Aviation
BIMCO adopts standard clause to address USTR actions
BIMCO adopts standard clause to address USTR actions
Shanghai Port posts 13% growth in auto exports in H1
Hong Kong air cargo slips in June amid trade headwinds; H1 up 1.9%
Saudia Cargo launches campaign to promote Saudi exports globally
SriLankan Cargo joins Freightos
Cathay posts another month of double-digit cargo growth in June
Abu Dhabi launches Middle East's first vaccine distribution hub
Chapman Freeborn delivers critical Aircraft parts to Athens in under 24 hours
WorldACD: Asia Pacific to US tonnages fall further
Schiphol names Eduard Molkenboer as head of cargo
PSA Antwerp joins ZEPA to advance cleaner port operations
Lufthansa Cargo joins the Silicon Saxony high-tech network
Delta boosts cargo capacity with new LA-Hong Kong service
Chapman Freeborn moves outsized cargo from Malaysia to PIK
Hong Kong International Airport posts 10.3% cargo growth in FY 2025
Emirates Courier Express expands to Australia
deugro delivers 15,500 metric tons of subsea cables to Abu Dhabi
dnata rolls out autonomous vehicles in Dubai airport operations
WFS opens ecommerce, freight forwarder handling facility in Copenhagen
Lufthansa Cargo plans VR training for aircraft loading supervisors
International shipping groups condemn Red Sea attacks
Frankfurt Airport cargo volume slips in June
DSV opens Singapore's first "positive energy" logistics facility
Amazon Air Cargo, Air Premia partner to boost cargo network
Ethiopian boosts cargo capacity with new service to Hanoi, Vietnam
4RCargo taps Roman Taborsky to lead Austrian air freight operations
NWSA launches incentive for zero emission drayage
US sets new tariff rates on 14 countries as it moved deadline to August 1
ECS Group subsidiary secures GSSA contract with Thai Airways
Asia Pacific airlines record double-digit cargo demand growth in 2024
Cathay opens a new IT office in Qianhai, Shenzhen
DHL names Markus Voss as new CEO DHL Freight
IMO calls for constructive dialogue as attacks on the Red Sea resumes
Malaysia Aviation Group acquires 20 more aircraft to support long-term growth
ACI World confirms 20 busiest air cargo hub in 2024 with Hong Kong on top
Davies Turner, Manitoulin partner on Canada ocean freight
Global Logistics Network, CargoAi partner to launch payment solution
DP World launches new container management system in Brisbane
U-Freight sees continued rise in Philippine shipments
Transport Logistic Southeast Asia, Air Cargo Southeast Asia accelerates the region’s logistics resilience, sustainability and digitalization
Munich Airport sees 7.6% uptick in first-half air cargo volume
Air cargo capacity overtook demand for the first time in 19 months
Emirates SkyCargo signs service quality deal with Kuehne+Nagel
Geodis completes transport, float-off of three wind foundations
Oman Air Cargo appoints Swissport as its new ground handler in Schiphol
Frankfurt Airport poised to become global pharma hub
Emirates boosts cargo capacity in China with new Shenzhen service
ONE opens office in Greece
Freightos: Transpacific rates slide on early end to peak surge
Hellmann opens new contract logistics center in the Melbourne
MOL completes the acquisition of LBC Tank Terminals
Ethiopian expands Asia cargo network with new Urumqi service in China
Cathay Cargo transports terracotta figures, other artifacts from Xi’an to Perth
S&P: Israel-Iran conflict could lead to sharp shock in global growth
Middle East, South Asia tonnages partially rebound
Ship recycling could double to 16,000 ships over the next 10 years
DHL Global Forwarding inaugurates new Frankfurt air freight hub
IATA: Air cargo demand up 2.2% despite trade disruptions
Saudia Cargo, China Cargo Airlines ink deal to boost Asia-Europe air freight
Oman Air joins oneworld alliance
Air Hong Kong now operating all-A330 Freighter fleet
Air One moves 12-meter cargo from Liège to Abu Dhabi
IATA launches SAF matchmaking platform
APAC Logistics occupiers focus on expansion amid global trade uncertainty
Hong Kong takes center stage at TIACA 2025 Summit
Hong Kong Convention enters into force marking new era in ship recycling
FedEx retires 12 aircraft amid choppy demand
Atlas Air expands cargo facility at Miami International Airport
Asia Pacific air cargo volumes rise again on continued frontloading
Emirates SkyCargo warns of fuel-linked payload concern amid Mideast tension
Qatar Airways reinstates flights as Qatar airspace reopens
Saudia Cargo, TAM Group launch ‘Saudia Cargo Global’ from new Hong Kong hub
Rhenus expands in Southeast Asia with new Singapore air freight gateway
Cathay Pacific maintains double-digit cargo growth in May
Air Charter Service makes top management changes
South Carolina Ports reports stable cargo volumes despite uncertainty
Saudia Cargo inks global partnerships to expand reach
Frankfurt Airport cargo volume bounces back in May
Qantas Freight expands freighter operation in China
JD Logistics debuts in Saudi Arabia
Hong Kong maintains 3% export growth forecast despite tariffs
First ITA Airways flights with Lufthansa Cargo shipments arrive in Rome
MNG Airlines to order two Airbus A350F Freighters
DHL: Early peak season driven by tariff and capacity fluidity
Port of Long Beach sees cargo decline for May
Freightos: Iran-Israel conflict not impacting freight yet
WFS earns Cargo iQ Quality Certification across EMEA, Asia
AviLease orders 10 Airbus A350F freighters
Kale Logistics launches Maritime Single Window in Brunei
WorldACD: Air cargo rides uncertainty as demand grows 6% in May
WFS extends cargo handling, trucking contract with Oman Air in France
FedEx spots freight opportunities for expanded cargo plane operations
Saudia Cargo eyes fleet, network, digital upgrades in bid for Top 10 status
Malaysia sets sights on becoming a key regional cargo hub
Hong Kong sees modest air cargo growth despite trade uncertainty
WorldACD: Worldwide tonnages rebounded 4% in May after April decline
Etihad Cargo, Ezhou Huahu Airport partner to expand Asia-Pacific connectivity
Lödige Industries in Asia expands presence with new South Korea branch office
FedEx boosts APAC healthcare capabilities with CEIV pharma certification
Kuehne+Nagel, SATS launch expedited aircraft parts delivery in Singapore
Qatar Airways Cargo, IAG Cargo, MASkargo to launch global cargo partnership
Etihad Cargo introduces SmartTrack, expanding real-time shipment monitoring
Airline profitability to strengthen slightly in 2025 despite headwinds – IATA
Air China Cargo to set-up its UK cargo hub at Glasgow Prestwick Airport
Emirates SkyCargo boosts East-West connectivity with new connections
cargo.one integrates digital air freight booking with Descartes' system
WorldACD: Global air cargo market stable, while China-US lane recovers
Mersin International Port completes first phase of East Med Hub 2 terminal
Cathay Pacific, Sinopec join forces in a SAF initiative
WR Logistics appoints Massimo Naldini as CEO for Italy
Chengdu-Shenzhen-Hong Kong rail-sea corridor launched
China Airlines joins digital booking platform Freightos
ONE advances green strategy with ship recycling policy, SRTI membership
IATA: Air cargo demand up 5.8% in April
Port of Houston records double-digit container growth
Hactl advances phase two of smart cargo thermal detection
Frontloading boosts cargo volume for airlines in the Asia Pacific
Kuehne+Nagel appoints new global head of sales
Frankfurt Cargo Services expands e-commerce handling facility by 300%
Port of NY/NJ reports continued cargo growth in April
CEVA Logistics links Far East, Latin America with car carrier fleet
Kuehne+Nagel, Natilus team up on blended-wing cargo planes
APAC, Middle East records double-digit growth in air connectivity — ACI World
Transpacific ocean volumes surge during tariff pause
Qatar Airways Cargo reports record year
Lufthansa Cargo uses AI to process booking requests faster
IATA appoints Sheldon Hee as regional vice president for Asia-Pacific
Pacific Carriers, Singapore Maritime Foundation boost maritime workforce
DHL Group partners with Shopify to accelerate global cross-border shipping
WestJet Cargo expands capacity to Japan with daily Dreamliner service
WorldACD: Asia Pacific and worldwide tonnages rebound
Hasenkamp announces first art storage facility of its kind in Saudi Arabia
Swissport, Aurrigo launch first global pilot of autonomous ground handling
FedEx Global Healthcare earns IATA CEIV Pharma Certification
Kuehne+Nagel acquires Spanish road logistics provider TDN
Sudden transpacific capacity shortage amid US-China tariff pause
Lufthansa Cargo expands temperature-controlled logistics with new features
San Pedro Bay Ports open bidding for short line rail services
Neste starts to supply SAF to FedEx at LAX
Cargolux, AIT Worldwide Logistics sign landmark SAF deal
Cathay Cargo sees year-on-year growth, but monthly slowdown amid tariff uncertainty
Qatar Airways Cargo records strongest financial results since pandemic
Port of Antwerp-Bruges launches Europe’s first electric tugboat
Lufthansa Cargo to market ITA Airways capacity, adds Rome as fifth hub
HSBC: China-US tariffs pause would drive an early peak season
Lufthansa Cargo announces executive board reshuffle
China Southern Airlines’ first scheduled freighter lands at Glasgow Prestwick
Hong Kong air cargo volume rises year over year in April, slips from March
Mobull unveils new art warehouse in Brussels
Air Charter Service: Current market the most uncertain since Covid-19
SATS to invest over US$192M to enhance Changi Airport operations
Vienna Airport records cargo increase in Q1
Kuehne+Nagel unveils air freight sustainability initiative
APEC lowers 2025 growth forecast to 2.6%, urges trade policy stability
U.S. slashes ‘de minimis’ tariff on small China parcels to 30%
TIACA names Roos Bakker as first woman chair
Airforwarders Association calls for freeze on tariffs, not trade
Frankfurt-Hahn Airport partners with Somon Air to boost freight traffic
Fednav’s Paul Pathy elected BIMCO president
Awery poll: Security, compliance are top priorities for GSSAs
Frankfurt Airport cargo volume declines in April
Emirates Group confident in growth amid market volatility
China-US deescalation may spur early peak season
Etihad Cargo reshapes regional structure to drive network expansion
Cargo iQ adds SAL, Saudi Arabia's largest logistics provider
allivate digitalizes import shipment pick-up at Frankfurt Airport
U-Freight earns HKAEO accreditation for high security standards
AAPA: Supply chain disruptions hinder aviation’s role in global growth
Maastricht Aachen Airport makes new cargo appointment
US-China tariff pause offers temporary relief, could fuel another frontloading rush
Turkish Cargo signs long-term Partnership with Atlas Air for 747F flights
Qatar Airways Cargo expands Australian export capacity through Virgin Australia
WorldACD: Labor Day contributes to Asia-Pacific air cargo decline
Finnair Cargo joins Smart Freight Centre
Global schedule reliability records two consecutive month-on-month increases
CEVA Logistics announces new strategic warehouse in Singapore
China Airlines orders four Boeing 777-8 Freighters to expand cargo fleet
Qatar Airways Cargo launches campaign highlighting global trade role
Global air freight rates continue to tumble on tariff uncertainty
DHL acquires US e-commerce logistics company IDS Fulfillment
Tariff shifts reshape freighter operations, fuel market volatility
Turkish Cargo, Hong Kong Air Cargo, sign strategic MoU
Pharma.Aero, TIACA partner to boost air cargo's role in healthcare, trade
SATS appoints chief digital officer to lead global digitalisation efforts
AAL transports 60-metre port cranes from Europe to the US
dnata expands airside fleet with 800 new units in US$110M rollout
Trans Global Projects names new director as it launches Malaysian office
ICAO Council condemns radio frequency interference affecting civil aviation
Qatar Airways Cargo becomes launch customer of Mammoth Freighters 777-200LRMF
Air cargo market awaits impact of tariffs and 'de minimis' changes
DP World, Asian Terminals invest US$100M to expand Manila South Harbor
IMO enforces stricter air pollution limits for ships in the Mediterranean
WorldACD: Global cargo tonnages rise 6% in April year-on-year
Kuehne+Nagel, cargo.one partner to expand digital airline connections
ANA cargo volume rises in fiscal year 2024
UK freight group forms advisory body for Heathrow cargo overhaul
Korean Air to build urban air mobility hub in Bucheon
CMA CGM completes Air Belgium acquisition
India shuts airspace to Pakistan airlines amid rising tensions
Air cargo demand rises 4.4% in March amid frontloading ahead of tariffs
Saudia Cargo, China Henan Aviation launch Asia-Middle East air logistics bridge
Geodis, Dolfines team up on XXL lifting device for offshore wind
Emirates, Philippine Airlines to explore enhanced partnership in cargo
time:matters strengthens presence in Southeast Asia
APAC airlines report cargo growth, warn of tariff impact on demand
U-Freight sees continued global ecommerce growth despite current risks
WestJet Cargo expands service to South Korea with increased frequencies
ANA first airline to adopt fuel-saving riblet technology on Boeing 777
CEVA Logistics signs deal to acquire Borusan Tedarik, expand in Turkey
AFGHANISTAN MAKES LEAP BACK TO WORLD STAGE
June 20, 2019
TAPI Gas Pipeline – ISGS
Leaders at the 2015 groundbreaking ceremony of the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) Gas Pipeline in Turkmenistan.

The late February shipment of Afghan goods from Chabahar port to India is doubly significant – it is the first of its kind from the Iranian port, but it is also a sign of Afghanistan rejoining the global supply chain.

 

The goods – 570 tonnes of fruit, stones, cotton, spices and carpets – were moved from Afghanistan to Iran in a fleet of lorries with Afghanistan president Ashraf Ghani among those waving them off. At Chabahar, where India has invested in major port facilities, the goods were loaded onto a ship bound for India.

 

India is Afghanistan’s largest export destination, with some US$740 million worth of goods sold ton India in 2018. Trade between the two countries has previously had to go via Pakistan, which has tightly-controlled borders with both Afghanistan and India.

 

Chabahar is Iran’s only oceanic port and is strategic located on both international north-south and east-west transport corridors. India also helped develop a road, the Zaranj-Delaram highway, which connects Afghanistan’s national Highway 1 to the border with Iran.

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“The fact that Afghanistan has used the Chabahar Port for the first time to export its goods has opened a new chapter in developing political, economic and commercial relations,” Mohammad Eslami, Iran’s roads and urban development minister, said via the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA).

 

It also confirms the precedent of India buying from Central Asia and its supply chain into that region. Since 2017 India has sold over 110,000 tonnes of lentils and wheat to Afghanistan via Chabahar, a place now on the map and with ambitions plans for itself and its hinterland.

“Eight memorandums of understanding and deals were signed with private sector on development of Iran’s southeastern port of Chabahar,” IRNA reported during a late February International Conference on Chabahar Development.

 

Construction of two multipurpose warehouses and building a specialized container yard at the port were among the projects agreed upon, said Behrouz Aqaei, director general of the ports and maritime department of Sistan-Baluchestan province, according to IRNA.

 

This is just the beginning with Eslami, who outlined rail, air and road routes connecting Chabahar to Afghanistan and then Central Asia at the same conference.

 

“He noted that the railway link from Chabahar to Afghanistan and from there to Central Asia as well as another one connecting China to Europe via Iran were among the main programs in Iran’s future railway network development plans,” IRNA reported Eslami as saying, without providing significant detail.

 

More details on this came from Ghani, in a speech to students at the Institute of International Relations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan.

 

“In four years, two railway terminals from Turkmenistan have reached Afghanistan. Together we have opened the Caucuses and Europe to Afghanistan and together we are in the process of opening South Asia and East Asia to Turkmenistan. This is not a small accomplishment,” he said.

 

Enhanced connectivity, Ghani went on to say, is marked by two major projects, including the Lapis Lazuli Corridor transit link. Named for the semi-precious stone that used to be transported on it the Lapis Lazuli Corridor connects Afghanistan to Turkey via Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan and Georgia.)

 

In practice, this means the ports of Georgia and Turkey are now destinations for imports and exports of Afghanistan and all of the five countries on the corridor.  

“Tomorrow, I think, South Asia will be traveling through this corridor to Europe and the Caucuses and not just Central Asia,” said Ghani. He admitted this will take time and effort, but his speech at least signalled government support for what is effectively a new Silk Road and all the work it entails.

 

“Our first priority is to expand the Lapis Lazuli Corridor. Everything is done. It is now managing it so it becomes a completely reliable just-in-time delivery for every single business, every single government, every single entity along its route, and to expand it from five countries in the future to many more,” he said.

 

Also in play is the TurkmenistanAfghanistanPakistanIndia Pipeline (TAPI), also known as the Trans-Afghanistan Pipeline, a natural gas pipeline being developed by the Galkynysh – TAPI Pipeline Company and the Asian Development Bank.

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“We got a project concept. It said the Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India pipeline is a project.”

 

The pipeline could one day lead a railway link, he said, by increasing the pipeline into a project.

 

“But how did we change it from a project to corridor? Project is an individual thing, a pipeline, what did we do? First, we said, let’s add a power line to the pipeline,” he said. “Next, if you are having a pipeline and a transmission line, why not add a fiber optic aligned to it. So the fourth we said, does this corridor make sense without a railway?”

 

Ghani said in his speech that the “first step” of building a railway was agreement, and drew parallels to agreements which had been struck that day between Afghanistan and Turkmenistan.

 

“We have just agreed to two new lines of railway from Turkmenistan. One is Aqina to the city of Andkhoi, it is a 30 km line,” Ghani said. “And we agreed and it is going to go towards implementation. The second one is a 120 km railway from Torghundi, our dry port with Turkmenistan to the city of Herat.”

 

But, Ghani cautioned the students, whether any of these grand plans are ultimately successful boils down to relationships. “Connectivity is not railways. It is not power lines. It is not gas pipelines. Connectivity is human. It is at the human level that we connect deeply together because power lines do not understand mutual respect. They understand system connections, synchronization. Human beings are complex, but human beings are the key agents of change.”

 

By Michael Mackey

Southeast Asia Correspondent | Bangkok

 


 

 

Afghan goods are taking to the skies

 

Afghanistan isn’t just reconnecting itself to the global trading system via surface transport. It’s also making inroads back into aviation, with financial help from the government in Kabul.

 

Last November, president Ashraf Ghani inaugurated a new China air corridor, which will transport a major part of Afghanistan’s pine nuts output, worth US$700-$800 million to China annually, his office said in a statement.

 

“20 tons of pine nuts per day will be transported to China until the end of the season this year,” the statement said. “Afghanistan’s total pine nuts output is 23,000 metric tons, wherein China is the major importer of the product.”

 

The first shipment of pine nuts, worth a reported US$500,000, flew from Kabul to Shanghai in November 2018.

 

The government is committed to bringing out its full potential via trade corridors, the statement added.

 

“It’s our first air cargo consignment to Shanghai, but soon we will be sending Afghan products to Beijing and Quanzhou,” Naseem Malekzai, chairman of the Afghanistan-China Business Council, told the Reuters news agency.

 

The China air corridor follows a ‘spice corridor’ linking Kabul to three Indian cities – Delhi, Mumbai and Hyderabad – and is a key part of a government strategy to boost the exports of niche products moved by air.

 

This will begin with spices and fruits, which Afghanistan was once known for, but hopes are high that the air export strategy will soon extend to higher-value products such as hand-woven carpets. Since 2017, 153 flights have carried 3,344 metric tonnes of Afghan fresh fruit, dry fruit, medicinal herbs, asafoetida and saffron to India.

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Helping out are Afghani government subsidies of US$2 million to exporters, a senior adviser to Ghani told Reuters.

 

“Afghan businessmen have achieved more than US$10 million in profit by exporting their products through air corridors since 2017,” he said. “China is a great market for our niche products.”

–      Michael Mackey