Category Archives: International

Airfreight rates on the transpacific trade lane continue to surge since the start of November as peak season demand kicks off and modal shift from ocean continues. The latest figures from the Baltic Exchange Airfreight Index (BAI) show that prices on services from Hong Kong to North America reached $11.22 per kg – the highest on (BAI) record and up from $9.12 per kg at the start of October. To Europe, prices from Hong Kong are at 7.80 per kg – also a high for the index. Meanwhile, the Freightos Air Freight Index shows that prices from Asia/China to the US west coast last week reached $14.22 per kg and to the east coast are at $12.76 per kg.

American has partnered with My Pet Cab on its PetEmbark programme to include a home delivery service for pets after being flown to destination. My Pet Cab vehicles are equipped with secondary air systems and electronic monitoring thermometers as well as remote cameras and vehicle monitoring systems. The airline has also launched a new video guide that offers instructions for booking a pet on American, ranging in information from kennel guidelines to approved travel conditions to drop-off and pick-up timing. Vittal Shetty, head of cargo strategy for American Airlines Cargo, said: “These enhancements not only make it easier for pet owners to do business with us but helps to ensure a safe and stress-free journey from start to finish.”

CMA CGM Air Cargo signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the purchase of four A350F freighter aircraft taking CMA CGM’s total Airbus fleet to nine aircraft, including five A330-200F. “I am proud to announce the acquisition of 4 new Airbus A350F, which will supplement our existing fleet. We will become the launch airline of this brand new aircraft. This investment in an efficient and future-proof full freighter is a strong evidence of the commitment of the CMA CGM Group towards air freight and providing agile solutions to take care of your cargo in better ways. The A350F will also be a major milestone towards more sustainable air cargo, with an improved fuel consumption and lower CO2 emissions,” announced Olivier Casanova, CEO, CMA CGM.

MMI Asia, the regional subsidiary of Messe Muenchen (MMG), announced The Marina Sands in Singapore to host the Southeast Asian edition of the Transport Logistics and Air Cargo Trade Fair to be held in September 2023. This edition is the latest in the leading series of transport logistic and air cargo shows which include, India, China, Turkey, the United States and the world’s largest logistics event and parent show in Munich. The Singapore Tourism Board and MMI Asia signed an MoA for the event including the development of new content, marketing & publicity efforts, programme and exhibition components for the trade show and areas of collaboration in industry knowledge exchange. The exhibition will act as a platform to identify challenges of the logistics ecosystem and share best practices to overcome those challenges. “In a disrupted world, the logistics industry has had to adapt, change and remain flexible in order to meet the extraordinary demands the global economies have placed on their sector. The event will enable the very best minds to meet, network and ensure they remain up to date with the latest trends and best practices in the industry.” said, Michael Wilton, MMI Asia’s Director and General Manager

Mitsui has invested in TCI Cold Chain Solutions Ltd to meet the country’s growing demand for temperature-controlled logistics solutions. Mitsui’s investment in TCI’s cold chain business builds on over two decades of cooperation between the two companies, dating back to the joint founding in 1999 of Transystem Logistics International Pvt Ltd., a logistics company serving India’s automotive sector with just in time delivery of automobile components and service parts. Faisal Ashraf, Managing Director of Mitsui & Co. India said, “We expect the cold chain logistics industry in India to expand rapidly, now and in a post-COVID world, in response to growing demand from the pharmaceutical sector particularly for COVID-19 vaccines, changing consumption patterns with a growing preference for fresh agricultural produce, and the continued rise of e-commerce.” Vineet Agarwal, Managing Director of TCI said, “We look forward to joining forces with Mitsui — a familiar and trusted partner — in our cold chain business. Our 60+ years of legacy as one of the leaders in Indian logistics space synergized with Mitsui’s global expertise in logistics and supply chain management positions us well to deliver best-in-class services to the customers.”

Etihad Cargo signed a Proof-of-Concept agreement with SPEEDCARGO, the logistics technology solutions provider, to utilise the Singapore-based provider’s Artificial Intelligence (AI) products to boost cargo capacity on flights. The agreement makes Etihad Cargo the second aviation company worldwide to leverage the Cargo Eye dimensioning system, and among only a few global carriers to trial SPEEDCARGO’s AI-powered Cargo Mind software solution, which delivers optimal cargo space planning and utilisation in seconds in full adherence to regulations and business constraints. “Etihad Cargo’s goal is to assess whether implementing Cargo Eye and Cargo Mind could ensure a complete end-to-end process which totally transforms airfreight operations,” explained Martin Drew, SVP Sales and Cargo at Etihad Aviation Group. “The Proof-of-Concept will confirm whether these advanced SPEEDCARGO products can boost efficiency, productivity and revenue return through digital technology solutions, with the plan to integrate them into our operations in 2022.”

Inmarsat has extended its Fleet Xpress service agreement with Maersk Supply Service to include fleet wide IoT-based ship management connectivity on separate, dedicated bandwidths. The extension has also enabled Maersk Supply Service to evaluate new vessel performance tools for selection, available through Inmarsat’s Certified Application Provider (CAP) programme. Operating off Europe, the Americas, West Africa, Southeast Asia and Australia, the 30-vessel Maersk offshore fleet includes some of the most modern anchor handlers and subsea support vessels in the industry. Under a long-term Fleet Xpress agreement, connectivity will now include dedicated Inmarsat Fleet Connect for key digital applications and a commitment to the Fleet Data IoT platform for data acquisition and uploading. “Maersk Supply Service is pursuing digitalisation to support optimised fleet management and to improve vessel energy efficiency. Software-based digital solutions have a significant advantage over hardware-based counterparts as they can be deployed fleet-wide at the push of a button,” said Kasper Thiesen, Head of IT, Maersk Supply Service (MSS). “By having the underlying Fleet Data, Fleet Connect infrastructure and sensor data collectors installed on our vessels, we have unlocked a portfolio of digital services which we can deploy to our fleet and bring to market in little-to-no time. As the digital eco-system develops, more solutions will become available, increasing our ability to remain agile and support our journey to decarbonise, and entry into renewable industries”. Fleet Data enables digitalisation across the full scope of vessel operations, using cloud-based analytics, which is agnostic of OEM-specific applications or sensor technologies. Owner-operators are free to choose which areas will benefit most from predictive analytics and decision-making. The new agreement will accommodate rapid scaling up of new IoT-based vessel performance applications fleet wide. …

The UK’s largest port operator, Associated British Ports (ABP) is bringing forward more than 1,000 acres (4,046,856 m²) of development land to support the UK’s supply chain, manufacturing and renewable energy sectors. ABP operates 21 ports around the UK and is making 14 strategic sites, encompassing a total of 1,075 acres, available for a range of business uses. “This initiative will enable a growing number of businesses to leverage our land, property partnering expertise and power capacity. We believe this can make a significant contribution to the country’s economic vibrancy and supply chain efficiency,” commented ABP’s Chief Executive Officer, Henrik L. Pedersen. A first tranche of 14 sites is being brought forward at ports including: Cardiff, Immingham, Newport, Port Talbot, Southampton and Hull. Next year will see the release of further opportunities, while all locations benefit from strong rail and road connectivity plus renewable energy generation, according to a statement. During the next 18 months, ABP has committed to spending more than US$6.5 million to make the sites ready for development, obtaining appropriate outline planning consents, technical understanding and carrying out essential land preparation. “The country needs more distribution hubs adjacent to major conurbations with a good labour supply and which can connect into our road and rail networks,” said Bruce Robertson, head of supply chain and consumer advisory at CBRE, which is advising ABP on the initiative. “The need for more warehouse space to fulfil online retailing, which is growing and was accelerated by the pandemic, plus ongoing labour shortages are putting unprecedented pressure on the UK’s supply chain,” he added. The UK currently has the third-highest e-commerce penetration ratio globally at 24 per cent with an annual online …

CEVA Logistics recently received the inaugural PRISM Award for sustainability from ASM International N.V. as part of ASM’s annual Supplier Day awards program in recognition of CEVA’s energy conservation efforts. One of only two companies to win the global award, CEVA opened a state-of-the-art, in-house operations site in July at ASM International NV’s new global manufacturing headquarters in Singapore. Sustainability was a key theme of ASM’s Supplier Day as the semiconductor manufacturer looks to increase the impact of its sustainability initiatives. The PRISM award distinguishes CEVA Logistics as not only a reliable partner offering responsive logistics solutions but also an advocate for sustainability initiatives, providing its customers with Better Ways to manage their supply chain requirements. Focusing on reductions in energy consumption, CEVA Logistics implemented a new control system to regulate the existing air conditioning systems in the warehouse to be more efficient, delivering 40 percent energy savings with minimal impact to operations and without any modifications to existing HVAC-R equipment at the facility. At the 95,000 square-foot ASM facility in Singapore, nearly 150 CEVA employees deliver critical logistics support, such as inventory and storage management, spare part management, kitting, trash removal, and cleanroom packing, along with other value-added services supporting manufacturing activities, including transportation. Says Elaine Low, managing director of Southeast Asia and Pacific, CEVA Logistics, “We strongly support our customer’s strategy to grow through innovation, while keeping sustainability as a key focus in the semiconductor industry. As part of the CMA CGM Group, CEVA Logistics is strongly committed to the protection of the environment as we deliver responsive logistics for our customers. It’s an honor for us to receive this inaugural recognition from ASM as recognition of our …

Hong Kong Air Cargo Terminals Limited (Hactl) has opened its revolutionary new Integrated Hactl Control Centre (iHCC), creating a single command centre that is manned 24/7/365. The iHCC centralises operations control, systems control and maintenance control for the first time, with duty managers able to monitor the entire SuperTerminal 1 facility – from traffic management at its truck parks through the many different functional areas of the terminal, to cargo dispatch activities at the airside area. Before the opening of the iHCC, monitoring and controlling functions were decentralised to the individual Operations, Engineering and Facilities Services, and Information Services departments, which created a time lag in data collection and sharing. The iHCC provides comprehensive real-time data, and workload forecasts for the coming eight hours, enabling instant adjustments to be made to staffing and resources to cope with any unexpected workload peaks. The iHCC also serves as a fully-integrated emergency centre, facilitating the involvement of the crisis management team, and coordinating actions across all departments, to ensure effective decision-making and proactive responses to crises. The Centre’s concept is similar to the emergency centres now found in many airlines and major airports around the world. Says Executive Director – Operations, Paul Cheng: “iHCC provides totally-comprehensive, accurate and instantaneous information on every aspect of Hactl’s giant operation; this is available to those managers with the required access rights, providing them with a holistic view of the operational status of both cargo and flights. “Not only does this enable us to run our everyday operations at a new level of efficiency, it means we can forecast potential problems before they create issues. That places us in a better position to cope with every kind …