Newsletter – February 14, 2023

AIR FREIGHT UPDATES

Heathrow Airport workers plan to ballot for strikes, union says

ajot.com
Heathrow Airport’s security, engineering and firefighting staff represented by the Unite Union will next week begin balloting for strikes, adding pressure to UK’s transport network which has been hit by a wave of industrial action.
More than 3,000 members of UK’s Unite Union will start voting on Feb. 17, with the ballot closing on March 17. These workers had rejected a 10% pay increase, the union said in an emailed statement on Sunday. Read more here.

Air cargo continues aid efforts for Turkey-Syria earthquake

aircargonews.net
Last week a 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck close to the Turkish city of Gaziantep on the Syrian border, causing extensive casualties and deaths as well as damage to buildings and infrastructure.
The air cargo industry quickly swung into action to transport aid destined for the devastated region and efforts are continuing this week. Read more here.

OCEAN FREIGHT UPDATES

West coast port contract talks limp on as permanent traffic loss looms

theloadstar.com
The contract negotiations between the 22,000 port workers in the International Longshore & Warehouse Union (ILWU) and 70 employers on the US west coast, represented by the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA) are back on track.
But there is rising concern that the long wait for a resolution will result in permanent loss of business for west coast ports. Read more here (login required).

TS Lines closes Vancouver service and repurposes fleet for intra-Asia

theloadstar.com
Taiwanese intra-Asia carrier TS Lines has sold three containerships as it refocuses resources on its core intra-Asia services.
Last week, Greek broker Intermodal reported that TS Lines had sold 2019-built 1,096 teu TS Shanghai and TS Yokohama and the 2006-built 962 teu TS Moji to a European buyer for $40m. Read more here (login required)

MSC joins ship-scrapping spree, but overcapacity still a prospect

theloadstar.com
MSC is to scrap a containership for the first time in nearly four years, as demolitions in the sector continue to rise amid the lacklustre freight market.
Linerlytica reported yesterday that the 1986-built, 1,911 teu MSC Floriana, serving the Swiss-Italian liner giant’s intra-Mediterranean service, had been sold for $4.56m, or $520/ldt, for recycling in Alang, India. Read more here.

Bangladesh Shipping Corporation to receive $22.48m pay-out for vessel hit by rocket in Ukraine

State-run Bangladesh Shipping Corporation will get a $22.48m pay-out from insurers over its abandoned bulk carrier, Banglar Samriddhi, which has been stuck in Ukrainian waters for a year, having suffered a rocket attack in the early days of the war with Russia.
The bulk carrier arrived in Ukraine on February 22 last year on charter to Delta Corporation. Two days later, the war with Russia began and all ports were closed with the Banglar Samriddhi becoming one of many stranded vessels in the area. On March 2, a rocket hit the vessel, killing a seafarer, and severely damaging the ship. Read more here.

GROUND AND RAIL FREIGHT UPDATES

MGT Terminal Closure for Union Meeting – Evening, February 15

ciffa.com
The SCFP union will hold a meeting in the evening on Wednesday, February 15. All MGT terminal operations at the Port of Montreal will be closed from 7:00 to 11:00 pm and last truck transactions will be issued at 6:00 pm to ensure that all trucks leave before the closure.