Newsletter – September 24, 2021

AIR FREIGHT UPDATES

Sharp increase in aviation cyber attacks leaves air cargo vulnerable

theloadstar.com
In the week that CMA CGM suffered a data breach, eyes are once again on cyber security.
But while the shipping lines (eg Maersk) and forwarders (ECU Worldwide, Toll Group) have taken the vast majority of headlines, the threat in air cargo is also high. Read more here (login required).

Air cargo handlers face staff shortages on both sides of the Atlantic

theloadstar.com
Fluctuating volumes, pandemic-induced government support schemes and staff shortage woes have left ground handlers facing “very different labour dynamics” across networks.
Chief operating officer of Menzies Aviation, Mervyn Walker, told The Loadstar the ongoing impact of Covid-19 differed country to country and was forcing the company to make “tailored” approaches to tackling recruitment challenges, which some claim are worsening. Read more here (login required).

CargoAi expands reach with booking request service

aircargonews.net
CargoAi has added a new booking request service that will allow freight forwarders to connect through the platform with GSAs and airlines that do not currently have API connections.
The booking request service allows forwarders to search on a specific route to see flights, which are updated on a daily basis by CargoAi, and rates from airlines operating on the route even when they are not directly connected to platform through APIs. Read more here.

OCEAN FREIGHT UPDATES

Crew change crisis getting worse

seatrade-maritime.com
Anglo-Eastern Univan CEO Bjorn Hojgaard took to LinkedIn at the weekend to vent his frustrations that the crew change crisis was “getting worse, not better” and stating that ports and nations were to blame.
“The way we treat seafarers in 2021 is absolutely shameful. Since the pandemic started, crewing departments the world over have scrambled to facilitate crew change against increasingly difficult odds,” Hojgaard wrote. Read more here.

Maersk invests in US start-up to develop e-fuels

splash247.com
A.P. Moller – Maersk has made a leading venture investment in Prometheus Fuels, a Silicon Valley-based startup with a direct air capture technology to enable carbon neutral e-fuels for shipping.
Maersk joins a team of investors which includes BMW and Metaplanet. Peter Votkjaer Jorgensen, partner at Maersk Growth, will join the board of Prometheus Fuels. Read more here.

CANADA BUSINESS- GOVERNMENT UPDATES

Canada border officers ratify deal for new contract

freightwaves.com
Canada Border Services Agency officers have overwhelmingly voted to ratify an agreement for a new four-year contract with the Canadian government, their union said on Thursday.
The vote by Public Service Alliance of Canada-Customs and Immigration Union members paves the way for union leaders and the Treasury Board of Canada to sign the contract in the coming weeks. Read more here.

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS- GOVERNMENT UPDATES

Sourcing from Vietnam could shift as costs and restrictions rise, warn businesses
theloadstar.com
The sourcing shift to Vietnam will go into reverse if severe lockdown measures don’t end soon, business groups have warned.
Associations including AmCham, EuroCham, and Korean and Japanese business leaders have highlighted the growing financial costs and operational challenges from the Covid restrictions in South Vietnam, which are notably stricter than other countries in south-east Asia. Read more here (login required.