Newsletter – January 15, 2024

AIR FREIGHT UPDATES

Boeing CEO promises “complete transparency” after 737 Max 9s are grounded
aircargoweek.com
Boeing’s CEO Dave Calhoun has stated that the accident on Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 “can never happen again,” accepting a “mistake” had been made.
Speaking at a town hall staff meeting in Renton, Washington, Calhoun said the company is working directly with the National Transportation Safety Board and impacted airlines to ensure customers are confident the planes are safe. Read more here.

Gradual increase in airfreight expected as Red Sea crisis could last months
aircargonews.net
Scan Global Logistics expects a slow but steady increase in airfreight volumes amid predictions that the Red Sea conflict could last months.
The logistics company said in a January 12 market update that there hasn’t been a drastic increase in airfreight volumes as a result of the impact of the Red Sea – Suez Canal conflict on ocean shipping supply chains, but there is a clear growth. Read more here.

$74 Million in Federal Funding to Expand Vancouver International Airport’s Cargo Facilities
dailyhive.com
Cargo-handling facilities at Vancouver International Airport (YVR) will be expanded through an infusion of over $74 million in new funding from the federal government.
This will directly go towards expanding the capacity for the movement of larger aircraft between cargo facilities and the runways, including increasing aircraft parking space capacity to accommodate additional widebody freighter aircraft, upgrading an access road, and preparing the site for the construction of a new air cargo warehouse. Read more here.

OCEAN FREIGHT UPDATES

Houthis Launch New Attacks in Gulf of Aden Hours After U.S.-UK Strikes
maritimeexecutive.com
The Houthi rebels resumed launching missiles and mounting their attacks only hours after the forces of the U.S. and UK struck at their capabilities. While ships are being warned to use caution and avoid the Bab el-Mandeb in the aftermath of strikes, reports are coming in of an attack in the Gulf of Aden. Read more here.

Container shortage starts to bite, adding to pressure on costs
theloadstar.com
The predicted container shortages are beginning to bite amid the chaos thrown up in the Red Sea and a flurry of re-routings, delays and cancellations.
And the shortages could catch the industry out, says global development director at CargoGulf Hans-Henrik Nielsen, despite predictions in past weeks. Read more here (login required).

GROUND AND RAIL FREIGHT UPDATES

CPKC Customer Advisory: Extreme Winter Weather Conditions
cpkcr.com
Due to the extreme cold temperatures as low as -41C (-41.8F) and wind chills approaching -50C (-58F) in the Canadian Prairie region (Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba) and continued winter conditions in Northern Ontario and through the U.S. Midwest, CPKC’s winter operating plan and train length restrictions have been enacted.
As of Friday at 3:30 pm ET, there were no service disruptions to report. However, CPKC encourages customers to build additional time into their plans when there is extreme winter weather.
Certain winter weather conditions require adjustments to rail operations to ensure safety, network resiliency, system velocity and capacity. These adjustments may cause delays to shipments moving through the affected areas. Customers also play a major role in preparing for challenging winter conditions by keeping all walking and parking areas free of snow and ice. Additionally, all intermodal equipment must be free from snow and ice buildup, including container roof.