Newsletter – August 26, 2020

AIR FREIGHT UPDATES

Growth in air cargo market driving rising demand for B737 conversions

theloadstar.com

Texel Air, a private carrier and MRO operator based in Bahrain, is opening a new chapter for Boeing 737NG aircraft.

In a market that demands more flexibility, Texel took delivery yesterday of a B737-700 that can be operated in seven different configurations. Read more here.

OCEAN FREIGHT UPDATES

Charterers playing ‘pass the parcel’ with crew changes

splash247.com

Charterers are now discriminating against ships which have long-serving crew onboard rather than risk their cargo being delayed by crew change deviations, warns one crewmanager today. Read more here.

Digital health document created to alleviate crew change crunch

splash247.com

Swiss-based track and trace specialist SICPA, in partnership with Hong Kong’s Crew Assist, has developed an urgently needed tech solution to the crew change crisis.

A proof-of-concept trial featuring the brand new CERTUSTM myHealth Pass has started. Read more here.

GROUNDAND RAILFREIGHT UPDATES

Transportation, logistics sector braces for Hurricane Laura

freightwaves.com

Trucking, port officials have contingency plans ready ahead of possible Category 3 storm

Hurricane Laura is headed toward the upper Texas and Louisiana coasts, with significant potential to disrupt freight flows in the region.Trucking fleets, ports and airports in the region are preparing for the storm, which could make landfall late Wednesday night. Read more here.

The Daily Dash: Financial growth for the industry and a freight brokerage bucks COVID-19 trends

freightwaves.com

The Daily Dash is a quick look at what is happening in the freight ecosystem. In today’s edition, the third-quarter financial report of industry lender BMO suggests positive momentum going forward for carriers. Plus, a Tennessee freight brokerage continues record growth despite the pandemic, and new visibility tools and transportation management system integrations aim to improve carrier and shipper operations. Read more here.

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS – GOVERNMENT UPDATES

Swiss Investors Map Out Futuristic Plan for Cargo Underground

bloomberg.com

A group of private investors in Switzerland wants to build a system of tunnels with self-driving vehicles to transport goods between Zurich and Geneva. They’ll have to fork out 33 billion francs ($36.3 billion) to realize their dream by 2045. Read more here.

North, South Korea brace for powerful Typhoon Bavi

globalnews.ca

Hundreds of flights were cancelled in South Korea while North Korea‘s leader expressed concern about a possible loss of lives and crops as the countries braced for a fast-approaching typhoon forecast as one of the strongest to hit their peninsula this year. Read more here.