Newsletter: March 22, 2022

AIR FREIGHT UPDATES

Canada Extends Its Russian Flight Ban To Include Humanitarian Flights

simpleflying.com
After an Aeroflot Airbus A350 with tail number VQ-BFY violated Canadian airspace on its last Miami-Moscow flight – Flight AFL111/SU111 on February 27 – Canada decided to act. Canada feels after an investigation that Flight AFL111 abused the humanitarian exemption and will tighten the ban on Russian aviation overflights of Canada to include flights classified or claimed to be humanitarian. Read more here. 

Another milestone for China’s first air cargo hub

aircargonews.net
Ezhou Airport, which is dubbed China’s first cargo airport, took another step closer to launch over the weekend as SF Airlines completed a test flight.
China’s largest freighter operator, SF Airlines, is developing the airport as its main cargo hub in partnership with Hubei Province with plans for the facility to open in June. Read more here. 

OCEAN FREIGHT UPDATES

Cosco develops all-electric feeder vessels

splash247.com
Cosco’s intra-Asia containerline subsidiary Shanghai Pan-Asia Shipping will operate a novel pair of feeders on the Yangtze soon.
Shanghai Pan-Asia is to take two all-electric 700 teu ships on long term charter from Cosco Shipping Development. The ships, which will deliver in late 2023, are being built by Cosco Shipping Heavy Industry (Yangzhou) for a total price of $18.24m. Read more here.

Chinese port congestion worsens

splash247.com
Shenzhen might have got through the worst of another Covid lockdown, but the ripple effects of China’s battle with omicron are seeing ships back up along the nation’s coastline with carriers forced to change schedules to avoid growing congestion issues.
Shenzhen came out of a seven-day lockdown yesterday, and while its port workers were allowed to work for the duration of the shutdown, limited trucking and warehousing availability has created some supply chain issues. Read more here. 

FMC pressuring ocean carriers to boost exports

freightwaves.com
The Federal Maritime Commission will consider taking regulatory action against ocean carriers that are not providing sufficient services to U.S. exporters and their overseas markets.
The FMC announced the stepped-up pressure on Monday as part of an expansion of the agency’s Vessel-Operating Common Carrier Audit Program, which the FMC launched last year to assess the market power of the nine largest container carriers operating in U.S. markets. Read more here. 

GROUND AND RAIL FREIGHT UPDATES

Spain Trucker Strike Sparks Supply Chain Tensions

barrons.com
An open-ended strike by some Spanish lorry drivers over mounting fuel prices has triggered supply chain problems in Spain, leaving several sectors struggling to cope, businesses said Thursday.
The strike called by a small truck driver union began on Monday, with protesters demanding action over the soaring cost of diesel they said was leaving them in a “catastrophic” situation. Read more here.