AUSTRALIA's Qantas Airways has inaugurated a new all-cargo service from Sydney to Chongqing, Shanghai-Pudong, Chicago, New York and back to Sydney.
This is Chongqing airport's first cargo service from Chongqing to US and Australia, its 14th scheduled international cargo service, according Xinhua.
The new service offers one flight per week on Saturday, using Boeing 747-400 freighter, arriving at Chongqing at 0015 hrs and leaving at 0220 hrs.
Launch of the service enables directing shipping of made-in-Chongqing laptops to the US and Australia. By the end of the year, Chongqing airport's international cargo throughput will top 100,000 tonnes.
Chongqing is operating 14 international cargo services to Luxembourg, Moscow, Amsterdam, Kolkata, Singapore, Frankfurt, New Delhi, Krasnoyarsk, Sydney, New York, Hong Kong and Taiwan. There are more than 30 cargo flight take-offs and landings at Chongqing airport.
In the future, a number carriers are still to launch cargo services at Chongqing, including Hong Kong Airlines' service via Hong Kong to south east Asia, Cargolux and Airbridge Cargo's services to Europe and Evergreen International Airlines' service to the US.
Shipping Gazette - Daily Shipping News
TWO US Air Force fighters are taking part in the joint multi-disciplined Exercise Arctic Fencing Interagency (AFI) Arrow 12 near Alaska's Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport.
Participating agencies include the Alaskan North American Aerospace Defence Region (ANR), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport police and fire departments, as well as the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), Anchorage Police and Alaska State Troopers. Northern Air Cargo (NAC) provides the cargo flight in the exercise.
The scenario-based exercise will include the live escort of a cargo aircraft by two fighter aircraft deployed to Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson (JBER) into TSAIA. Additionally, emergency response apparatus and personnel will be on scene at the NAC ramp.
The exercise is designed to hone Ant's intercept and identification operations and handoff procedures of a "track of interest" to state and federal law enforcement/emergency response personnel and their ability to conduct response procedures to an on-board threat.
As part of the exercise, the cargo aircraft will be identified as a track of interest. ANR will then scramble the fighters. After the track of interest is escorted to a landing at TSAIA, the scenario shifts to the terminal at the NAC side of the airport ramp, where law enforcement/emergency response personnel will respond to the situation and conduct the necessary procedures to resolve the threat.
This is the second Exercise AFI-Arrow. The first, in May 2010, involved an Air Force KC-135 as the track of interest and FBI and the Federal Air Marshal Service - who responded to the on-board threat while the aircraft was airborne - conducting response operations at JBER.
Shipping Gazette - Daily Shipping News
FEDEX, a global leader in air cargo, has condemned the application US Federal Aviation Administration rules to enforce rest for pilots flying cargo aircraft, reports Washington, DC's newspaper, The Hill.
"The proposed legislation attempts to implement a 'one size fits all' approach to fatigue mitigation; an approach that the administration's own analysis determined was not practical," the FedEx statement said.
"The FAA recognised that fact when it wisely introduced the Fatigue Risk Management System, allowing carriers and pilots to develop customised plans together to achieve the best possible alertness results," the company said.
FedEx claimed it was already "the industry leader in fatigue mitigation because we have worked with our pilots and recognised experts to mitigate fatigue for many years. We will continue to incorporate the best scientific findings in the area of fatigue into our scheduling systems," said the company.
But Minnesota Republican Congressman Chip Cravaack and New York Democratic Congressman Tim Bishop have introduced legislation to address a gap in new fatigue rules announced by the FAA last year in response to a Continental Airlines 2009 cargo plane crash in Buffalo, New York.
The FAA responded last year with new rules that require airlines to allow their pilots to get at least 10 hours off-duty between flight schedules, which would give them a chance for eight hours sleep before the next take off.
Disagreeing with FedEx, the congressmen said it was important to have one set of rules for the national aviation system.
Said Congressman Cravaack: "As a former cargo pilot, I understand the importance of a single standard of safety for pilots who share the same airspace and runways with passenger aircraft. I introduced the Safe Skies Act to apply the new, common sense standard for pilot rest to cargo pilots as well."
Federal accident inspectors blamed the 2009 crash on pilot fatigue, and the families of victims of the crash have lobbied ever since to tighten regulation of the aviation industry.
Shipping Gazette - Daily Shipping News
SOUTH KOREA's air cargo volumes were down 1.9 per cent to 17,000 tons year on year in the first quarter, a decline attributed to sagging exports of information technology products.
The 2.9 per cent first quarter in international air cargo was also the result of Korean companies outsourcing the manufacture of mobile phones and televisions overseas, reported Yonhap News Agency. Domestic air cargo plummeted 9.6 per cent at 74,000 tons.
Demand for air cargo is likely to remain uncertain because of high fuel costs, currency violability and continuing economic uncertainty in the EU and China, said the Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs.
Cargo declines were down starkly against overseas passenger flights which set a new record up 12.3 per cent in the first three months to nearly 11.4 million passengers.
Shipping Gazette - Daily Shipping News
The second meeting on the preparations for the International conference on The Prospects of Developing Transport and Transit Traffic in the Caspian Region and Central Asia to be held in Ashgabat on May 16, 2012 took place at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan. The meeting was organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan and the Ministry of Motor Transport of Turkmenistan jointly with the International Road Transport Union (IRU), reported the State News Agency of Turkmenistan (TDH).
The heads of the diplomatic missions and international organizations accredited in the country took part in the meeting.
President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov, who underlined the importance of developing the transport communications with the aim to stir up the economic and trading relations in the regional and continental scale, and reaffirmed the invariable aspiration of neutral Turkmenistan to make a significant contribution to ensure the uninterrupted transport and transit traffic between the countries of the region speaking at the 66th session of the UN General Assembly, put forward an initiative of organizing the conference.
Within the framework of the National Programme on developing the national economy, a number of large-scale projects are implemented in Turkmenistan in order to optimize the traffic flow in Eurasia. Jointly with the countries of the region and the relevant structures of the UN and OSCE, Turkmenistan actively develops such prospective transport corridors as North-South and East-West that will become a bridge of cooperation and development of the trading and economic relations between the countries of the Eurasian continent.
In this regard the meeting participants underlined the urgency of the forthcoming conference in order to develop an optimal solution of the problems in the interest of peoples of the region and the whole world as well. It was also noted that the conference in Ashgabat would become the first practical step in implementation of the constructive initiatives of Turkmenistan in development of the UN Special Programme on developing the transit and transport potential between the Caspian and Black Seas, Middle Asia and Middle East.
The meeting participants exchanged their views on a number of aspects of the forthcoming forum discussing the conference agenda and a number of organizational issues.
Central Asian News Service, en.ca-news.org
2012-04-26
The quay wall of Rotterdam World Gateway (RWG), one of the first clients on Maasvlakte 2, is now protected against propeller wash when container giants moor. Very traditional Dutch fascine mats of willow branches were woven together for this purpose in March. These fascine mats protect the bed and quay walls of the port basin. The mats prevent the propeller wash from shifting sand adversely over the bed.
ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY
The Van Aalsburg company wove seven fascine mats for the first quay wall on Maasvlakte 2. Measuring from 200 to 300 metres long, the willow mats each cover an area of about 5,000 m2. This method of protecting the bed has a long proven track record. For more than 100 years, these kinds of mats have protected banks and beds against erosion by water.
The use of natural materials means this method is environment-friendly. It takes two days to produce a mat, while sinking it costs another half
a day. Tugboats bring the mats to their location along the quay. Weighed down by stones, the mats are then sunk to the bottom of the port basin. Winches ensure that the mats land on the right spot.
Source Port of Rotterdam Authority
2012-04-26
Uzbekistan Havo Yollari, a national airline of Uzbekistan, (Uzbekistan Airways) became laureate of award of non-commercial partnership “Flight Safety Foundation International” in nomination “For achievement in ensuring flight security”.
The Uzbek airline said it received award for targeted and effective work on ensuring flight security based on modern technologies and methods of organization, which helped it to avoid accidents for a long time.
Uzbekistan Havo Yollari said that the awarding ceremony will be held in Moscow, Russia, on 15 May 2012.
Flight Safety Foundation International was founded in 1999 by the airlines of Russia and the CIS states. The foundation’s main aim is to prevent accidents and improve security of flights in civil aviations.
Central Asian News Service, en.ca-news.org
The Finnair Plus program turns 20 years this year and to celebrate, Finnair is launching Lifetime tiers for its most loyal customers. Frequent customers who have reached Finnair Plus Lifetime Gold or Platinum tier membership can now enjoy Finnair Plus tier benefits that never expire.
When a customer reaches a Finnair Plus Lifetime tier, the tier locks in, leaving the benefits permanent. To reach the Finnair Plus Lifetime Gold tier, passengers need to accrue 3,000,000 Lifetime tier points, and for the Finnair Plus Lifetime Platinum, 5,000,000 Lifetime tier points. Every flight taken with Finnair or other oneworld airlines is counted toward the total amount of Lifetime tier points. All tier points accrued since joining Finnair Plus are counted toward Lifetime tier points. Customers can check the status of their tier and award points on the Finnair Plus website.
“To celebrate the 20 year anniversary of Finnair Plus, we wanted to bring new elements to the program,” says Mikko Tuomainen, Head of Loyalty Programs. “Adding the Lifetime Gold and Platinum tiers seemed like a good way to give thanks to our most loyal customers.”
More information on Finnair Plus 20th anniversary special benefits to frequent flyers can be found from www.finnair.fi/plus.
Source Finnair Plc
The European Court of Auditors (ECA) presented this morning the findings of a special report on the use of Structural and Cohesion Funds for transport infrastructure in seaports. The report covers the period 2000-2006 and looks at 27 projects in France, Spain, Italy and Greece. Together, these projects represent 85% of the total Structural and Cohesion budget that was spent on port infrastructure in that period.
The Court came to the conclusion that only 11 out of the 27 projects were effective in supporting transport policy objectives. In addition, some constructions had not been completed, some were not in use and others will need considerable further investment before they can be put into effective use. The Court also concluded that none of the audited regions and countries had a long-term port development plan in place and no needs assessment had been carried out. Furthermore, administrative procedures in the Member States concerned were found to be long and burdensome, sometimes leading to delays and additional expenditure. On the other hand, little consideration was given to the monitoring and supervision of project results. This resulted in some cases in empty ports and unused port infrastructure. The Court also blamed the Commission for not remedying project weaknesses and for not providing adequate guidance on sound financial management in spending.
“The report illustrates why it is necessary to bring at least part of the Cohesion Fund budget for transport under the control of the Connecting Europe Facility”, said ESPO Secretary General Patrick Verhoeven in a reaction, “This will help ensuring that priorities under the Trans-European Transport Networks are effectively met. We also believe the Commission should develop a transparent methodology to prove the EU value-added of funding, in terms of transport efficiency, sustainability and/or cohesion.”
Luc T’Joen, the leader of the team that carried out the performance audits, will present the findings of the report at the forthcoming ESPO Conference. The report itself is available in all EU languages from the website of the Court.
ESPO
UK Aviation Policy is a Great Opportunity
London - The International Air Transport Association (IATA) encouraged the UK government to use the opportunity of the national aviation policy consultation to enable aviation to generate more economic growth and jobs. Specifically, IATA asked the government to address high taxes and severe capacity constraints while developing policies to support the industry’s commitments on climate change.
“The UK is the world’s second largest market for international air travel, bringing enormous benefits to the economy. Aviation in the UK is at the center of over GBP 90 billion of economic activity and supports the livelihoods of nearly 1.8 million people. The connectivity provided by aviation enables London to function as a global financial center, to be a global hub of culture and to host the Olympics. Great Britain is an island. Aviation connects it to the global community and global economy. Government policies must recognize and nurture that important role,” said Tony Tyler, IATA’s Director General and CEO in a speech to the UK Aviation Club.
Aviation’s future capability to be a pillar supporting the UK economy is jeopardized, however, by a regulatory approach that constrains the growth of the UK’s only hub airport (Heathrow) and a fiscal policy that burdens the industry with heavy taxes. IATA encouraged the government to address these issues in a national aviation policy that will follow from the ongoing consultation process.
Capacity: IATA supported the further development of Heathrow over other proposals to provide hub capacity in the south east of the UK. Heathrow, a vital component of the UK’s economy supporting 220,000 jobs and GBP 11 billion in economic activity, is operating at 99% of its capacity. New capacity is urgently needed to support the needs of London as a global capital of finance and culture.
“The UK is falling behind in connectivity. London has less frequent links to 27 emerging market destinations than the daily connections offered from continental European hubs. If the UK wants to do business with these developing markets, air connectivity is the enabler,” said Tyler. He noted that London has no non-stop services to some developing markets such as Manila, Jakarta, Santiago and the Chinese cities of Chengdu, Shenyang and Guangzhou, although daily services exist from continental European hubs.
Proposals have been floated to address the need for more capacity by building a new airport to serve the London region. Such a project would be enormously expensive and politically uncertain. “For a fraction of the cost of building a new airport, the UK could get all the additional capacity needed to ensure that Heathrow continues as a great aviation hub and without the economic dislocation of moving 220,000 jobs that depend on Heathrow” Tyler said.
IATA forecasts indicate that 205 million people will travel to or from the UK in 2015, accounting for about one in every seven international air travelers. “The Government needs to make Heathrow’s expansion a priority in a competitive new UK aviation policy so that the UK can realize the economic benefits of connectivity and continue to punch above its weight globally,” Tyler said.
Taxation: The national policy must also reduce the UK’s high tax burden on aviation. “Chancellor George Osborne’s proposal to reduce corporate taxes from 28% to 22% by 2014 is welcome relief, but it is not a comprehensive solution. The high cost of doing business in the UK must also be addressed,” Tyler said. “The ever increasing Air Passenger Duty (APD) is a GBP 2.9 billion annual burden on UK businesses reliant on connectivity. And passenger demand is growing more slowly than at other European hubs because the APD is pricing air travel out of the range that consumers can bear.” IATA estimates the planned increase in the APD will result in the loss of 7,000 UK jobs on top of the damage that it is already doing to the economy.
Environment: IATA urged the UK to ensure that its aviation policy supports the industry’s climate change commitments to (1) improve fuel efficiency by 1.5% annually to 2020, (2) cap net carbon emissions from 2020 and (3) cut net carbon emissions in half by 2050 compared to 2005 levels.
“Aviation’s license to grow depends upon managing its environmental impacts. We have a long history of doing precisely that in partnership with regulators. Over the last three decades Heathrow’s noise contour was reduced by 60%. And we have managed to contain aviation’s emissions at 2% of global manmade CO2 with a 70% improvement in fuel efficiency over the last four decades.
IATA called on the UK to support the development of sustainable biofuels for aviation with policy measure that de-risk the investment needed to reduce cost and increase production. It also urged the EU to find a solution to the global impasse developing around the EU’s inclusion of international aviation in its emissions trading scheme through the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) process.
“Nobody wants a trade war. And ICAO has a process to find a solution. However, the frequent and robust reiteration by the EU Directorate General for Climate Action that nothing can be done to defer or amend the European scheme is not helpful. Europe’s trading partners are looking for signals that it is prepared to find solutions with the international community beyond its current plans in an agreement through the ICAO process,” said Tyler.
“The national aviation policy discussion is a great opportunity to replace the tax, regulate and restrict policy trajectory of today with one that supports connectivity, jobs and economic prosperity with sustainable growth. That’s exactly what is needed to re-start the UK economy. By refocusing the policy agenda towards competitive, cost-efficient and sustainable growth, aviation can do so much more than the already impressive support for GBP 90 billion of economic activity and 1.8 million jobs. A strong aviation industry is a foundation stone of an economically strong and competitive Great Britain. That needs to be understood from the people on the high street to the Prime Minister in Downing Street,” said Tyler.
IATA
2012-04-26
Scania will deliver 231 city buses to the Chilean capital Santiago. With this sale, Scania begins operation in the Transantiago integrated public transport system, connecting bus lines and the metro network. The vehicles will begin to run in September and will be operated by Alsacia Express, which has extensive experience in operating buses in different integrated public transport systems throughout Latin America.
Scania will deliver a comprehensive package of products and services to the bus operator, including operational leasing of the vehicles by its Chilean financing company.
“Besides providing training for employees and bus management, including maintenance and repair, the package also includes Scania’s own GPRS monitoring system”, says Silvio Munhoz, Managing Director of Scania Chile.
With 230 hp engines, the low-floor model K 230 4X2 buses meet the European Euro 5 emission standard and the even stricter EEV standard (Enhanced Environmentally Friendly Vehicles). The Scania bus chassis will be manufactured by the Brazilian bus bodybuilder Marcopolo.
Launched in 2007, the Transantiago integrated public transport system connects the entire city bus fleet of the Chilean capital and more than 100 kilometers of the metro network. The system comprises local routes, with buses operating within a single zone, and routes that connect different areas of the city.
Scania
Out-of-the-box action destined to create major leap forward in safety
APM Terminals takes an unusual organizational step to further improve its safety culture: The Hague-based global port and inland operator, often highlighted and awarded as safety leader in the industry, has decided to assign one of its most experienced and trusted executives as an internal Safety Activist.
This organizational step, previously unseen in the port business, is described by APM Terminals’ CEO Kim Fejfer as a strategic move to achieve a major leap forward in safety. “The sole purpose of this new and unique type of executive assignment is to drive the company’s safety culture forward to a new degree of excellence. And we have found the best person possible for this task,” says Kim Fejfer.
The new special Safety Activist assignment has been awarded to Martin Poulsen, for the past six years CEO of APM Terminals’ Europe region. Mr. Poulsen is a true veteran of the port business, having been with APM Terminals since the company was established as an individual entity in 2001. He is broadly respected for his business experience, leadership excellence and vast insight in all aspects of operations.
Martin Poulsen will focus on mobilizing the global APM Terminals organization to address the constant safety challenges in the port operations. The work in global ports is often complex, and danger constantly prevails when large-scale machinery mix with dock labor and external trucks. Working in heights, extremely heavy lifts and the danger of falling objects adds to the risk. The recently issued Sustainability Report 2011 from APM Terminals openly stated that despite progress in the overall safety performance, APM Terminals has yet to achieve a significant reduction in fatal accidents.
“Our ambition at this point is to eradicate fatalities and severe incidents. What we need is the mindset of an activist, fighting for a just cause. And Martin Poulsen is the person to fully mobilize the organization in the daily battle against dangers in the workplace,” says Kim Fejfer.
The new role as Safety Activist is not a traditional executive job, but a temporary strategic assignment of a complex nature - and therefore best suited for an experienced executive with license to investigate and improve. APM Terminals will still uphold a permanent safety organization, but part of Mr. Poulsen’s internal activist duties will be to work closely with - and potentially develop - the existing safety team. After the assignment is completed he is expected to return to a high-level business line role.
Martin Poulsen himself states that the task of progressing safety culture and performance is “probably the most important challenge at this point in time in the port industry.
For my entire career I have been privileged to be involved in some of the most important areas of our business – growing the business substantially through business development as well as significantly improving day-to-day operations. Right now, I am honored and happy to offer my experience and full attention to the most important thing you can strive for: That everybody returns home safe from work.”
APM Terminals
COSCO is to add a transpacific loop to its offering through the purchase of slots on the new China-US service to be launched by Wan Hai Lines and "K" Line (Calco-B) from Qingdao on May 7, reports Alphaliner.
The service will connect Qingdao, Shanghai and Ningbo to Long Beach, using five vessels with capacities of between 4,200 and 4,800 TEU. Three ships will be provided by "K" Line and two by Wan Hai.
This comes out of a recent agreement between Wan Hai and "K" Line to jointly operate a transpacific service to Long Beach (Calco-B). There is also the Calco-C (South East Asia-Japan Express) service, which rotates through Xiamen, Hong Kong, Shenzhen-Yantian, Shanghai, Long Beach, Oakland, Tokyo, Nagoya and back to Xiamen.
This is augmented by the SEA (South East Asia-Japan Express) service which rotates through Guangzhou-Nansha, Hong Kong, Shenzhen-Yantian, Xianmen, Long Beach and back to Guangzhou-Nansha.
Shipping Gazette - Daily Shipping News
TAIWAN-based Evergreen Line is to increase its shuttle service to Libya with a second 1,000-TEU vessel creating a weekly service from the end of the month.
The positive signs of recovery in Libya's economy and reconstruction projects has led Evergreen to introduce highly competitive transit times on its shuttle service which will call at Piraeus, Malta, Misurata, Benghazi and back to Piraeus.
Shipping Gazette - Daily Shipping News
THE Port of Yantai, in eastern Shandong province, posted an 8.6 per cent year on year increase in first quarter cargo volume to 48.29 million tonnes - surpassing volume the port achieved in all of 2005.
Yantai has developed a convenient, efficient logistics chain on the south bank of Bohai Sea, which has increased the throughput of bulk cargo. Meanwhile, the port enhanced its distribution with rail, road and waterway services to ease heavy pressure on warehouses and freight yard. The port's rail car cargo loading volume climbed 25.9 per cent year on year.
Shipping Gazette - Daily Shipping News
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The magazine SEA has been published since 1935
International business magazine JŪRA MOPE SEA has been published since 1999
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