the same time we look to the future with confidence, for we intend to transport passengers and freight for at least another 150 years.”

“We are working continuously at self-renewal, for the world around us is changing,” says Mr Aro. “Together with personnel and customers we are building VR Group into a modern, international service company, for which the most important goals are improving service, open dialogue and satisfied customers.”

Events in the week

Preparations for the celebrations are being made at railway stations. At VR’s stations with service over the next few weeks the public can not only see the flags flying but also enjoy complimentary birthday cake with coffee. The anniversary has brought stations a new look, and VR is making special offers for rail travel throughout the year.

An anniversary exhibition of photographs is opening to the public at Helsinki Central Station on 15 March. The exhibition includes photographs of VR’s rolling stock, the different railway professions and stations. Old posters advertising the railways will also be on display and a miniature railway built in the station ticket hall. The exhibition will be open until September.

A smaller exhibition of photographs put together by Reilia, the railway culture centre, will travel round different stations during the year.

VR will be on television on 25 March, when a documentary film telling the history of VR will be shown on the MTV3 channel.

Jubilee year got underway in January

VR’s anniversary year began in January with the publication of Getting there together - 150 years of VR, which tells the history of the railways in Finland. The book was published by WSOY and written by Professor Seppo Zetterberg. In honour of the anniversary, in February personnel received new uniforms, and at the beginning of March VR anniversary postage stamps were issued.

VR refurbished a heritage train for the anniversary year, which was named Valtteri. Valtteri has fully restored wooden-bodied carriages and a Dr13 diesel locomotive. Thanks to the automated protection device fitted on the train, it is able to travel on all sections of the rail network.

During the anniversary week Valtteri will travel on the oldest section of track in Finland between Helsinki and Hämeenlinna. The train can be admired at station events open to the public to be held in different parts of Finland during the summer.

Source VR Group

Competing retailer groups, Coop, Dansk Supermarked and SuperGros, together covering 97 per cent of the Danish market have united to achieve a common objective, to promote MSC certified sustainable seafood.

Building momentum in the seafood industry


SuperGros, COOP and Dansk Supermarked, Denmark’s largest retailer groups, have entered into partnership with the Danish Fishermen’s Producer Organization (DFPO) and the MSC [1]. The aims are to drive preference of MSC labelled seafood, increase the amount of MSC labelled seafood under own retailer brands as well as to encourage key fisheries to engage in the MSC programme.

”We welcome this partnership, and we are pleased that we have been able to work together as wide as in this case. In Dansk Supermarked we are confident that many people will be happy for this alternative. That is why we would like to offer a sustainable alternative to our customers”, Sören Bo Christensen, Dansk Supermarked.


Joining forces to boost the MSC ecolabel in-store


The retailers are also committed to help build consumer awareness of the MSC program through an in-store nationwide marketing campaign.


”We can see the business model of this joint cooperation in MSC labelled fish, and even better; it’s good for the environment! That’s primarily why we support the partnership. We are happily looking forward for the campaign to kick off”, Lars Frost, SuperGros.


A fast growing market


Denmark is the world’s fifth largest seafood exporter and one of the fastest growing MSC markets in terms of products. Several Danish fisheries were certified against the MSC environmental standard for sustainable fisheries during 2011 with key species such as cod, plaice and saithe. The number of MSC labelled products on the Danish market has surpassed 500, an increased by 75 per cent in 2011.

The Danish fishery sector has been one of the strongest supporters of the MSC programme to date. Denmark currently has 16 fisheries engaged in the programme and more than 100 Chain of custody certified companies supplying key MSC markets.


“The Danish Fishermen’s Producer Organisation is committed to bringing all its fisheries into the MSC programme and by now two-thirds of the Danish human consumption landings are certified ….. As the world’s fifth largest exporter of fish and seafood, the Danish fishing industry can drive sustainable fisheries in Europe and at the same time contribute to the local economy, employment and environment”, says Kurt Madsen, Chairman of the Danish Fishermen’s Producer Organisation.


A first for Denmark and the MSC


Nicolas Guichoux, Regional Director Europe, MSC says; “Retailers are uniquely positioned as seafood buyers: they can influence fishing practices and they also have a direct relationship with consumers. I am extremely pleased to see that Coop, Dansk Supermarked and SuperGros are using their relationship with consumers to communicate in-store and help support the MSC's mission. The scale of this campaign is unprecedented as it covers almost the entire food retail sector in Denmark, a world first.”


”In COOP we believe in this. We are confident that there will be a market for MSC labelled products. With this partnership we intend to offer a sustainable choice that over the next couple of years will grow in size and in the number of different products”, Mogens Werge, COOP Denmark.


Source MSC

LSG Sky Chefs, the world’s largest provider of in-flight services, and Finnair have signed a Memorandum of Understanding  on LSG Sky Chefs acquiring Finnair’s catering operations. The acquisition would comprise the entire share capital of Finnair Catering Ltd. and Finncatering Ltd. Finnair would continue to buy its flight catering services from Finnair Catering Ltd., which transfers under LSG Sky Chefs ownership. The acquisition is subject to the approval of Lufthansa Board and the competition authority of Finland and it is expected to be closed by the end of first half of 2012.

"LSG Sky Chefs is one of the leading players in the in-flight service industry. Its international product development, global operations and profound know-how of in-flight services are an excellent basis for producing high-quality in-flight service for Finnair customers. We have positive experiences with LSG Sky Chefs from other airports outside Finland and this is a natural continuation of our partnership", says Anssi Komulainen, Senior Vice President of Customer Service at Finnair.

“Together with other measures taken to improve efficiency in catering operations of our airline business, we expect this transaction to result in substantial permanent annual cost savings contributing to our overall savings targets.”

"LSG Sky Chefs is extremely pleased to be able to widen its operations to the strategically important Finnish market. Finnair’s catering operations are well run, the personnel is very professional and the production facilities are state-of-the art. Finnair is an important client for us and we are convinced that we can further develop the operations, thus producing additional value for Finnair and its passengers", states Jochen Müller, Executive Board Member Operations of LSG Sky Chefs.

In 2010, the catering business included in the Memorandum of Understanding had net sales of 80 million euro. Subject to the final agreement, approximately 650 employees of Finnair Catering Ltd and Finncatering Ltd will be employed by LSG Sky Chefs. The transaction does not include Finnair Travel Retail, which as of January 1, 2012 has been a part of Finnair’s other operations.

Developing its partnership network is a part of Finnair’s strategy and the planned structural changes of the company, which aim at cost savings and facilitating growth through quality improvements. Finnair had announced earlier that it was looking for a cooperation partner for its catering services.

LSG Sky Chefs is the world’s largest provider of in-flight services. These include catering, in-flight equipment and logistics, in-flight retail as well as the management of onboard service and related airport services. LSG Sky Chefs partners with more than 300 airlines worldwide and operates some 200 customer service centers in 50 countries, producing around 460 million airline meals a year. In 2010, the companies belonging to LSG Sky Chefs Group achieved consolidated revenues of € 2.2 billion. For further information also visit www.lsgskychefs.com

Source FINNAIR PLC

Achievement a Significant Positive Development for the Gulf Region

  • Three-thousand Louisiana blue crab commercial fishermen represented by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries and the Louisiana Seafood Promotion and Marketing Board have earned the right to tell buyers and consumers across the country that the Louisiana blue crab fishery is Marine Stewardship Council certified as a sustainable and well-managed fishery.  

The independent, third-party certification body, Scientific Certification Systems (SCS) assessed the Louisiana blue crab fishery against the MSC standard in a rigorous, open and transparent process that was scientifically peer reviewed and involved site visits to the fishery and outreach to stakeholder groups.  During assessment, SCS identified six improvement actions the fishery must perform during the five year period of certification that address harvest strategy, acquisition of additional data, bycatch and ecosystem impact and progress will be assessed during the annual surveillance audits required by the MSC program.

What the fishery says

Randy Pausina, LDWF Assistant Secretary says, “We are pleased to have worked so closely with members of the crab fishery and the LSPMB on this significant step forward for our industry.  I would like to express my appreciation to the biologists who work at LDWF now and those who have in the past, because without the excellent management techniques that our department has implemented over the years, this certification would not be possible.”

Ewell Smith, Executive Director of the Louisiana Seafood Promotion and Marketing Board says: “MSC certification is a major, positive development for thousands of Louisiana commercial blue crab fishermen, our processors and marketers and the entire Gulf Region. MSC certification brings a new source of pride and confidence in Louisiana Seafood and it will help us assure buyers and consumers across the United States that Louisiana Seafood is sustainable.”

What the MSC says

Kerry Coughlin, MSC Americas regional director, says: “Louisiana fishermen, families and communities have been working hard to rebuild their livelihoods after the oil spill and we are very proud that MSC certification will help in that process.  By voluntarily entering the Louisiana blue crab fishery into assessment when it did, the Louisiana Seafood Promotion and Marketing Board showed its commitment to sustainability and preserving the livelihoods of commercial blue crab fishing.”

The fishery is managed by the state of Louisiana through its Wildlife and Fisheries Commission by the Department of Wildlife & Fisheries, Division of Marine Fisheries in active consultation with industry via the Louisiana Blue Crab Task Force.

Louisiana blue crab is sold in the local and national domestic market and exported.

Source MSC

In spring 2012 Aarhus welcomes cruise visitors in new and spectacular surroundings. Port of Aarhus has moved the cruise quay closer to the centre of the city and has purchased an architect-designed tent for the reception area on the quay.

In future, the cruise vessels will go alongside a new quay only a few minutes’ walk from the centre of the city and close to the coming multimedia house, Mediaspace, and the wide open spaces at the mouth of the creek.

The new location will give the large number of cruise visitors who prefer to walk to the city a shorter and more comfortable walk. Previously the big vessels berthed in the northern part of the port from where it takes about 15 minutes along busy roads to walk to the centre of the city.

At the new reception area on the quay, covering 10,000 sq m, the visitors will be received under a beautiful and futuristic tent, originally designed to be a landmark for the Aarhus Festival. In future, the tent will be placed at the port area during the entire cruise season from April to October, and on every call the tent will create the framework for tourist information, booths offering handicrafts, folk dancing, music etc.

On the quay area 20 to 30 tour busses and a number of city bikes will be available, ready to transport the tourists to the many sights, shops and restaurants to be found in Aarhus and Eastern Jutland.

“Our former cruise facilities have served us well, but owing to the large number of building projects in the new port city area the location is no longer at its optimum. Now we have created a more dedicated cruise offer closer to the city where we will be able to take better care of the visitors and present a wide range of exciting events and sights in Aarhus and Eastern Jutland”, says Nicolai Kroyer, Chief Commercial Officer at Port of Aarhus.
Cruise Visitors Are Excited About Aarhus

Recent years’ building projects near the previous cruise facilities have, however, not spoiled the visitors’ experience of Aarhus. As many as 79 per cent of the cruise visitors are reported to say that their visit to Aarhus lives up to or even exceeds their expectations. In general, they feel very welcome in Aarhus and they are happy about the sights and shopping facilities available. This was the result of an investigation carried out by the British consultancy company G.P. Wild among 1,141 cruise passengers out of approx. 40,000 passengers who visited Aarhus in 2011.

Nicolai Kroyer expects that the new and improved cruise facilities will provide a more satisfactory experience to the cruise visitors and that Aarhus will be an even more attractive destination for cruises in Northern Europe.

20 cruise vessels have notified their call at the port of Aarhus in 2012, with an expected number of passengers of 45,000. Port of Aarhus aims at increasing the number of cruise passengers to 85,000 in 2015.

Source Port of Aarhus

RATINGS agency Standard & Poor's (S&P) has downgraded the world's third largest carrier CMA CGM's debt to B- from B+ due to worries about deteriorating liquidity.

The ratings were also put on Credit/Watch Negative. Standard & Poor also reduced its issue ratings on CMA CGM's debt to CCC from B-.

"We believe CMA CGM's liquidity position will be increasingly constrained in the coming quarters if it cannot bolster its liquidity sources through asset disposals or amendments to its debt maturity profile," the rating agency said.

"CMA CGM reported significantly lower operating profits in 2011 than we had anticipated, owing to depressed freight rates and elevated operating costs," it said.

CMA CGM posted a net loss of US$30 million last year compared to a profit of $1.6 billion in 2010. To strengthen its liquidity, the Marseilles-based carrier has discussed with its bankers for the rearrangement of its 2012 and 2013 debts, which is expected to be settled by the end of June.

Source Shipping Gazette - Daily Shipping News

ASIA-EUROPE spot rates saw the biggest decline of all the major trades last week, slipping 1.7 per cent to US$1,388 per TEU, as rates remained essentially flat for the week.

On the Asia-Mediterranean trade rates were down 0.35 per cent, or $19, to $1,397 per TEU.

Rates from Asia to the United States also saw a marginal dip with east coast rates down just $2 per FEU to $2,914 and west coast rates were down $6 down to $1,753 per FEU.

All trades covered by the index the SCFI rose 0.6 per cent to 1,170.57 points.

Source Shipping Gazette - Daily Shipping News
 

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


Address:

International business magazine JŪRA MOPE SEA
Minijos str. 93, LT-93234 Klaipeda, Lithuania
Phone/Fax: +370 46 365753
E-mail: news@jura.lt
www.jura.lt

 


Publisher:

Ltd. Juru informacijos centras


The magazine JŪRA has been published since 1935.
International business magazine JŪRA MOPE SEA has been
published since 1999.

ISSN 1392-7825

2017 © www.jura.lt