In the wake of expansions to its services to the Middle East, shipping line Hamburg Süd has announced that it will contribute to a significant expansion of the Asia and Australia (AAUS) service.

Hamburg Süd will join with Hapag Lloyd, Hyundai Merchant Marine and APL Limited to purchase additional slots in the AAUS service, enhancing the service and the partners ability to maintain high utilization rates year round.

The service, consisting of nine modern 2,500 Twenty Foot Equivalent (TEU) vessels will operate on a fast and efficient dual-loop basis, the northern loop sailing to the ports of Yokohama, Osaka, Pusan, Qingdao, Shanghai, Ningbo, Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane, the southern loop operating a Kaoshiung, Yantian, Hong Kong, Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane route.

In announcing the expansion, Hamburg Süd has stated that the company will provide three of the nine vessels used on the service, while the remainder will be provided equally by partners, Hapag Lloyd, Hyundai Merchant Marine and APL Limited.

In addition to the expanded AAUS service Hamburg Süd also maintains an Australia New Zealand (ANZL) service, with coverage from Asia to three ports in New Zealand and subsequently sailing to the port of Brisbane. The two services connecting to provide greater trade flow between Asia, Australia and New Zealand.

Overall, Hamburg Süd operates a fleet of 139 ships around the world, enabling the company to operate forty regularly scheduled liner services, the company ranking among the twenty biggest liner shipping companies worldwide.

Source: Hamburg Süd and the Oetker Group

Despite reports that the Port of Miami was closed in the wake of the widespread power outages being experienced in central and south Florida this afternoon, Freightscene.com has learnt that the port is operating as normal.

Public Affairs Manager at the Port of Miami, Andria Muniz has advised Freightscene.com that the Port does indeed have power and is operational.

The Port of Miami lays claim to being Florida’s leading Container Port in Florida, with figures from the last financial year indicating that the port saw some 5.3 million tons of imports, with exports totaling 3.4 million tons.

by Findlay Osborn

With thanks to: Andria Muniz - Port of Miami

Air cargo services company Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings celebrated fifteen years of operation this week, the carrier reflecting on it’s growth and expansion over the period.

In a decade and a half, Atlas air has emerged as one of the air cargo industry’s powerhouse operators. Starting out with just a single Boeing 747 Freighter, the carrier now operates thirty-seven of the type.

The expansive fleet and the experience gained from fifteen years of operations, including the acquisition of Polar Air Cargo in 2001, see’s Atlas Air serve the cargo market in over 300 cities in 100 countries around the world.

William Flynn, President and Chief Executive Officer of Atlas Air said this week that “In a remarkably short period of time, Atlas Air has defined an industry and seen it flourish,” and that “our founding principle was to provide solutions to our customers to enable their business strategies.”

Building on the success of the past fifteen years, the company is looking to further expand it’s fleet, the company eager to invest in the new Boeing 747-8 freighters, a move that is aimed at further developing the global air freight market.

Atlas Air and subsidiary Polar Air Cargo offer a vast range of air cargo services, from commercial cargo charters and scheduled air cargo services, to the dry and wet leasing of dedicated cargo aircraft.

Source: Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings

Canadian freight distribution and supply chain firm Purolator Courier Ltd has begun Global Supply Chain services from its brand new facility in Richmond, British Colombia.

The facility which was unveiled earlier this year along with Purolator’s integrated supply chain services, will the company says, meet the needs of customers transporting goods into or out of Canada via a third party ocean or air carrier, the storage of cargo if the need arises and ultimately the delivery of the cargo to its final destination.

Purolator lays claim to being one of Canada’s leading freight distribution companies, boasting a network that includes more than 3,500 couriers, over 140 operational locations, over 150 Shipping Centres and over 550 Authorized Shipping Agents.

Speaking on the commencement of services from the new 106,000 square foot facility in Richmond, Robert Johnson, President and Chief Executive Officer of Purolator said that “This new service enables Canadian businesses to eliminate steps from their global supply chain so that they can get their product to market faster and more efficiently and with greater visibility.”

Available anywhere in Canada where goods enter or leave the country, Purolator’s Global Supply Chain Services are aimed at eliminating the high costs, complexity and delays that can be typical of traditional supply chain networks.

Source: Purolator Courier Ltd

Virginia based blue-water freight company SeaBridge Freight will, as of April, commence operations at the Port of Manatee.

The company will move container freight by barge into the port, linking with road transport providers, enabling additional freight distribution options and capacity into the south east.

The arrival of SeaBridge Freight coincides with Manatee Port’s upgrade to include container handling facilities. The port now sporting an expansive container storage area and a modern Gottwald 6407 crane.

Manatee County Port Authority Chairman Joe McClash said that the new facilities would place the port in a position to attract a new services, a situation that had the potential to dramatically increase port revenues.

McClash also said that the expansion was “an important part of the port’s cargo diversification plan.”

Commenting on the arrival of SeaBridge Freight to the Port of Manatee, Executive Director David McDonald said that “The port could receive as many as 16,000 40-foot containers a year through the arrangement.”

The SeaBridge Freight barges will carry containers filled with steel and other manufactured products to Manatee Port.

Source: Manatee Port and the Bradenton Herald

Illinois based logistics firm, Concert Group Logistics (CGL) have unveiled a new logistics handling facility in Tampa, Florida.

The Tampa station will allow CGL to exploit the regions access to air, road, as well as sea freight corridors, the company hoping to benefit from a logistics boom in and around Tampa.

CGL President Gerry Post said of the Tampa facility that it is a huge asset and that operators of the facility, Anne Parker and Rebecca Drake make a very strong team and that they have the background and expertise to develop new opportunities for CGL.

Founded in 2001, CGL now enjoys 24 stations around the United States, providing logistics transport and management throughout the United states as well as to worldwide destinations.

Source: Concert Group Logistics

Shipping companies and sea freight giants Hapag-Lloyd and Hamburg Süd have announced that they will restructure their “EPIC” container cargo service.

Both carriers have advised the industry that the EPIC service, from Europe to the Middle East and India will be restructured to provide customers with a weekly service, utilizing six 4,000 Twenty-foot equivalent unit (TEU) vessels.

The service will be run jointly by the two Hamburg based companies with Hapag Lloyd providing four vessels to the service while Hamburg Süd contributes two. 

Both companies have said that they expect the restructured service to commence operations in May.

Source: Hapag-Lloyd and Hamburg Süd

The United States Department of Transport announced this week a new Mexico - United States border crossing aimed at making it easier for US based freight operators to operate within Mexico.

The crossing point at Yuma Arizona will allow US freight operators to travel into Mexico to make deliveries and pick-ups, enabling those operators  to compete in Mexico’s growing markets and take advantage of new business opportunities

It is expected that local Arizona businesses as well as operators across the country to benefit from the increased trade resulting from the new border crossing.

US Transportation Secretary Mary Peters, in announcing the new border crossing said that “Truckers from Peoria to Portland now have an opportunity to benefit from the multi-billion dollar cross-border shipping industry, American workers and American businesses stand to profit every time a truck brings goods across our border.

Secretary Peters also touched on the effect the border crossing would have on  local opportunities, saying that “Families and businesses in places like this (Yuma) see competition and trade as a path to opportunity, and a road to success.”  “They’ve seen the benefits of increased commerce between the U.S. and Mexico, including some of the $332 billion in shipments that cross our shared border every year.

Source: US Department of Transport

Shannon Town Councillor, Mayor Patricia McCarthy has expressed frustration with “unofficial” industrial action being taken by Air Traffic Controllers at Shannon  Airport.

The action undertaken by air traffic controllers is believed to be in an effort to confront their employers, the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA), over staffing levels at the airport, employees are understood to be wanting the IAA to address continued staff shortages.

However the action is amounting to severe frustration for cargo operators at Shannon Airport as the Air Traffic Controllers employ wildcat strikes without the approval of their union.  A situation that is not only deemed as unofficial industrial action, but also a circumstance that is causing delays, uncertainty and considerable difficulties for the cargo operators at Shannon.

In a communication with Freightscene.com, Councillor McCarthy said that “The stoppages are impacting on all flights during the period of the stoppage, causing delays.  Cargo flights have been delayed as well as passengers.” 

Councillor McCarthy expressed concern that the industrial action would be detrimental to local airport businesses, saying that “Logistics companies are getting concerned particularly as the stoppages are unplanned.”  Councillor McCarthy also emphasised that as delivery targets are not met, customers may become dissatisfied with the services offered at Shannon Airport.

In an effort to end the dispute, Councillor McCarthy has now called on the Air Traffic Controllers to end their unofficial action and allow for the utilisation of Industrial Relations procedures to resolve the issues in dispute.

Article by Findlay Osborn

With thanks to: Councillor Patricia McCarthy - Mayor of Clare 

Source: Dunphy Public Relations

Northwest Airlines Cargo has advised customers of yet another embargo on the shipping of live animals at Minneapolis/St Paul because of temperature concerns.

The embargo, while due to be lifted on the 16th of February,  represents a continuation of the carriers concern over recent cold temperatures experienced in the north of the United States.

Northwest Airlines Cargo details specific limitations and restrictions(*) for the  shipment of live animals with the temperature guidelines being based on the actual or forecasted outdoor temperature of each airport.

Most live animal cargo can  be accommodated within the temperature range of ten to seventy-five degrees Fahrenheit, however as temperatures drop below the set minimum, Northwest Airlines Cargo imposes embargoes on the carriage of live animals, with the safety and health of the animals in mind.

Northwest Airlines Cargo advises while at present an embargo is in effect at Minneapolis/St Paul, the airline is still in a position to accept bookings for the carriage of live animals at it’s other cargo terminals in Detroit and Memphis.

Source: Northwest Airlines Cargo