Newsletter – February 26, 2020

AIR FREIGHT UPDATES

All-cargo carriers eye surge in business as coronavirus pressures airline finances

freightwaves.com

Uncertainty continued to grip the passenger and cargo aviation markets this week as the coronavirus’ swift spread to South Korea, Italy, the U.K. and Iran raised fears of a global pandemic that could significantly curtail trade and travel. Read more here.

British Airways Declares Final Boarding For Single Use Plastics

simpleflying.com

British Airways has issued a final boarding call for millions of items of single-use plastic. In fact, by the end of the year, the British flag carrier aims to remove more than 700 tons of single-use plastic from its flights. Read more here.

American Airlines Eyes Direct Doha Flights – What To Expect

simpleflying.com

On top of today’s announcement that American Airlines and Qatar Airways would launch a codeshare agreement, American also announced that it was exploring options for adding flights to Qatar Airways’ hub in Doha. What should passengers expect from this announcement? Read more here.

OCEAN FREIGHT UPDATES

Evergreen Line launches ‘rule-breaking’ online booking capability

lloydsloadinglist.com

Evergreen Line has launched a new online booking capability, ‘GreenX’, that allows shippers, NVOCCs and freight forwarders to make bookings “within minutes” directly with Evergreen Line – “breaking the traditional rules of contract negotiation which needs to be carried out in advance with volume commitment”. Read more here.

Carrier bosses angry as scrubber fitting delays start to impact earnings

theloadstar.com

Even before the coronavirus outbreak, scrubber retrofits on container vessels at Chinese yards were subject to substantial delays.

According to Alphaliner data, pro-scrubber carrier MSC has seen its ships “severely delayed”, with the longest stay to date the 19,437 teu MSC Erica, which has been idle for 175 days. Read more here.

Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach Plan to “collaborate” on cargo operations

logisticsmgmt.com

The newly approved memorandum of understanding (MOU) is an opportunity to explore five areas of additional cooperation that will enhance competitiveness: cargo transfer predictability, digital connectivity, cybersecurity, establishing metrics and workforce development. Read more here.

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS – GOVERNMENT UPDATES

Delhi to ease customs delays, fines arising from China virus crisis

seanews.com.tr

THE Indian government has stepped in to ease the pain for beneficial cargo owners (BCOs) of customs clearance delays for Chinese imports caught up in the coronavirus supply chain turmoil, reports IHS media. Read more here.

Flight cancellations and factory closures hit South Korea trade as coronavirus erupts

theloadstar.com

Coronavirus in South Korea has prompted flight cancellations and factory closures, with reports of capacity problems at ports and airports.

Reminiscent of China’s sudden isolation in late January, airlines around the world have cancelled or suspended Korea flights following a surge in virus cases in the city of Daegu, North Gyeongsang province. Read more here.