NEW DELHI, Jan 10: Impacted by COVID-19 pandemic, India’s top 12 ports witnessed a considerable decline in cargo traffic for the ninth straight month in December to 478 million tonnes (MT), according to ports apex body IPA. Cargo traffic at 12 major ports that are under the control of the Centre dropped by 8.80 per cent to 477.75 million tonnes (MT) during April-December this fiscal compared to 523.84 MT in the same period last financial year. Ports, Shipping and Waterways Minister Mansukh Mandaviya had recently said the cargo traffic at 12 major ports declined considerably March onwards due ..read more

LAKELAND — The rumble of jet engines may mean money for Lakeland, but even city officials are seeking relief from noise of low-flying cargo planes at night. Commissioner Stephanie Madden said she’s received numerous complaints from Lakeland residents about the roar of low-flying jet engines. “I’m supposed to hear a cash register chinging money every time someone complains about Amazon’s planes,” she said. “But I’ve still heard complaints.” Amazon Air began operations at its 285,000-square-foot cargo hub at Lakeland Linder International Airport in late July. It has gradually ramped up to eight ..read more

Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam will move the cargo department under the wing of airline operations beginning in March to create more coordination between the commercial and operations units. Schiphol is the fourteenth largest airport in the world for international airfreight, according to the Airports Council International. The single division will be led by Anne Marie van Hemert, senior manager of aviation business development. Miriam Hoekstra – van der Deen will step down as director of airport operations and will be succeeded by Patricia Vitalis, who is currently the senior manager process ..read more

The Transportation Security Administration will unveil how it plans to meet new international requirements for screening 100% of exports on freighter aircraft during a meeting next month with e-commerce shippers and logistics providers. The international standards, scheduled to go into effect June 30, require all cargo on dedicated freighter aircraft to be physically screened for explosives, as has been done the past decade for shipments traveling on passenger aircraft. Other governments could block flights or subject cargo to lengthy inspections upon arrival for countries that don’t comply. T ..read more

U.S. railroads are back, with freight volume posting the first quarterly gain in two years. Carloads increased 2.8% in the fourth quarter from a year earlier, with only a few days remaining in the period, according to American Association of Railroads weekly reports compiled by Susquehanna Financial Group. Consumer spending fueled the gain as people bought more goods instead of spending on dining out or attending concerts during the coronavirus pandemic. That offset lower volume for oil, coal, autos and other products. Intermodal cargo — items shipped in containers that move by ship, rail and ..read more

Croatia will receive the first liquefied natural gas cargo from the U.S. at its new import terminal, easing its dependence on fuel from Russia. The LNG vessel Tristar Ruby, which loaded at the Cove Point plant in Maryland, is headed for Croatia’s terminal on the Adriatic island of Krk, according to ship-tracking data on Bloomberg. The ship is scheduled to arrive on Jan. 1, the expected start date of the terminal. Hrvoje Krhen, managing director of LNG Croatia LLC, confirmed that the Tristar Ruby will deliver the new terminal’s first cargo and is set to arrive on Jan. 1. A commissioning cargo o ..read more

One of the world’s largest owner-operators within the Supramax / Ultramax dry bulk segment, Stamford, Conn., headquartered Eagle Bulk Shipping Inc. (NASDAQ: EGLE), has become a signatory to the Sea Cargo Charter. Launched in October, the charter provides a global framework for aligning chartering activities with responsible environmental behavior in order to promote international shipping’s decarbonization. The charter is consistent with the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) ambition for greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from international shipping to peak as soon as possible and to red ..read more

With the flight of AC 7227 from Toronto to Lima, Air Canada has now operated 4,000 all-cargo flights since launching into the cargo-only-flight business in March 2020. The first cargo-only flight was flown on March 22 to Frankfurt, Germany, followed by London and Amsterdam, using the Boeing 787 aircraft. By successfully establishing a dedicated, cargo-only operation, Air Canada Cargo is now well-positioned to play a key role in carrying Covid-19 vaccine shipments for Canadians and explore opportunities in the global air cargo market. “Air Canada Cargo has emerged as an outstanding performer du ..read more

On December 16, more than 50 representatives from Miami-Dade County’s air cargo community attended the second virtual meeting of the Miami-Dade Aviation Department’s MIAVAC19 Task Force, formed to lead the preparation and coordination of Miami International Airport’s cargo community for the arrival and mass distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine domestically and internationally. As the busiest U.S. airport for international freight and the leading cargo gateway to and from Latin America and the Caribbean, MIA is poised to be one of the key global hubs for the vaccine. MIA is the first airport i ..read more

ASL Airlines France placed its first 737-800BCF (33641, ex-Pegasus) into commercial revenue service Dec. 9, following redelivery to the French airline’s parent, ASL Aviation Holdings, on Nov. 27. The Boeing-converted freighter is the first of ten 737-800BCF conversions for ASL as part of a 2019 order, and the start of a boost to Western Europe’s 737-800 freighter fleet that is to come. ASL has three more 737-800s at various stages of conversion at the Taikoo (Shandong) Aircraft Engineering Company Ltd. (STAECO) facility where the first aircraft was converted, according to a press release from ..read more