BALTIC Container Terminal (BCT) in Gdynia Port in Poland handled 41,108 TEU in March, an increase of 38.9 per cent over the same month last year, the Baltic Transport Journal reported.
The throughput was the highest since October 2008 and also the highest after the first wave of the financial crisis. BCT is one of the biggest terminals in the Baltic region and the leading container facility in Poland.
During the first quarter of this year, BCT Gdynia handled 103,962 TEU, a surge of 23 per cent year on year.
Shipping Gazette - Daily Shipping News
GLOBAL logistics provider, Agility, has won a contract to move 420 railcars from Spain to Kazakhstan for TALGO, a Madrid-based Spanish manufacturer of railway rolling stock.
The company's teams across Europe - from Spain, Finland and Kazakhstan - will handle this complex, heavy-lift project. The company had earlier succeeded in delivering the initial shipment of railcars against extremely challenging deadlines.
Under the contract, Agility will provide all logistics services starting with the collection of the railcars at factories in Spain through delivery to Talgo's works in Astana, Kazakhstan.
Alejandro Goicoechea and Jose Luis Oriol founded TALGO (Tren Articulado Ligero Goicoechea Oriol, or Goicoechea-Oriol light articulated trains) in 1942.
Agility intends to apply its specialised expertise, global network and partnerships to manage the movement of the rolling stock from origin to final destination.
"Agility has a strong presence in Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan," said Francesc Casamitjana, managing director of area south. "We understand fast moving economies and bring experience and know-how to industries such as engineering, energy, mining and heavy equipment supply."
Shipping Gazette - Daily Shipping News
ROTTERDAM's Mundo International Logistics UK division has been appointed as Russia's Fesco Transportation Group's northwest Europe's agent to provide container services across Russia and the neighbouring Commonwealth of Independent States of the former Soviet Union.
"We are delighted to have been appointed as a Fesco northwest Europe agent as it means we can offer access to one of Russia's most comprehensive transport providers," said Mundo International Logistics UK director Malcolm Stafford.
Fesco offers a weekly service from all main UK ports to St Petersburg, Vladivostok, Vostochny, Kholmsk, Korsakov, Magadan, Pertropavlovsk Kamch.
Shipping Gazette - Daily Shipping News
HONG KONG's air freight solutions provider ASR Holdings will more than double its mainland presence in logistic centres and sales offices from its current 14 to as many as 33 by 2014.
Air cargo space is sold wholesale market for airlines in bulk to mid-sized couriers on outbound air routes originating from the Pearl River Delta, predominantly Hong Kong to worldwide destinations.
Its aim is to focus on emerging markets such as Eastern Europe rather than more competitive areas of the world, said its chairman Sunny Yu Ho-yuen, of a company founded by Hong Kong-based airline veterans at the start of 2012.
ASR Holdings increased revenue by 23 per cent to HK$603 million (US$77.7 million) despite a global air cargo decline of 8.3 per cent.
The Hong Kong Standard also reported that executive director Niki Law Kai-lo said that "by doing business for less-crowded airlines, we can sometimes become the sole distributor of cargo space for air flights, so we can command much better margins."
Shipping Gazette - Daily Shipping News
AIR cargo flights between Afghanistan and Riga are launched to support the US armed forces for the delivery of non-military goods, primarily food products.
The daily flights are in addition to overland transport from Latvia by rail through Russia, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan which was opened up due to the deterioration of security in Pakistan.
The air cargo service will increase shortly between two to three flights a day of which 100 tons of freight will be carried on each plane.
Shipping Gazette - Daily Shipping News
ONE of the largest air freight carriers, the AN-124-100 Ruslan freighter aircraft, operated by the Volga-Dnepr Group/Ruslan International recently touched down at Grand Bahamas International Airport in a display of the island's potential as a logistic hub for air transportation, the Bahamas Tribune reported.
Grand Bahamas Shipyard officials contracted the company to transport two massive ship propellers to Europe. The aircraft is equipped with four jumbo jet engines and has a cargo capacity of 120 tonnes. The ship propellers each weigh 30 tonnes.
The operation was co-ordinated through the joint efforts of the Grand Bahamas Shipyard, Freeport Ship Services, Quality Services Ltd and the Grand Bahamas Airport Company.
Shipping Gazette - Daily Shipping News
INDIA's budget airline SpiceJet has been approached by Gulf and Asian carriers for a stake buy-out, but Dubai's Emirates flatly denies its interest.
At a Barcelona-based Aircraft Finance & Commercial Aviation (AFCA) conference, Emirates president Tim Clark dismissed reports of its interest in the Indian aviation sector, and in particular the budget carrier, said Reuters.
In separate news from the Oman Tribune, the Indian government has approved 22 foreign direct investment (FDI) proposals worth US$112.5 million rather than foreign institutional investor (FII) funds its considers risky or "hot money".
Shipping Gazette - Daily Shipping News
Kazakhstan's tourism industry expects fast movement in the region by announcing the development of one of the world’s longest ski reports in a country that currently ranks at 93 out of 139 in the World Tourism Ranking for 2011, Kazworld.info reported.
Kazakhstan tourism announced new strategic plans targeting every coming year, with each year aiming for further success. The government is trying to convert Kazakhstan into the "Land of Tourism Resorts."
The government has approved plan for the creation of an international resort with total ski runs running 100 km in length, along with the construction of passenger cableways, hotels, restaurants, shopping malls, and golf courses; and the establishment of infrastructure - roads, parking, electricity, gas, and water supply at Kok-Zhaylyao that is located on the territory of Ile-Alatau Park. This ski resort will be a new addition in the neighborhood of Almaty in the radius of 50 km, where there are ten existing ski resorts: Shimbulak, Ak-bulak, Tabagan, Almatau, Yelik-Say, Shybynsay, Enbek, Tau-Turan, Forest tail, Dinamo, a resort in Kaskelen gorge, and other lesser-known resorts.
The Agency of Tourism and Sports has already sent a request for allocation of funds from the national budget, and this project is called "strategic" and considered to pull the tourism economy of the country.
Meanwhile, the Tourism Development Plan of Kazakhstan will be finalized before the end of 2012. According to official sources, including the office of Minister of Industry and Innovative Technologies, it is hoped that by the end of the year, a tourism development program that carries through until 2020, would be approved. According to this plan, tourism will be seen as a strong and promising industry that will give a strong impetus to the economy.
Statistics show a steady growth of tourism industry of the country. The volume of services rendered by the tourism industry last year stood at 74 billion tenge.
Central Asian News Service, en.ca-news.org
Riga. BalticMiles, a multi-partner loyalty programme created by the Latvian national airline airBaltic, has been recognized as amongst the best loyalty programmes globally, winning two Freddie awards, which have the same status in the loyalty industry as Oscars for filmmakers.
Gabi Kool, Chief Executive Officer of BalticMiles: “Every year, major global carriers are the recipients of Freddie awards for their loyalty programmes. For the first time in history these prestigious Freddie awards go to a loyalty programme of an airline the size of airBaltic. Moreover, airBaltic was among only four airlines globally, whose loyalty programmes won multiplate awards. This is a global recognition for our hard work and innovation, and the first ever award that BalticMiles has received. I would like to thank all BalticMiles members and partners – this is our collective achievement!”
Last night in New York, BalticMiles received two Freddies for “Best Elite Programme” and “Best Redemption Ability”. BalticMiles was awarded in these categories in Europe/Africa region.For the “Best Elite Programme” there were four nominees – airBaltic BalticMiles, Lufthansa Miles & More, British Airways Executive Club, Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles.
Only four airlines globally received multiple Freddie awards for their loyalty programmes – airBaltic, Lufthansa, American Airlines, and Etihad.
BalticMiles is the first multi-partner loyalty programme in the Baltic States. It was launched in October 2009. BalticMiles offer various ways of earning points in more than 11,000 places throughout the world – flights, trips, hotel stays, car rentals, restaurants, beauty parlours and spa treatments, health care, telecoms and finance as well as while shopping with more than 400 international brands in the online store of BalticMiles. Afterwards the points earned may be spent on free flight tickets, leisure time activities and adventure, on music downloads or on products chosen from the wide range of more than 3000 different products available on the website www.balticmiles.com. BalticMiles programme offers the opportunity to donate points for various charitable causes.
airBaltic serves 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 AIR BALTIC CORPORATION
Wind energy to power terminal
Aarhus, Denmark - Denmark’s largest port operator, APM Terminals Cargo Service has announced a partnership with DONG Energy, a leading energy provider, to reduce the port operator’s energy consumption and CO2 emissions.
An expected reduction in energy consumption through improved lighting and electricity usage will cut APM Terminals CO2 emissions by 10% annually.
Equally important, APM Terminals Cargo Service will purchase green energy produced from offshore wind farms to drive operations in Denmark’s busiest container port on the waterfront of the city of Aarhus.
Managing Director Johan Pedersson Uggla of APM Terminals Cargo Service describes the new partnership as a natural extension of their ongoing activities: ”As a leading port operator, APM Terminals Aarhus also has an ambition to improve our environmental performance. This partnership reflects our sustainability plan to reduce energy consumption and drive CO2 reductions.” Other initiatives include fuel efficiency improvements in straddle carriers and reach stacker equipment.
DONG Energy’s Executive Vice President, Lars Clausen added ”Competition is very tough when it comes to being the preferred energy supplier for a large and renowned company such as APM Terminals. So we are proud that we succeeded in establishing a strategically important relationship by offering an attractive customer value proposition and strong competencies”.
APM Terminals, The Hague-based port operator, recently issued its global Sustainability Report for 2011, documenting a reduction in CO2 emissions per container (TEU) lifted of 16.5 pct. from 2009-2011. The global target is a 25% reduction of CO2 emissions per TEU by 2020 from a 2009 baseline.
Source APM Terminals
2012-04-27
The Vilsund Blue Limfjord rope-grown mussel fishery today secured certification to the MSC [1] standard for sustainable and well-managed fisheries. The Limfjord fishery’s achievements means 100 per cent of Danish mussel exports are now eligible to carry the internationally recognized, blue MSC ecolabel.
Outstanding Achievement by Danish mussel fishers
The first Danish mussel fishery to enter the MSC program’s full assessment did so in April 2008. Since then, five Danish mussel fisheries have undergone the same rigorous and transparent process and have all succeeded in proving their activities to be sustainable and well-managed.
Minna Epps, Regional Manager for the Baltic Sea region says: “The dedication towards sustainable fishing practices demonstrated by the Danish mussel industry is truly an inspiration and a model to follow for others. We congratulate them warmly and hope their engagement will create a wave of support through customers who will choose their products”.
Denmark’s MSC certified blue shell mussel fisheries are spread from the Limfjord in the north-west of the Jutland island, through its eastern coast down to the Isefjord on the Zealand island in the south-east. A total volume of 42 500 MT are being offered for sale locally or exported to markets that range from Europe to the Middle East.
About the Limfjord rope-grown mussel fishery
The Vilsund Blue fishery operates in the Limfjord in Denmark between May and September, where it grows and harvests approximately 1000-2000 tonnes of rope-grown mussels every year. The fishery produces mussels with little or no impact on wild mussel stocks or on the marine environment. Mussel larvae are harvested from the plankton and grown to full size on the mussel farms. All of the cultivation activity takes place on ropes, which have very little effect on their surroundings, and the cultivation process requires no external inputs of food or any chemicals. There is a robust management system in place through the Danish Directorate of Fisheries, and the mussel farming industry is working closely with regulators and scientists to develop the industry sustainably.
What Vilsund Blue says
Mr Sören Mattesen, Vilsund Blue says: “We are happy to be able to offer our clients and consumers a simple way of supporting sustainably caught seafood, by choosing our MSC ecolabelled products. We committed ourselves to this many years ago and we are proud to contribute to the variety of MSC certified products and to be one of the leading Danish companies to do so.”
A major step for inshore waters
“This is a major step in the acknowledgement of sustainable practices in inland waters. Vilsund Blue have shown dedication and continuous efforts in their goal of achieving MSC certification and have, through this process, contributed to the development of wider knowledge and enhanced dialogue among the stakeholders involved,” says Helene Tivemark, Fisheries Outreach officer in the Baltic Sea region.
Mussel fisheries benefit from MSC policy on enhanced fisheries
The MSC’s policy on enhanced fisheries permits fisheries that deploy a defined range of interventions to enter the programme. Partially grown mussels are a good example of an enhanced fishery which falls within scope of the MSC certification requirements.
Source MSC
Iran-Kazakhstan-Turkmenistan-railway Iran's part of the Kazakhstan-Turkmenistan-Iran will be completed by October, Deputy Foreign Minister Seyyed Abbas Araghchi said during a briefing at the Foreign Ministry of Kazakhstan, reported Payvand Iran News.
Araghchi noted that Iran pays great importance to the project, and will do its best to complete its part of the road by October.
The overall length of the Kazakhstan-Turkmenistan-Iran railway is 900 kilometers (Iran - 70 kilometers, Turkmenistan 700 kilometers and Kazakhstan - 130 kilometers).
The Islamic Development Bank is financing Turkmenistan's part of the road, and over 30 percent (over 250 kilometers) of 700 kilometers have already been completed.
Iranian "Pars Energy" company is responsible for the construction of this part of the railway.
Asian News Service, en.ca-news.org
There is more choice when flying to and from London City Airport this Summer, with lots of new destinations and increased daily flights on some our current services
British Airways commence flights to Quimper and Angers from 25 May, while CityJet are increasing their twice weekly service to Brive to five times weekly in July and August 2012. The addition of Brest and Quimper in Brittany and Angers in the Loire Valley, bring the total number of French destinations we served to 12. Allowing passengers to take full advantage of everything that country has to offer, from vineyards to horse-racing.
British Airways are also introducing the island of Menorca to its Balearic programme with flights to Mahon commencing on 25 May, adding to our current Spanish leisure destinations Mallorca and Ibiza.
BA have recently announced the launch of flights to/from Venice in Northern Italy that begin in September.
Swiss International Airlines resumes their twice daily service to/from Basel in Switzerland from 21 May, providing corporate travellers with a vital link to this important business hub. Tourists can also avail themselves of easy access to the renowned cultural capitals of Switzerland.
Flights to Scotland recently received a boost with CityJet introducing an additional rotation, increasing its daily number of flights to/from Edinburgh as well as launching a late night Sunday flight from London City to facilitate domestic travel from the capital.
London City now offers well over 40 destinations for passengers looking to travel from and to the capital. Whether flying for business or leisure, the airport is ideally placed to offer the most convenient, time-saving and hassle free experience, with minimal queues, the shortest check-in times and the highest levels of punctuality and service.
Source London City Airport
The IRU welcomes the entry into force of the Additional Protocol to the CMR Convention, which transitions from the current slow and unreliable paper-based system, to faster and more efficient electronic Consignment Notes (e-CMR) and calls upon governments to join the Additional Protocol and adopt an harmonised approach to its implementation.
Further to the entry into force of the Additional Protocol to the CMR Convention in June 2011, the IRU Goods Transport Council today encouraged an accelerated introduction of the e-CMR to improve supply chain efficiency.
Carriers can now electronically record, store and exchange CMR data with their commercial partners. This significantly improves document management by reducing the potential for human error, while increasing the efficiency of road transport operations.
The IRU Position therefore urges all Contracting Parties to the CMR Convention to accede to or ratify the Additional Protocol and calls upon Governments to harmonise practical implementation requirements.
For example, some authorities still request a paper copy in addition to an e-CMR Consignment Note which completely defeats the purpose and benefits of using an electronic system. Governments should also agree on technical standards regarding electronic signatures and authentication methods in order to experience the full benefits of e-CMR
At present, e-CMR can only be used in seven countries – Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Latvia, Lithuania, Netherlands, Spain and Switzerland – allowing carriers and commercial partners to benefit from facilitated international road transport. For e-CMR to be a truly efficient and practical tool for transport operators, other countries will need to join the Additional Protocol, allowing e-CMR to be used in more than just a limited number of European itineraries.
IRU
2012-04-27
Logistics firm announces key staff appointments
BDP International, a leading U.S.-based global logistics and transportation management firm, has significantly strengthened its presence in the U.K. market with two staff appointments. Anthony Akerman and David Marshall have joined the firm as U.K. country manager and Aberbeen branch manager respectively.
“These appointments underscore the importance of the U.K. market in the global economy, and world trade, particularly its energy and chemical sectors, where we have extensive experience and expertise,” said Yves Letange, managing director, BDP International Europe. “The chemical industry is the country’s largest export sector, contributing some £10 billion a year to its balance of payments and providing vital support for the rest of its manufacturing sector.”
BDP has been serving the global chemical industry for more than 45 years. Today the company manages more than one million TEUs of chemicals a year, and counts among its clients eight of the world’s ten largest chemical producers. It offers the same range of services in the U.K. that it offers in its other global operations, including air and ocean transport, freight forwarding, and customs and security compliance, plus project logistics for oil and gas service providers.
Based in the company’s main office in Dartford, Kent and reporting to Antwerp-based Letange, Akerman has responsibility for U.K. operations including branch locations, business development, employees, clients and vendors. He brings to BDP more than 20 years of experience in international logistics both in Asia, the U.S. and the U.K., having held positions of increasing responsibility in operations, sales, project management, multimodal supply chain management and trade lane development. Most recently he served as commercial director for Escombe Lambert Holding Ltd., a maritime shipping firm in the U.K. and Ireland. He also has served as director of commercial operations for the projects division of Agility Logistics.
Marshall is responsible for BDP’s operations in Aberdeen, Scotland which in addition to conventional transportation and logistics services, include turnkey solutions from supply chain support for new and existing production facilities to the transport of heavy-lift structures and specialized logistics for offshore equipment and Oil Country Tubular Goods (OCTG). He likewise has more than 20 years of industry experience, during which he has worked in air transport, logistics, operations, IT, product development and project management for a number of the world’s leading multinational forwarding firms.
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