DAILY SHIPPING NEWS - MONDAY FEBRUARY 13, 2017

Air Freight News :

Airlander 10 expected to fly again later this year.

Hybrid Air Vehicles (HAV) has confirmed that it expects its Airlander 10 airship – the world’s largest aircraft – to fly again in the near future.

The Airlander 10, of which HAV is the designer, assembler and owner, suffered a crash landing in August last year during a test flight from Cardington Airfield in Bedfordshire, in the UK. Following repairs to the aircraft – its cockpit was badly damaged when it crashed – it is hoped that test flights can soon resume.

The “heavy landing” was attributed by HAV to a “technical issue”, and there were no injuries. A spokesperson for HAV confirmed to Air Cargo News today that “things are going well”, and “we aim to fly as soon as we can”.

The Airlander 10 airship employs technology that “combines the best of the characteristics of fixed wing aircraft and helicopters with lighter-than-air technology to create a new breed of hyper-efficient aircraft”, HAV claims.

It is designed to stay airborne for up to five days at a time when manned, and for more than two weeks if unmanned. Amongst its proposed roles is operating as a cargo carrier.

The Airlander 10 makes little noise, creates little pollution, and is therefore very environmentally friendly, HAV notes. Air landers can take off from and land in comparatively small, unprepared sites in desert, ice, water, or open field environments.

Potential customers and investors are said by HAV to be coming from the US, Canada, China, Brazil, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar the UAE and throughout Europe.

Miami completes first sea-air shipment.

·         Miami International Airport (MIA) has completed its first-ever ocean-to-air perishables transhipment -  10 tons of peas from Guatemala

The peas arrived aboard the Crowley Maritime Corp. vessel Tucana J at Port Everglades on January 30, were trucked to MIA, and then departed to Amsterdam via a Centurion Cargo flight on February 2.

The service comes after the US Department of Agriculture last year approved a permit for the sea-air service and US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agreed to expedite processing of the ocean shipments before their air departures.

Miami-based Customized Brokers, a subsidiary of Crowley Maritime Corp, partnered with MIA to win approval for the programme, which was first revealed in October.

The logistics firm can now coordinate ocean shipments of perishable products from Latin America to Port Everglades and then transport them to MIA, where they will depart by air to freighters serving Europe, Asia and the Middle East.

The ocean-to-air pilot program will save both time and money for cargo shippers, who will receive expedited air transport for perishable products without paying CBP duties.

US carriers seek Tillerson meeting in Gulf states subsidy row.

·         US Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson

US passenger airline bosses have asked to meet the new US Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, to discuss allegations that Middle East Gulf states are unfairly subsidising state-owned carriers.

This latest move in a long simmering row has seen the chief executives of American Airlines, United and Delta Air Lines post an invitation to meet Tillerson on the website of US airlines-backed Partnership for Open & Fair Skies (POFS).

“We are writing to bring to your attention an issue of utmost importance to the future of our industry: the massive subsidisation of three state-owned Gulf carriers – Qatar Airways, Etihad Airways and Emirates – and the significant harm this subsidised competition is causing to US airlines and US jobs,” the letter stated.

The letter from the US airlines continued: “The Gulf carriers have received over $50bn in documented subsidies from their government owners since 2004."

All three Middle East carriers hotly contest the allegations, which they say are untrue, and also have the support of a rival US faction, under the US Airlines for Open Skies umbrella, whose members include Atlas Air Worldwide, FedEx Express, JetBlue Airways and Hawaiian Airlines.

American Airlines, United and Delta, frustrated at what they perceive as a lack of action by the administration of former US president Barack Obama, believe that the “America first” position of the new president, Donald Trump, will provide a tailwind to their campaign.

News agency Reuters quoted Etihad Aviation Group chief executive James Hogan, which flies to six cities in the US, as saying earlier this week in Abu Dhabi that  the Gulf carriers will have to wait and see if Trump reopens the Open Skies debate.

"We are not flying into any further points in the US. We are very comfortable with our American network. In regards to how that's addressed moving forward, we have to wait and see.”

Hogan was speaking after Etihad and German flag carrier Lufthansa announced details of a partnership based initially on in-flight catering and aircraft maintenance, but with the potential to widen into other services.

Sea Freight News :

Will Demonetization Scuttle Growth Rate at 12 Major Ports This Year? India Tradeways India’s 12 state-owned ports together loaded 7.14% more cargo or 535.351 million tonnes (mt) between April 2016 and January 2017, led mainly by a 169% growth in iron ore loadings. These dozen ports located at Kandla, Mumbai, Jawaharlal Nehru, Mormugao, New Mangalore, Cochin, V O Chidambaranar, Chennai, Visakhapatnam, Paradip, Ennore and Kolkata, handled a combined 499.686 mt of cargo during April 2015 and January 2016. The 12 ports handled a combined 606.374 mt of cargo in the year ended March 2016 from 581.344 mt in the year to March 2015, posting a growth of 4.31%. It is not clear whether the 12 ports will handle cargo volumes recorded in 2015-16 or even surpass it during the remaining 49 days of the current fiscal, with at least one port official saying that the effect of scrapping of highly value currency notes in November 2016 was just beginning to bite.

Major ports facing stiff competition The Hindu With the powers-that-be encouraging private investments in a big way, the non-major ports are eating into the throughput handled by the major ports. A study conducted by Ernst & Young (EY) in collaboration with Andhra Pradesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry Federation (APCCIF) has confirmed that going by the trend, the non-major ports will account for a majority share of cargo being handled by the port sector in a few years. The State government also has plans to develop non-major ports at Bhavanapadu in Srikakulam and other places across the State. The National Maritime Development Programme-2020 envisages a huge investment of Rs. 25,000 crore in major ports in capacity augmentation and modernisation projects.

Coastal trade can help India save $28 billion in infrastructure spend: EY Financial Express India can save up to USD 28 billion in infrastructure spend and another USD 3.3 billion in transportation cost if 50% of overall trade moves closer to ports by 2020, an EY report said today. With initiatives like Sagarmala, “it is estimated that India can save up to USD 28 billion in infrastructure investment and another USD 3.3 billion in transportation cost if 50% of overall trade moves closer to ports by 2020,” as per the research report by EY. The report said non-major ports on the east-coast of the country could play a major role in leading the sustainable growth path for the maritime trade. It said global trade increased at a CAGR of 6.9 per cent in value terms during 1990 – 2015, and sea borne trade constitutes 80 per cent of the global trade by volume.

Concor kicks off trial train services to Visakhapatnam MMLP Nyooz Stating that the Container Corporation of India (Concor) is looking at the east coast with great interest for firming up its business, its chairman and managing director V Kalyanarama said the company was start trial runs for train services for its multi-modal logistics park (MMLP) in Vizag from Friday.Participating in the East Coast Maritime Business Summit in the city on Friday, Kalyanarama said the MMLP was being set up over an area of 100 acres with an investment of nearly Rs 450 crore. He said, "Concor has constructed a huge MMLP with 100 acres. The container freight stations are already functioning and we are adding train services. By developing MMLP on 100 acres, we will provide good processing facility and warehousing facility which will be required post GST implementation as warehouses are required for value addition.

CCI clears Maersk firm of anti-competition charges Business Line The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has decided that joint ventures or subsidiaries of Maersk-owned APM Terminals have not contravened provisions of competition law relating to abuse of dominant behaviour, as they are not in a dominant position. The group’s companies include Gateway Terminals India Private Limited (GTIPL), APM Terminals Pipavav/ Gujarat Pipavav Port, APM Terminals Inland Services (Main), APM Terminals Inland Services (Annex) and APM Terminals Management B.V. At the JN Port in Navi Mumbai, GTIPL’s cargo traffic has been declining since 2014-15 when it stood at 45.16 per cent; 45.06 per cent in 2014-15 and 41.42 per cent in 2015-16. Moreover, newer terminals have either begun functioning or are expected to start operations, said CCI.

CMA CGM Boosts India Middle East – East Africa Links World Maritime News French container shipping major CMA CGM has decided to upgrade two weekly services connecting India Middle East Gulf to East Africa, starting from February 20, 2017. The services in question are Swahili Express and Noura Express which have a combined fleet of nine vessels of up to 3,500 TEU, with twelve ports of call. Commencing on February 24 with M/V Chief arriving at the Port of Nhava Sheva, the Swahili service will be operated with four ships. The company will add Mombasa direct call, complementing the existing Dar Es Salaam call. Port coverage at origin will be upgraded with two port calls in India, while Longoni and Zanzibar ports are discontinued, according to CMA CGM. The Swahili service will include the following ports: Nhava Sheva, Mundra, Jebel Ali, Khor Fakkan, Mombasa, Dar Es Salaam, Nhava Sheva.

Cement transport via waterway sets sail Greater Kashmir To promote cargo movement through water in a big way, the government has set in motion transportation of cement on National Waterway 1 on the Ganga. "In keeping with the objective of the government to make cargo movement on National Waterway 1 (Ganga) a regular feature, an Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) vessel MV Zakir Hussain on February 5, 2017 (Sunday), set sail from Haldia to Patna carrying 350 tonnes of cement consignment of Dalmia Bharat Cement," IWAI said in a statement today. Other cement majors like Shree Ultra, UltraTech, Jaypee, Ramco and ACC have also shown interest in transporting their cargo through NW-1, which is being developed under the Jal Marg Vikas Project with technical and financial assistance of the World Bank at an estimated cost of Rs 5,369 crore.

Rs 5L cr worth of orders for roads, ports: Gadkari Nagalad Post The government’s road and highway building programme has enough cash to build the crucial infrastructure, Road Transport and Shipping Minister Nitin Gadkari has said. “We have signed contracts worth Rs 5 lakh crore for infrastructure, roads, ports. It is a remarkable contribution from our investors. We do not have any problem, we are receiving public, private investment... we are receiving good response for the Public-Private Partnership, Build-Operate-Transfer and hybrid annuity (models),” Gadkari told Assocham TV in an interview. As per the 2017-18 Budget, presented by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley earlier this month, the AAA-rated National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has been permitted to raise Rs 70,000 crore through infrastructure bonds, he said.

Multi-modal logistic park ready: Concor chief The Hindu The maritime business is moving towards multi-modal logistics parks (MMLP) and setting up of such parks close to ports and in the hinterland will bring down the logistics cost and also promote containerisation, said Container Corporation of India (Concor) chairman V. Kalyanarama. According to Mr. Kalyanarama, the Visakhapatnam MMLP built on 100 acres is ready for operation, with warehouses and other facilities including a railway line. “We have spent to the tune of Rs. 450 crore on building the MMLP. Further, we are taking up such parks at Kakinada and Krishnapatnam ports also. We have acquired the land and we will begin the work soon,” he said. He said containerisation was happening in the country but not at the expected pace. According to him Andhra Pradesh has the potential to play a key role on the east coast, as containerisation is moving east.

Charting The Consolidation Of Container Shipping Hellenic Shipping News Last year saw a huge amount of change in the under pressure container shipping sector. In particular, the ongoing consolidation of the sector in one form or another grabbed the headlines. To put this into context, it’s interesting to see how the level of consolidation relates to other parts of shipping, how it has developed over time and how it might progress looking forward. It’s quite clear that the shipping industry is a fairly fragmented business. On the basis of start 2017 Clarksons Research data, 88,892 ships in the world fleet were spread across 24,267 owners. That works out at less than 4 vessels per owner. Although 145 owners with more than 50 ships accounted for almost 12,000 of the vessels (and 29% of the GT), it’s still not that consolidated.

India Disposes of Alang Hazardous Waste from Shipbreaking World Maritime News All hazardous waste generated at Alang shiprecycling facilities is being disposed of “in a safe and environmentally sound manner” in Gujarat Pollution Control Board authorized Treatment, Storage and Disposal Facility (TSDF) site, India’s Ministry of Shipping informed. Operated by Gujarat Maritime Board, the landfills are constructed as per the Guidelines of Central Pollution Control Board and provided with liner system in bottom which prevents leachate to percolate to the sub-soil. “Monitoring of environmental parameters is done by Gujarat Pollution Control Board regularly. Regular health checkup for the workers is also conducted by GMB. Environmental Impact Assessment is carried out whenever creation of new yards or expansion and upgradation of existing yards is taken up,” the government said.

Work begins to refloat cargo ships that ran aground in Sharjah during storm The National Work has begun to refloat several cargo ships that ran aground in a storm last week in which at least three sailors died. Five vessels were washed up on the coasts of Sharjah and Umm Al Quwain. On Sunday, one cargo ship was being floated at Al Hamriya beach after running aground off Sharjah in bad weather. Another vessel sank in the storm, claiming the lives of at least three Indian sailors, whose bodies were recovered from the sea. Two crewmen were rescued by coastguards and five were helped from the sinking ship. Two others in the 12-man crew remain unaccounted for. Municipality teams and representatives of the company managing one of the other ships are now working on manoeuvring the ship towards the sea to allow tugs to pull it into deeper water to float it.