Newsletter – July 26, 2022

AIR FREIGHT UPDATES

Exclusive: AF-KLM set to take full commercial control of CMA CGM Air Cargo

theloadstar.com
Air France-KLM is set to take full commercial control of CMA CGM Air Cargo, which is restructuring its fledgling business – but has only until 1 December to form a full cargo agreement.
The shipping line announced a long-term strategic partnership with the airline group in May, but a month prior to that, it appointed Mark Sutch, Cathay Pacific Cargo veteran, to head the airline’s commercial team. Read more here.

Lufthansa Cargo ground workers called on to take part in strike

aircargonews.net
Lufthansa Cargo ground workers are tomorrow set to join strike action being called by Germany’s ver.di union.
The union has called on the 20,000 Lufthansa ground workers it represents to take part in a strike running from 03:45hrs on Wednesday until 06:00hrs on Thursday over pay. Read more here.

China’s first professional cargo hub airport begins operations

aircargonews.net
Ezhou Huahu Airport has begun operations as China’s first “professional cargo hub airport”.
The airport in central China’s Hubei Province is also the first professional cargo hub airport in Asia, according to China’s state press agency Xinhua. Read more here.

BA: summer strike action called off after vote

aircargoweek.com
Summer chaos at Heathrow Airport has been reduced after hundreds of British Airways workers voted to accept a new pay offer. Strike action during the peak summer holiday has now been averted after the pay deal was backed by 75% of workers.
Aviation workers – predominantly low paid women – were set to walk out after a 10% pay cut imposed on them by BA during the pandemic was not reinstated. But bosses had their pre-covid pay rates restored. Workers will now receive an 8% consolidated pay rise, a one-off bonus and the reinstatement of shift pay. Read more here.

OCEAN FREIGHT UPDATES

Covid outbreak discovered on ONE ship in Busan

theloadstar.com
Several crew members on ONE Competence, an 8,110 teu ship operated by THE Alliance, tested positive for Covid-19 while the ship was at berth in Busan last week.
ONE Competence, which plies the transpacific trades to the US west coast, had entered the HMM PSA Pusan Newport Terminal last Monday, according to vessel-tracking data, and a customer advisory from ONE said that on Thursday, several crew members tested positive for Covid-19. Read more here (login required.)

‘Startling’ amount of boxships changing hands confounds the doomsayers

splash247.com
Many analysts have been suggesting container shipping’s boom period is coming to a close, pointing to myriad freight indices that have been in retreat for months. However, no one seems to have told tonnage hungry boxline operators who continue to snap up ships in high volumes and at incredible prices.
There is a “startling” amount of secondhand containership business at the moment, according to a new report from brokers Braemar. Read more here.

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS – GOVERNMENT UPDATES

The hidden costs of storefront delivery — and how to avoid them

freightwaves.com
During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, retailers turned to e-commerce. For many smaller retailers and digital-only brands, that often meant using a last-mile delivery provider such as DoorDash, Instacart or one of the thousands of other local services that popped up.
It also meant building an online store. Some last-mile providers offer this capability, either through their apps or via a branded website. In other cases, the business needed to invest in a platform.  Read more here.