Newsletter – February 1, 2018

AIR FREIGHT UPDATES

Balancing capacity and demand?— TIACA ?looks ahead to 2018
source: aircargonews.net
TIACA chairman Sebastiaan Scholte has presented his New Year outlook for 2018 which sees continued revenue growth as e-commerce drives volumes.
He also observes that, while perishables and pharma products have lagged behind other airfreight sectors, they both retain a stable growth profile because future demand for them is based mainly on demographics rather than economics. Read more here.

Airbus A321LR Completes Maiden Flight
source:news.airwise.com
Airbus on Wednesday completed the first flight of the A321LR, a longer range version of the single-aisle A321neo jet.
The maiden flight took off from Airbus Hamburg at 11:06 local time and lasted 2 hours and 36 minutes.
Read more here.

OCEAN FREIGHT UPDATES

ONE begins taking bookings
source: lloydsloadinglist.com
Japanese joint venture Ocean Network Express (ONE) today began accepting bookings for its container shipping service, on a phased basis.
The joint venture of Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha (K Line), Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL), and Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha (NYK) is set to start its business operations on 1 April. Read more here.

Container shipping’s first dedicated crypto currency
source: lloydsloadinglist.com
The first-stage rollout of a new blockchain application designed to streamline the container shipping booking system is scheduled to start today.
300cubits, a start-up established last July, pledged to distribute its own dedicated crypto-currency in the form of free TEU tokens to industry participants including leading forwarders from 1 February. Read more here.

Jawaharlal Nehru’s Fourth Container Terminal Almost Open
source: porttechnology.org
The first vessel, CMA CGM ‘Centaurus’, will arrive at India’s largest container gateway, an owned subsidiary of PSA International (PSA), on February 2, 2018, with a formal inauguration ceremony due later that month.
On January 29, BMCT received its first container arriving by road during a gate opening ceremony. Read more here.

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS – GOVERNMENT UPDATES

Why cutting spending on your supply chain will cost you more money
source: theloadstar.co.uk
Last month, UK budget retail firm Poundstretcher was fined £1m because of the “chaotic” working conditions in its warehouses.
Items were stored badly across the warehouse, something likely generated from years of neglect and a short-term savings approach to warehouse work. Read more here (login required).