KENYA and Ethiopia have signed an agreement in Nairobi to build a rail link between Lamu with Addis Ababa to develop the Lamu Port-South Sudan Ethiopia Transport (LAPPSET) logistics corridor between the two countries.
China has begun feasibility studies to transform Lamu, some 300 kilometres north of Mombasa and 100 south of Ethiopia, into the largest port in East Africa, as part of their String of Pearls strategy, says Wikipedia.
Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki and Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, who signed the accords, also explored plans to expand bilateral trade, more particularly the removal of trade barriers which could unlock this "huge potential", reports London's Containerisation International.
"It is necessary to reconfirm border lines and sensitise the communities residing along the common frontier to ensure they understand where they can go and where they can't under the trade agreements between Kenya and Ethiopia," said the joint statement.
Lamu is the oldest inhabited town in Kenya, says Wikipedia. Its economy was based on slave trade until its abolition in 1907. Construction of the Uganda Railroad in 1901 started competition with the Port of Mombassa.
Source Shipping Gazette - Daily Shipping News
HONG KONG's Asia Airfreight Terminal (AAT), the airport's No 2 ground handler, has announced it handled 51,690 tonnes in February, up 23 per cent year on year.
Export cargo volume for February was 33,249 tonnes, up 27 per cent year on year while import cargo volume was 17,955 tonnes, up 18 per cent with transshipments coming in at 486 tonnes, down 14 per cent.
Cumulative export tonnage for January and February was 66,395 tonnes, down three per cent against the same period last year. Total import tonnage for first two months was 35,067 tones, up six per cent year on year, while transshipment cargo volume was 1,009 tonnes, a decline of 17 per cent.
Looking ahead, AAT general manager for corporate development Kenneth Yeung said: "In view of the slowdown in global trade, we can only be cautiously optimistic about the possible recovery later this year."
Source Shipping Gazette - Daily Shipping News
THE Nanning city airport, serving the capital of Guangxi Autonomous Region, posted a 66.3 per cent increase in air cargo year on year to 5,398 tonnes, Xinhua reports.
Outbound cargo were 2,727 tonnes, inbound cargo were 2,670 tonnes. The newly launched air cargo charter service from Nanning to Dhaka last year was said to have stimulated the growth in the airport's cargo throughput.
Source Shipping Gazette - Daily Shipping News
LUFTHANSA Cargo has called for swifter implementation of the certified shipper approval process in Germany.
Addressing 250 delegates from the logistic industry at the fifth Security Conference in Frankfurt, board member for operations, Karl-Rudolf Rupprecht said: "With only 13 months to go until EU Directive 185 goes into force, fewer than one per cent of shippers in Germany have been accredited. This shows a need for action. All must take steps to speed up the approval process."
Dr Rupprecht said his airline is making thorough preparations for April 2013 so as to be able to continue to offer its customers security processes.
One of the main topics under discussion was the inadequate level of harmonisation of international security standards. Dr Rupprecht said mutual recognition of EU directives and US regulations, particularly as regards transatlantic traffic, was long overdue.
"It is neither comprehensible nor acceptable," he added, "that the US authorities recognise security measures for air cargo from France or Switzerland, say, but do not recognise the virtually identical measures that apply in Germany. This results in additional checks on all departures from Germany to the USA.
"Insufficient harmonisation was thus creating inefficiencies, lengthy processes and high costs, and did not result in any security gains, Dr Rupprecht said. "In the past few years, Lufthansa Cargo's security costs have increased more than tenfold. And that trend looks set to continue."
However, the airline manager also pointed out that, in spite of the scope for improvement with regards processes and harmonisation, security levels in the industry were recognised as being high, and the measures in place ensured a high degree of security for airfreight traffic.
Harald Zielinski, head of security and environmental management, said the airline's security conference had a key role to play in this process. "Dialogue between politicians, the authorities and the logistics companies is crucial if we want to further improve security regulations and at the same time ensure smooth implementation as well as competitive processes and costs. With our fifth Security Conference, we have once again brought together top representatives from all the areas involved."
Source Shipping Gazette - Daily Shipping News
NASDAQ listed Air Transport Services Group (ATSG) posted a 14 per cent increase in fourth quarter net profit year on year to $13.5 million, drawn on revenues of $166.5 million, down seven per cent.
Full year revenues in 2011 increased nine per cent to $730.1 million, including $160.7 million in reimbursements for fuel and related expenses. Revenues derived from German forwarder DB Schenker were 15 per cent of total sales.
"Results from nine additional 767 freighters in service in the fourth quarter of 2011 helped offset the effect of the wind-down of our business with DB Schenker," said CEO Joe Hete.
"Some of that cargo volume shifted to the freighters we operate for DHL, allowing us to retire the majority of our older 727 and DC-8 aircraft and to start to restructure our airline operations," he said.
"We purchased two more 767-300 aircraft in February 2012 for deployment later this year, recognising their advantages and appeal to major air cargo network operators. This aircraft type continues to offer lower capital risk and attractive after-tax cash returns due to our passenger-to-freighter conversion strategy," he said
Looking ahead, Mr Hete said the company would devote greater resources to growing its wet lease or aircraft, crew, maintenance and insurance (ACMI) services in the first quarter.
"As a result, our first quarter 2012 financial results are expected to be below first-quarter 2011 levels. After the first quarter, we expect to grow toward a range of $190 to $200 million in adjusted EBITDA for the year, including the effect of increased pension expense and increases in engine maintenance costs," Mr Hete said.
"Our 2012 results will benefit from a full year of gains from the owned and leased aircraft which entered service during 2011, as well as owned and leased aircraft which we plan to add during 2012," he said.
Source Shipping Gazette - Daily Shipping News
UAE-based Etihad Airways has recently started a new service from Abu Dhabi to Shanghai's Pudong International Airport.
The service uses Airbus 300-300 aircraft, offering five flights a week and will be upgraded to one flight a day since April 15.
Etihad Airways was founded in 2003, operating an Abu Dhabi-based network covering 84 destinations in Middle East, Africa, Europe, Asia, Australia and North America. It carried 8.3 million passengers in 2011.
Source Shipping Gazette - Daily Shipping News
AILING national carrier, Malaysia Airlines, spinning off some of its ancillary businesses, including its air cargo unit MASkargo, as part of a business plan to turn itself around could be losing an important long-term income earner for short-term capital gains, says a Standard & Poor's analyst.
"Cargo has proven to be a profitable business for MAS, with Malaysia recognised as a manufacturing base for many companies," said the S&P credit agency's aviation analyst Shukor Yusof.
"As such, divesting MASkargo is an easy way to raise money, but more importantly is whether it makes sense for MAS in the long term," he said, according to the Star Daily of Malaysia.
He pointed to the need for MAS to address the 15 per cent increase in non-fuel expenses to MYR10.4 billion (US$3.4 billion) last year from MYR9.03 billion in FY10, which he said is "worrying".
MAS said in its business plan announced last December that it had become a very complex business with a number of different operating entities: core full-service airline, MASholidays, MASkargo, MAS Aerospace Engineering (engineering and maintenance), training, catering and ground handling.
"The business recovery requires the need to de-clutter to ensure proper focus on the core business: flying the customers. MAS also needs to give the ancillary businesses sufficient freedom to achieve full potential.
"The plan is therefore to commence the process of having strategic partners to these ancillary businesses starting with ground handling, training and engineering and maintenance. However, at present MAS is now focused on the introduction of the Airbus A380 (super jumbo) into its fleet and the launch of the short-haul premium service carrier," the airline said in an email reply to criticisms published in the Star Daily.
At news conference last week, MAS group CEO Ahmad Jauhari Yahya, said the airline was in the process of exploring options including joint ventures and/or strategic alliances for MASkargo amid the "stubbornly high fuel prices and weak global demand for cargo."
MASkargo contributed 15 per cent of the airline's revenue after passenger operations. The cargo unit has been profitable until last year (FY11) when it reported a pre-tax loss of MYR18.78 million on revenue of MYR2.05 billion, compared with a pre-tax profit of MYR141.71 million on revenue of MYR2.36 billion in the previous year.
MAS had said the cargo division suffered in line with an overall slowdown of the industry globally, as well as due to higher fuel costs and impairment of its A330 freighter fleet.
Source Shipping Gazette - Daily Shipping News
2012-03-08
The settlement agreement between commercial vehicle and engineering group MAN and Abu Dhabi-based International Petroleum Investment Company (IPIC) regarding the repurchase of shares in Ferrostaal has been completed. This also renders MAN’s agreement with Hamburg-based MPC Group — whereby MPC will acquire 100 percent of the Ferrostaal shares from MAN immediately afterward — fully effective. The transaction has been implemented as agreed in November 2011. Ferrostaal is now part of the MPC Group.
Source MAN Group
The project of the first airport business park in Poland, Chopin Airport City, initiated by ‘Polish Airports’ State Enterprise (PPL), is presented at the MIPIM real estate trade show in Cannes.
The Chopin Airport City project is already underway. Development of the planning and architectural concept and the business model is nearing completion. The project will be presented for the first time to an international audience at the MIPIM trade show held between 6-9 March in Cannes, France. PPL will promote its innovative venture at Warsaw’s stand. “The purpose of our visit to France is to attract potential investors and establish business relations,” says Michał Marzec, General Director of PPL. “This will be our first chance to show the project to real estate companies and see how it is received.”
Chopin Airport City is the first ‘airport city’ to be developed in Poland. The concept is in line with the global trend to create new commercial venues around airports. As part of the project, 22.5 hectares of land near the airport's terminal will be transformed into a modern business park open to the public.
Approximately 165 thousand sq. m. of usable space in sixteen 'class A' office buildings will form a business park, providing modern offices, conference rooms and retail services. Additionally, set to open in 2013 are two new hotels, a five-star Renaissance by Marriott and a two-star Hampton by Hilton.
The venue will also serve a recreational function, being available not only to airport passengers or people working at the nearby office buildings, but also to. The distinguishing feature of the area will be its spacious park, with a centrally-located plaza, boasting a number of restaurants, fitness centres and galleries.
Airport cities, which are based on the idea of providing non-aviation services, are being successfully implemented all over the world.
Source Warsaw Chopin Airport
HONG KONG's Orient Overseas Container Line (OOCL) has announced it will increase the westbound Asia-Europe rates by US$450 per TEU from April 1 for shipments from the Far East (including Japan), Indian subcontinent, and Middle East to North Europe, the Mediterranean and Black Sea.
It follows the second round of freight rates increase first announced by the world's largest carrier Maersk in February before the implementation of the general rate increase on March 1. The world's second and third largest carriers MSC and CMA CGM, as well as a number of carriers have announced similar increase between $400 and $700 from April 1.
Source Shipping Gazette - Daily Shipping News
JAPANESE shipping giant MOL has announced a US$150 per TEU rate increase from Asia (excluding Japan) to the Indian subcontinent to take effect from March 15.
The carrier said the increase was needed to maintain service quality by a more sustainable rate level to cover costs. "For further information, please contact your local sales representative," said the company.
Source Shipping Gazette - Daily Shipping News
INTERNATIONAL Container Terminal Services has posted a 33 per cent increase in net profit of US$130.5 million drawn on revenues of $664.8 million, up 26 per cent.
Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) came to $281.4 million, an increase of 14 per cent,
"The higher net income attributable to shareholders holders was mainly due to the upsurge in revenues, lower financing charges, lower effective tax rate and a one-time gain on sale of non-core assets," said the company statement.
"The increase in revenues for 2011 was mainly due to the strong double digit volume growth across all geographic segments of the group, higher storage revenues and ancillary services, favourable volume mix, and the inclusion of the new terminals in Portland, Oregon and Rijeka, Croatia," according to the company.
ICTSI handled 5.23 million TEU in 2011, up 25 per cent year on year, due to an upturn in global trade, particularly in markets where ICTSI's ports are located, new carrier customers and the consolidation of the company's new ports in Oregon and Croatia.
The company's total port volumes, excluding the volume from the two latest port acquisitions, grew 18 per cent in 2011. Volumes from its six key terminal operations in Manila, Brazil, Poland, Ecuador, Madagascar and China, which accounted for 74 per cent of the consolidated volume for 2011, rose 18 per cent to 3.86 million TEU to 3.26 million.
In Asia, its aggregate throughput was up 11 per cent in 2011 to 2.95 million from 2.65 million TEU. The increase was due mainly from the exceptional volume increases in three areas in China and the Philippines.
ICTSI's operations in Yantai Rising Dragon International Container Terminal Ltd (YRDICTL) grew 36 per cent; Davao Integrated Port and Stevedoring Services Corp (DIPSSCOR) in Davao, southern Philippines increased 30 per cent; Mindanao International Container Terminal Services Inc (MICTSI) in Cagayan de Oro, southern Philippines registered 17 per cent growth. "This segment accounted for 56 per cent of consolidated volume in 2011 compared to 63 per cent in 2010," said the company.
In the Americas, its container terminal operations grew 50 per cent to 1.571 million TEU in 2011. The largest contributors were Contecon Guayaquil SA (CGSA) in Ecuador with its growth of 35 per cent and Tecon Suape SA (TSSA) in Brazil with its volume increase of 28 per cent.
This segment also benefited from the volume generated by the newly acquired terminal in Portland, Oregon, USA, which was taken over by its subsidiary ICTSI Oregon, Inc (IOI) on February 12, 2011 and added 176,751 TEU to the company's full-year throughput. The contribution of container volume from the Americas increased to 30 per cent in 2011 from 25 per cent in 2010.
In Europe, Middle East and Africa, ICTSI container terminals handled 706,357 TEU in 2011, up 41 per cent compared to 2010's 501,275 TEU. The best performer was Baltic Container Terminal (BCT) in Poland with 29 per cent volume growth. Also, the Batumi International Container Terminal Ltd (BICTL) handled 45,442 TEU in 2011, nearly tripling the 16,318 TEU handled in 2010.
"The EMEA segment also benefited from the volume generated by the newly acquired terminal in Rijeka, Croatia. The company's subsidiary, Adriatic Container Gate Terminal (AGCT), took over the operations of the container terminal in Rijeka, Croatia on April 15, 2011 and added 98,675 TEU to the group's annual throughput. EMEA operations accounted for 13 per cent of consolidated volume in 2011," said the company statement.
Looking ahead, the company said its total estimated consolidated capital expenditure in 2012 is $550 million. In that budget, $345 million is allocated for the greenfield projects in Argentina, Mexico and Colombia, and the balance mostly goes to civil works, systems improvement, and purchase of major cargo handling equipment at its port operations in Manila (MICT), Croatia (AGCT), Brazil (TSSA) and Ecuador (CGSA).
ICTSI is an international port management company involved in the operations and development of 22 marine terminals and port projects in 17 countries worldwide.
Source Shipping Gazette - Daily Shipping News
DANISH shipping giant Maersk has received the first of its South America Maximum (SAMMAX) class, the Maersk Lota, enhancing its capacity by raising the wheelhouse and spreading another layer of containers on the weather deck to raise capacity from 7,450 TEU to 8,700 TEU.
The newbuild is the ninth in a series of 16 ships ordered in June 2008 from the Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME) in Korea to be chartered in the Far East-ECSA service jointly operated with Hamburg Sud (known as ASAS 1/NGX 1), reports Alphaliner. The Maersk Lota was originally intended to join the Europe-ECSA Samba Service, but due to scheduling, the Maersk Leticia will take its place.
The upgrade allows the enhanced capacity vessels to be fitted with 1,700 reefer plugs with a reefer equivalent capacity of around 70,000 cubic metres, taking into account the mix of TEUs and FEUs.
Source Shipping Gazette - Daily Shipping News
THE Shanghai Guandong International Container Terminal Co (SGICT), which runs two facilities at the new Yangshan Deepwater Port at Shanghai, has ordered a dual-lifting ZPMC quayside crane that when operational, will be largest in the world.
The crane, one of two ordered, will be delivered at the end of the year, to handle ships of 8,000-TEU or more, reports Dredging Today. This goes towards meeting the goal of SGICT, affiliated to Shanghai International Port (Group) Co, and enlarging capacity to 6.6 million tonnes this year.
Terminals 3 and 4 of the Yangshan Deepwater Port are located in the north-central area of the Yangshan facility. Along the 2,600-metre shoreline, there are seven berths for containerships of 150,000 dwt. The 26 quayside container cranes and 70 rubber-tyre gantry cranes equipped at the two terminals are all provided by ZPMC, said the reports.
Source Shipping Gazette - Daily Shipping News
SINCE it started operation in August 2010, the western port area of eastern China's port of Yantai in Shandong province has handled more than a million tonnes of cargo, Xinhua reports.
Yantai's western port area is located at Yantai Economic Development Area. It will be developed into five operation areas for containers, bulk, liquid, oil and break bulk and will eventually have 45 berths of 10,000 to 300,000 tonnes with a capacity of 7.5 million TEU and 200 million tonnes in overall tonnage.
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
|
|