Newsletter – April 28, 2021

AIR FREIGHT UPDATES

What Does It Take To Put A Plane Into Long Term Storage?

simpleflying.com
The last 12 months has seen a seismic shift in aircraft fleet management at airlines. With passenger demand down in most markets and not expected to recover for some time, airlines are searching for cost savings where they can. High on their hit list are big planes, especially older big planes that are costly to run. Read more here.

OCEAN FREIGHT UPDATES

Ottawa tables legislation to send striking Port of Montreal workers back on the job

cbc.ca
Federal Labour Minister Filomena Tassi has tabled back-to-work legislation for the Port of Montreal’s 1,150 dock workers, who have been on strike since Monday morning.
The legislation would require employees to return to work after the bill passes. It would also extend their previous collective agreement until a new one is negotiated. Read more here.

Viewpoint: Settling for general average

freightwaves.com
The world watched as the MV Ever Given remained stuck in the Suez Canal between March 23 and 29. The ultra-large 20,000-TEU vessel was in the middle of its voyage from the Port of Tanjung Pelepas in Malaysia to the Port of Rotterdam, Netherlands, when, according to the vessel operators, strong winds made it run aground. Its 430-yard-long hull nestled obliquely along both edges of the narrow canal.  Read more here.

MSC launches global electronic bills of lading

splash247.com
After running pilot projects in select countries since 2019, Mediterranean Shipping Co (MSC) has officially launched the electronic bill of lading (eBL) for all customers worldwide, paving the way for widespread eBL adoption.
The eBL enables shippers and other supply chain stakeholders to receive and transmit the bill of lading document electronically, without any change or disruption to day-to-day business operations. Read more here.

Talks at the ILO over seafarer minimum wage break down

splash247.com
After two days of talks at the International Labour Organisation (ILO), negotiations on setting a new minimum wage for seafarers over the coming three years have broken down between seafarer unions and shipowners. Shipowners’ offer representing a 3% pay rise for seafarers across the world was rejected.
The figures offered by shipowners for the minimum wage for seafarers for a three-year deal were per month from $641 to $645 for 2022, $645 to $648 for 2023 and $660 for 2024. Read more here.

Shipping containers plunge overboard as supply race raises risks

ajot.com
Containers piled high on giant vessels carrying everything from car tires to smartphones are toppling over at an alarming rate, sending millions of dollars of cargo sinking to the bottom of the ocean as pressure to speed deliveries raises the risk of safety errors.
The shipping industry is seeing the biggest spike in lost containers in seven years. More than 3,000 boxes dropped into the sea last year, and more than 1,000 have fallen overboard so far in 2021. The accidents are disrupting supply chains for hundreds of U.S. retailers and manufacturers such as Amazon and Tesla. Read more here.