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The Cargo Letter
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Our Top Story: Landmark Alameda Corridor Opens For Business - Speeding Cargo For L.A. & Long Beach |
Section A: Section: Trade, Financial & Inland News
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Section B: FF World Air News |
Section C: FF World Ocean News | Section
D: FF in Cyberspace |
Section E: The Forwarder Broker World
Freight Forwarder World Air Briefs
- Bad Year ........
as largely because of Sept. 11, the number of
airline fatalities in 2001 was the highest in 24 years, the National
Transportation Safety Board reported March 26. 531 people died in crashes on
U.S.-scheduled airlines last year, highest yearly total since 1977, when 582
people were killed in the crash of 2 Boeing 747s which collided on a Canary
Islands runway. All 265 passengers & crew aboard 4 hijacked airliners were
killed Sept. 11. Another 260 passengers & crew died 2 months later when
American Airlines Flight 587 crashed shortly after takeoff from New York's
JFK Int'l -- 5 people on the ground also were killed. The 265 deaths on Sept.
11 were the most from a terrorist attack on aviation since Dec. 21, 1988,
when 270 people died in the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie,
Scotland. The 1977 crash in Tenerife, Canary Islands, indirectly involved
terrorism. A KLM plane that had been diverted from Las Palmas, its original
destination, because of a bomb explosion, crashed as it took off for an
onward flight from Tenerife into a taxiing Pan American 747. National
Transportation Safety Board:
www.ntsb.gov
- Rate Drop ........
as according to investment bank Salomon Smith Barney
the biggest drop was on the eastbound Trans-Pacific routs, where rates were
down 6.2%, Westbound rates were off 5.3%. Westbound Trans-Atlantic rates were
off 3.9%, while eastbound prices were down 2.6%.
- Fuel Pump ........
as British Airways World Cargo, American Airlines
Cargo & United Airlines Cargo will implement a fuel surcharges in the wake of
continued increases in world fuel prices. The BA surcharge will be
US$0.043/kg in the UK & local currency equivalents elsewhere. The American &
UA surcharge fees will be based on actual weight at a rate of US$0.05/kg for
all cargo shipments from the U.S. to Int'l destinations & US$0.02 per pound
for shipments within the U.S. Expect more to follow.
Lanchile Cargo
US$0.50/kg. KLM US$0.05/kg.
- Rare Air ........
as the Int'l Air Transport Assn. (IATA) has warned
that its European members may be obliged to raise air fares because of higher
air navigation charges, of between 4% & 85%, that were imposed this month.
The higher charges translate to an average cost increase of 13% within the
Eurocontrol area, where there are 31 member states. At present all airlines
pay a total of US$4.5Bn for the use of European airspace. "For many of our
member airlines whose operations are mainly within Europe, en route
navigation charges are 10% or more of their total operating costs," said IATA
director general Pierre Jeanniot. The 31 Eurocontrol member states & their
air navigation service providers are to meet on May 31 to discuss the traffic
situation with a view to a possible charge adjustment. IATA has urged them to
initiate a robust review of their costs, to keep any charges increases to a
minimum, & to adjust charges downward for the remainder of the year.
- U.S. Airways Flies Low ........
as it may become the 1st of the big 7
U.S. airline to succumb to the post 9/11 aviation crisis after it signaled on
April 18 that it was close to applying for loan guarantees under the U.S.
government's US$15Bn subsidy plan.
- Lufthansa Representative of Industry State ........
as the aftermath
of terrorist attacks in the U.S. continues to have an adverse effect on the
performance of Lufthansa Group, it stated in its traffic figures for 1st
quarter of 2002. In the quarter Lufthansa Cargo transported a total of
395,534 tons of freight & mail, 6.7% less than during the prior-year period.
Capacity was scaled back, with the result that cargo load factor rose by 2.6%
to reach the high level of 68.4%.
- No. 3 Approved ........
as Japanese regulators have approved a
controversial merger between Japan Airlines & Japan Air System, the country's
largest & 3rd largest carriers respectively -- which will create the world's
3rd largest airline.
- Dangerous, But Profitable ........
as major European carriers remained
profitable on their routes to Tel Aviv, despite the deteriorating security
situation in Israel. Some airlines, such as Dutch KLM and
Spain's Iberia, have begun to increase the number of weekly flights, largely
in response to a sharp jump in Israelis leaving the country to escape the
increased violence. Cargo also up. EgyptAir resumed flights to Israel this
month, just days after saying it had stopped them. The flight stoppage last
week was for commercial reasons, not political ones.
- Uncle Sam Will Accept UPS ........
as the U.S. Internal Revenue
Service recently determined UPS's guaranteed Int'l express services, UPS
Worldwide Express & UPS Worldwide Express Plus, as the only private services
it recognizes as being "timely mailed" from an Int'l location for tax
deadline filing purposes. While Int'l U.S. tax-filers can use any carrier
they prefer, only returns filed using UPS services will be considered by the
IRS as "timely mailed & timely filed." According to the IRS, more than
1,400,000 tax returns were filed internationally for fiscal year 2001.
- Qantas Stronger For ANZ Stake ........
as it was revealed that the New
Zealand government rejected a request to inject an additional US$292.8M in
Air New Zealand over the next year to cover an anticipated shortfall. The
funding request would have been in addition to the huge investment already
committed to the airline after the collapse of Ansett last year. That
investment gave the government an 82% stake in ANZ. The unwillingness of the
New Zealand government to once again bail out the Kiwi national carrier could
work in favor of Qantas, which has ANZ firmly in its sights. Last year Qantas
tried to buy Singapore Airlines' 25% stake in ANZ, but was rejected. But, Air
New Zealand will need a further NZ$670m (£204m), on top of the NZ$1.04Bn
committed last year when the government was forced to take an 83% stake in
the ailing flag carrier.
- Lufthansa Won't Change Any More ........
as it will be jointly
utilizing the intra-European overnight express network of DHL. Currently, the
logistics company of Lufthansa transports its fastest time-definite
airport-to-airport cargo on 4 Boeing 737 "Quick Change" passenger aircraft.
The aircraft are used by Lufthansa for passengers during the day & are
quickly converted for transport of freight overnight. DHL will help Lufthansa
Cargo to replace this existing B-737QC network with the increased capacities
of Boeing 757F freighters, which are to be delivered to DHL in the course of
this year.
- "Little Memphis" Moves Forward ........
as DHL Worldwide Express has
resumed construction on a US$200M expansion of its new hub in Cincinnati.
Work was halted on the project in May 2001, due to the economic downturn. The
project, about half done, is scheduled for completion in July 2003. The
expansion will double current package capacity to about 2.5 million pounds
per night. DHL, which has operated out of the Greater Cincinnati/Northern
Kentucky Int'l Airport since 1983, said the hub will continue to be the
center of DHL's overnight package sorting operations for domestic & Int'l
shipments. Deutsche Post World Net owns a majority of DHL Worldwide Express,
which is based in San Francisco. Other shareholders include Lufthansa & Japan
Airlines.
- Orange Country Disfavors New Port ........
as opposition to a new
Int'l airport at the former U.S. Marine Corps Air Station at El Toro, CA is
at an all-time high, with 61% of respondents to a countywide poll
commissioned by the El Toro Reuse Planning Authority (ETRPA) expressing
opposition to aviation use at the former base -- 33% favor an airport. The
poll also looked at opinions of people living inside & outside the John Wayne
Int'l Airport flight path. In both cases, there is strong sentiment against
an airport at El Toro -- 55% of those living under the JWA flight path oppose
El Toro, while 63% outside the flight path oppose it.
- JFK Favors New Space ........
as construction has begun on 2 cargo
facilities at JFK Int'l Airport in New York. Totaling 435,000 sq. feet, the
former sites of Hangars 8 & 9A will be completed in June 2003, & comprise the
largest cargo facility project in the airport's history. The US$161M project
will include 343,855 sq. feet of cargo warehouse on 42 acres. Construction
will allow for a 150-foot clearspan (column-free) & 24-foot high ceiling in
each facility, with 101 truck docks & enough space to accommodate 6 B-747
freighters.
- Schenker Signs Up For GF-X ........
as it will participate in the
neutral trading platform for airfreight carriers & forwarders that is
integrated to the systems of the carriers. Air France Cargo, Lufthansa Cargo
& British Air World Cargo have recently stated their commitment to make
Global Freight Exchange their preferred electronic channel.
- ...... And My Dad Could Beat Up Your Dad ........ ........
as Airbus recently
said Boeing would have to cut up to 15,000 jobs beyond the 30,000 positions
it is already eliminating to equal the productivity at Airbus.
- It Just Makes You Sick ........
as a 12-year-old boy from Nigeria
swallowed 87 condoms filled with heroin, flew to New York April 11 & became
sick before meeting whoever had promised him US$1,900 to act as a contraband
courier. The boy's father is imprisoned in the U.S. for recruiting drug mules
to smuggle heroin into Georgia. The boy, identified as Prince Nnaedozie
Umegbolu & charged with juvenile delinquency, was listed in stable condition
at New York Hospital Medical Center of Queens -- 85 of the 87 condoms had
left his system. Airport detectives said it is rare for a child to be acting
as drug mules. The boy arrived alone at JFK Int'l Airport on a British
Airways flight from London.
Please click below for other sections:
Our Top Story: Landmark Alameda Corridor Opens For Business - Speeding Cargo For L.A. & Long Beach |
Section A: Section: Trade, Financial & Inland News
|
Section B: FF World Air News |
Section C: FF World Ocean News | Section
D: FF in Cyberspace |
Section E: The Forwarder Broker World
Written from wire stories, the Associated Press,
Reuters, Hong Kong Shipping News Lloyds & other world sources.
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