JNPT has taken various mitigating measures, in view of the ‘Cyclone Tauktae’. JNPT is likely to experience heavy weather and sustained high wind speeds due to which various steps are being taken to mitigate the impact of the cyclone on the port property and ships in JNPT waters. The port has planned to sail out all the vessels at berth by 2300 hrs on 15th May, 21. Also all inward Shipping movements will remain suspended till easing of weather conditions. During the meeting it was also decide that all crafts of ITDC Cementation and those engaged in the construction activities of MTHL phase 2 are advised to secure alongside; ships anchored in Bravo East / West outer anchorage are advised to take all necessary steps for their safety which includes steaming out to High seas; ONGC Nhava Base to ensure that the M.T. Blossom and OSVs at berth are ready to sail out by 2300 hrs on 15/5/21 and all Terminals were advised to secure their Cargo handling gear and other related equipment and comply with the heavy weather contingency plan. During the meeting it has been conveyed that all cranes at all the terminals will be secured by tie-down anchors and passenger launch services from JNPT to Mumbai will remain suspended till further notice.

To combat the port congestion disruptions which continue to cause downstream effects throughout the supply chain, industry is looking for an insight into how delays will impact their shipments so they can remain agile and adjust plan as needed. Focusing on supply chain complexities, Cargo Talk in it’s conclave today at 11 am will be discussing the same with eminent speakers like Samit Datta, Head, Global Supply Chain, IT, Digital Transformation and Operational Excellence, Piramal Glass and Huseni Vohra, Director, Buisness Development, APAC, project 44. To sign up, contact, Jaspreet kaur on 9650196532 or jaspreet.kaur@ddppl.com

Maharashtra Health Minister Rajesh Tope reached out to Allcargo chairman Shashi Kiran Shetty to help procure masks for urgent distribution across the interiors of the state. To meet the state’s demand, Allcargo has already transported 2 million masks from Singapore. Another 1 million to be brought in from the USA, China, and other countries. Following the logistics industry initiative led by Mr. Shetty in April when Allcargo flew in 500 oxygen concentrators, Bluewater Lines provided for the containers this time. Allcargo Logistics Limited, part of The Avvashya Group, is a global leader in integrated logistics solutions. The Company offers specialized logistics services across Multimodal Transport Operations, Container Freight Station Operations/Inland Container Depot Operations and Project & Engineering Solutions and Logistics Park. Benchmarked quality standards, standardized processes, and operation excellence across all the services and facilities, have enabled Allcargo Logistics Limited to emerge as the market leader in all these segments.

Blue Dart, India’s leading express logistics service provider and part of the Deutsche Post DHL Group (DPDHL) formed Blue Dart Med-Express Consortium with the mission of revolutionizing the delivery of vaccines and emergency medical supplies to the remotest parts of India with Drones. Blue Dart Med-Express Consortium is part of the ‘Medicine from the Sky’ project in collaboration with the Government of Telangana, World Economic Forum, Niti Aayog and Healthnet Global. The Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) has granted the project with necessary exemptions and rights to fly drone flights on an experimental basis in Telangana. The aim is to assess an alternate logistics route in providing safe, accurate and reliable pickup and delivery of health care items (medicines, covid-19 vaccines, units of blood, diagnostic specimens and other lifesaving equipment) from distribution centre to specific location and back. Proud to be able to help the country in its fight against the pandemic Balfour Manuel, Managing Director, Blue Dart says, “It’s been over a year and our battle against COVID-19 continues to unfold new challenges that need solutions in real-time. The pandemic has taught each one of us the importance of logistics and the need for a tech-led supply chain infrastructure. As an organization Blue Dart has always been surrounded with the technology of the future. It is this ability that has helped us to not only withstand the pandemic but thrive with growth. While we reach out to over 35,000 locations across the country, the current situation calls for a much deeper penetration of vaccines.”

IATA is predicting a positive outlook for air cargo demand and believes it will continue to improve as the vaccine rollout progresses and bellyhold services pick up. In a press conference, Willie Walsh, director general of IATA, said airlines “deserve great credit” for pivoting their business focus away from passenger operations and towards airfreight in a short period of time. Noting the use of preighters, Walsh said: “Airlines demonstrated great agility in responding to demand to ensure that there was sufficient supply to meet critical supply chain issues during the pandemic.” He added that as passenger services pick up while the global vaccine rollout progresses, airlines will “shift from survival mode to rebuilding”. “As that happens, we’ll continue to be very focused on the environmental issues that have not in any way bated since we’ve gone through this crisis,” he said. “There is also an immediate focus on the development of sustainable aviation fuels.”

Recently launched CMA CGM Air Cargo has continued to expand its freighter network with the addition of three new destinations. The airline, owned by Marseille-based shipping group CMA CGM, has added Dubai, Beirut and Istanbul to its existing flights covering Liège, Chicago, New York and Atlanta. The service between Liege and Dubai will begin on May 19 and the A330F capacity provider hopes to pick up traffic carry cargo originating in Africa and Asia to and from Europe. “With its services to Dubai, the CMA CGM Group can also provide its customers with a combined Sea-Air offer comprising shipping, logistics and airfreight,” it said. The flights between Liege and Istanbul and Beirut will begin in the next few weeks. Xavier Eiglier, executive vice president CMA CGM Air cargo, said: “Strategically located at the crossroads between several continents, these new destinations will help speed up CMA CGM Air Cargo’s development.”

DHL has announced a series of new upgrades to its myDHLi online booking and management system as its user base grows rapidly in the first quarter of the year. The freight forwarding giant said that it would add road freight to existing ocean and air services — launched last year — to give its customers full visibility and ability to manage shipments across the supply chain. The roll out of the road functionality will begin in Turkey. Speaking at an online event to reveal the latest developments, DHL Global Forwarding, Freight chief executive Tim Schwarth said that the platform has seen a “tremendous” increase in the number of users since the start of the year. He said at the end of 2020 there were around 1,000 customers using the platform, but this has now increased to 3,000 across 62 countries. Meanwhile, revenues generated online in the first quarter were up by around 56% compared with a year earlier. The company hopes that by the end of the year, between 8,000 and 10,000 customers will be using the platform.

India’s shipping ports are struggling amid a manpower shortage and reduced working arising from varied stages of pandemic-related lockdowns across different states. Strict health protocols adopted – requiring negative COVID-19 test results for all port personnel and crew of vessels unloading cargoes – are causing operational delays. “The movement of goods within the country is delayed due to different lockdown rules in different states,” an executive at Atlantic Shipping Pvt Ltd (ASPL) told ICIS. ASPL is one of the largest marine service providers in India, with operations at all the country’s ports. “This slows down the entire operation as cargo containers have to return to port after transferring the goods,” the executive said. In many cases, cargoes are unloaded first while the crew waits on board the ship until they tested negative of COVID-19 infection before they are permitted to come on land, he added. India has so far resisted calls for a nationwide lockdown this year, but restrictions are in place across 28 states and eight centrally administered regions in the country. Port operations fall into the category of essential services and must continue despite growing restrictions.

Ambuja Cement has successfully completed sea trials of using soya extract-based biofuel in two of its cement carriers — Ambuja Mukund and Ambuja Vaibhav. Switching to bio-diesel will reduce CO2 emissions from shipping lines by 25 per cent, which in turn will strengthen India’s ability to deliver on its commitment made under the Paris Accord. This makes Ambuja Cement not just the first Indian company to move towards the decarbonisation of the country’s coastal shipping lines but also advancing its focus on two of its strategic priorities: innovation and sustainability. “Our efforts in introducing green fuel in our ships will significantly contribute towards the reduction of GHG emissions that will help achieve our parent LafargeHolcim’s sustainability vision of net zero pledge 2030,” said Neeraj Akhoury, CEO India for LafargeHolcim and Managing Director & CEO of Ambuja Cements Ltd.

DACHSER Emission-Free Delivery means that Dachser delivers all shipments emission-free as standard in a defined downtown area, usually the city center with pedestrian zones. No air pollutants or greenhouse gases are released locally. In addition, there are fewer noise emissions. Based on a modular system, the company uses battery-electric vans and trucks as well as electrically assisted cargo bikes, each tailored to local requirements. The bikes are specially designed for groupage and palleted goods weighing up to 250 kilograms. While the e-trucks supply microhubs—small warehouses near the city center—or directly deliver goods that are not suitable for bicycles due to their weight or dimensions, the cargo bike routes start at the microhub and primarily serve pedestrian zones. Based on a modular system, the company uses battery-electric vans and trucks as well as electrically assisted cargo bikes, each tailored to local requirements. The bikes are specially designed for groupage and palleted goods weighing up to 250 kilograms. While the e-trucks supply microhubs—small warehouses near the city center—or directly deliver goods that are not suitable for bicycles due to their weight or dimensions, the cargo bike routes start at the microhub and primarily serve pedestrian zones.