American Shipper

Solving the dry ice challenge for COVID vaccine

A UPS worker shovels dry ice into containers.

Express delivery and logistics giant UPS (NYSE: UPS) on Tuesday said it has invested in machines to produce dry ice for transport and storage of frozen COVID-19 vaccines, while Switzerland-based SkyCell revealed a new ultracold container that enables larger vaccine shipments by air because less dry ice is required.

The new investments come as governments and industry are racing to prepare for a massive logistics campaign to distribute billions of vaccine doses around the world, with early...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/solving-the-dry-ice-challenge-for-covid-vaccine

Ag export equation: Bulk surge, box squeeze, ‘reefer madness’

soybean exports

Good news for America’s beleaguered agriculture exporters: China is buying again. A lot. Bulk-vessel loadings are finally returning to pre-trade-war levels just as President Donald Trump is leaving office.

Bad news for exporters: Ag shipments via containers now face a double whammy. First, exporters still don’t have enough containers to get their goods to Asia in a timely fashion. And second, China is once again clamping down on inspections on fears that frozen food carries COVID.

More ‘reefer...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/ag-export-equation-bulk-surge-box-squeeze-reefer-madness

French-American Thanksgiving: CMA CGM donates 10,000 turkeys

If you believe the story of the first Thanksgiving, the French weren’t there. But French container shipping company CMA CGM has gotten involved in the most American of holidays in a big way  this year — by feeding more than 35,000 U.S. residents.

“CMA CGM has a long tradition of giving back to the communities we serve,” said Ed Aldridge, president of CMA CGM America, in a statement. “There is no doubt that COVID-19 has fundamentally changed how all of us will experience Thanksgiving this year.”

CM...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/french-american-thanksgiving-cma-cgm-donates-10000-turkeys

Retired British Airways 747 catches fire during recycling in Spain

A British Airways 747 touching down on runway with smoke from tires.

A retired British Airways jumbo jet in storage at an airport in Spain caught fire Monday during the dismantling process, British Airways said after images of the event spread on social media.

Video from the scene at Castellón Airport shows smoke pouring from the cockpit area. Airport emergency crews quickly extinguished the fire, British Airways said. No injuries were reported.

The Boeing 747-400, which made its last revenue flight in April, is being scrapped by e-Cube Solutions, according to an...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/retired-british-airways-747-catches-fire-during-recycling-in-spain

Foreign sourcing to delay Canada COVID-19 vaccine distribution

Vials of COVID-19 vaccines. Canada's distribution of vaccines will be delayed because they are coming from foreign countries.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau warned on Tuesday that Canada will receive its COVID-19 vaccines later than the countries it has ordered them from, but said his government is making the logistics preparations to distribute them as quickly as possible.

Canada has reserved hundreds of millions of doses of COVID-19 vaccines, including with the makers of the most promising ones: Pfizer, Moderna and AstraZeneca. But none are produced in Canada, which doesn’t have a domestic capacity, something...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/foreign-sourcing-to-delay-canada-covid-19-vaccine-distribution

Tugboat captain presumed lost off Florida coast

The Coast Guard said Monday night that it had suspended the search for a man who had fallen from a tugboat near Blount Island in Jacksonville, Florida, early Sunday morning.

Coast Guard Sector Jacksonville said it received notification at about 3 a.m. Sunday from the tugboat Pops that a 42-year-old man had fallen into the water while transferring to a barge and had not resurfaced.

International Union of Operating Engineers Local 25 on Facebook identified the man as Ozzy Martinez and said he was...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/tugboat-captain-presumed-lost-off-florida-coast

Alaska Airlines modernizes fleet with deal for more 737 MAX jets

A white Alaska Airlines jet coming in for a landing with wheels down, about to touch down on runway on sunny day.

Alaska Airlines (NYSE: ALK) on Monday doubled down on the Boeing 737 MAX less than a week after the Federal Aviation Administration lifted a 20-month safety grounding. The airline plans to lease more than a dozen of the modern aircraft and sell off less economical Airbus A320s to help its balance sheet.

The moves suggest that Alaska Airlines may return to an all-Boeing fleet, although officials have said they are very happy with the Airbus A321neo.

Alaska said it will sell 10 single-aisle A320s...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/alaska-airlines-modernizes-fleet-with-deal-for-more-737-max-jets

5 maritime sustainability trends for 2021

Shipping aims for more environmental sustainability.

According to the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), “ships transport roughly 90% of world trade and account for 3% of global greenhouse gas emissions.” The International Maritime Organization (IMO) is having a large impact on sustainable operations for ocean freight. Here are five environmental sustainability trends coming in 2021.

Potential decarbonization and ETS

The Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) met last week to discuss the new IMO short-term draft amendments that would require...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/5-maritime-sustainability-trends-for-2021

IATA’s de Juniac resigns; former IAG boss Walsh named successor

Willie Wash, former British Airways CEO on right, image of an airplane tail from behind on right of split image. Breaking News: Walsh to take over IATA

The International Air Transport Association on Monday surprised the aviation world with the announcement that former International Airlines Group (LN: IAG) CEO Willie Walsh, one of the airline industry’s highest-profile executives, will succeed Alexandre de Juniac as director general, effective March 31.

IATA said de Juniac notified its board of governors several months ago of his intention to resign, but the news came as a shock to people in the organization and the airline industry.

Walsh, 59,...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/breaking-iatas-de-juniac-resigns-former-iag-boss-walsh-named-successor

FreightWaves Flashback: What NAFTA means for cross-border trade

FreightWaves Classics articles look at various aspects of the transportation industry’s history. If there are topics that you think would be of interest, please send them to [email protected]

The many industries that make up the world of freight have undergone tremendous change over the past several decades. Each week, FreightWaves explores the archives of American Shipper’s nearly 70-year-old collection of shipping and maritime publications to showcase interesting freight stories of...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/freightwaves-flashback-what-nafta-means-for-cross-border-trade

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