New container weighing rules for ocean freight that will implemented this July have the potential to give air freight demand a welcome boost if maritime supply chains are disrupted. Indeed, one leading carrier believes the introduction of the new regulations has the potential to temporarily reverse the long-term modal shift of cargo from air to ocean.
      On July 1, new container weight verification regulations will enter into force. Many predict chaos will ensue as ocean shippers around the world attempt to weigh every single box moving by sea in accordance with the complex new guidelines. But the big question is whether airlines will be the beneficiaries of any supply chain disruption at sea.
     The new rules from the International Maritime Organization come in the form of an amendment to the Safety of Life at Sea Convention’s (SOLAS) container weighing stipulations. As of July 1 shippers and their proxies will be compelled to verify the weight of packed containers before the box can be loaded onboard a vessel.
      Multiple stakeholders have predicted port congestion this summer, not least due to confusion about how lines would like to receive data on container weights. The International Federation of Freight Forwarders Association (FIATA) is just one of a host of organizations to call for more clarification and information about the new rules.
      Meanwhile, lines have been issuing warnings that they will not load containers unless the gross container weight has been verified.
      Container terminals around the world are now rushing to provide weighing solutions at ports, but many are not expected to be available in time for the July 1 cut-off point.
      It is clear that the new ruling has the potential to impact the entire ocean container supply chain, taking in all players from packers to forwarders, and through shippers, terminals, and shipping lines, at least on some trade lanes. But to what extent this could lead to modal shift from ocean to air is difficult to predict.
     IATA has suggested some ports could suffer backlogs and the most progressive airlines are already making preparations should a surge in demand result this summer. “We are keeping our network flexible and will do our utmost to meet any demand. Furthermore, we are of course always offering freighter charter flights,”said Andreas Pauker, Lufthansa Cargo spokesman.
     A spokesman for China Airlines was more bullish. He told FlyingTypers the new container weight regulations had the potential to temporarily reverse the long-term modal shift of many cargoes from air to ocean. “Shippers may seek alternative ways to bypass potential delays,” he said. “But it is uncertain whether this change will have the same impact on air cargo volumes/yields as did the U.S. west coast seaport strike or congestion.”
     He said China Airlines would adjust its operational and marketing strategies accordingly. “To capture potential opportunities, we will keep a close eye on markets and increase flight frequency based on air cargo demand,” he added. “Meanwhile, our global sales unit will pay more attention to developing and maintaining relationships with customers and proactively provide airfreight solutions once they have issues with ocean container movements.
     “To assist our clients in tackling the possible disruptions, China Airlines will secure extra freight capacity for the requested routes and meet their needs of charter services.”
Sky King

      Assessing last month’s Air Cargo India that took place in Mumbai (Feb.23-25), reliable sources told FlyingTypers that “most people in our circle were there to receive an award or act as a speaker.”
      “There was a lot of hype and ballyhoo connected to the appearance of Renu Singh Parmar, the Senior Economic Advisor in the Ministry of Civil Aviation.
      “Unfortunately, Renu had nothing new to say.
      “Everyone wished that Renu might have ramped up some excitement and brought news of promises kept by the government amidst projections that India’s air cargo business will rise from 2.6 million tons in 2015 to nearly 8.7 million tons by 2030, but for Air Cargo India, her words were that things need to be streamlined and that the government is taking initiatives for good infrastructure and multimodal connectivity.”
      “Telling a professional transportation audience that the government and the ministry of Civil Aviation ‘are trying to solve hindrances,’ without much other explanation seems a bit empty.”
      The truth is that the previous government prepared a detailed working paper on how to boost air cargo and the entire aviation sector.
      The wonder is what happened to that plan, as apparently the new government (2014) has stalled and things have not advanced as promised.
      Instead, the future plan for development of India’s aviation seems pushed back to square one as legions of government bureaucrats go about their daily business mired in attempts to outdo each other to earn brownie points with their bosses.
      At this point in time, as India’s economy is booming, the civil aviation sector seems to be locked in a dead heat, going round and round on a baggage carousel.
      But hope—just like the air cargo conference events that will pop up monthly for the rest of 2016—springs eternal.
Geoffrey

      An octocopter-type drone is seen here midflight. Airline pilots are calling for tests to discover what would happen if a drone hit a passenger jet amid a recent spate of near misses.
      The British Airline Pilots Association (BALPA) wants the Department for Transport (DfT) and the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to back research into the possible consequences of such collisions.
Geoffrey

      Is KOLD KART too cool for school?  
  When it comes to carrying temperature sensitive cargo—whether perishables or pharmaceuticals—keeping the right cool just got a bit easier as Air France KLM Martinair is adding ‘KOLD KART’ technology.
  “After a thorough test period of technical evaluation it clearly appeared that KOLD KART technology enhances the entire cool chain,”a spokesman said.
  “This equipment is naturally fully compatible with our palletized ULDs.
  “For further information on our Cargo business, please contact Air France-KLM-Martinair Cargo.”
Geoffrey

      Politics aside, the marketing triumph of the year is billionaire Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump arriving at several different airports aboard his own aircraft.
      First, the jet circles the field and does a low flyover.
      Then the sleek Boeing B757 (arguably the most beautiful twin jet ever built) taxis up to an airport hangar filled with supporters and media and Trump steps off the branded jet and waves “Presidential Style,”and the crowd just goes wild.
      Here is Mr. Trump pictured during a campaign stop at the Signature Flight Hangar at Port-Columbus International Airport, Tuesday, March 1, 2016, in Columbus, Ohio.
      For the record, Trump purchased the Eastern Air Shuttle Company at LaGuardia, which served Washington and Boston. He operated the airline from 1989 until 1992, renaming it Trump Shuttle.
      Trump sold the airline to USAir.
      But “The Donald” kept his private aircraft, a former Trump Shuttle B727, at LaGuardia near The Marine Air Terminal, where we could see it parked everyday in an area of the ramp called “Five Towers.”
      Later in 2011, as the tri-jet built in 1968 was retired, Mr. Trump purchased Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen’s Boeing 757 for around $100 million and gave it a Trump-style makeover.
      Although he is yet to be anointed as the Republican nominee in this year’s upcoming Presidential election, the Trump presence is felt wherever he flies, every time he makes the big entrance.
Geoffrey

Vol. 15 No. 18
India Buried Under The Weight
Where Are We Now?
View From A Fish Eye
Chuckles For March 2, 2016
Nagpur SEZ MIHAN
Over The Moon