Personal Protective Equipment

Outbound airfreight market tightens from China, Hong Kong

Cargo pallets come off a the rear door of a big cargo plane. China cargo capacity is shrinking and rates are going back up, according to the latest data.

Airfreight rates out of China are beginning to creep up again and there are signs the cost to ship goods to North America and Europe could quickly escalate again as shippers flock to air transport while the supply of aircraft falls.

A confluence of factors associated with a resurgent coronavirus, ocean freight dynamics, Hong Kong health safety rules and operational issues at all-cargo operators is causing the Chinese airfreight market to tighten, according to market researchers and logistics...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/outbound-airfreight-market-tightens-from-china-hong-kong

Russian airline completes massive airlift of medical supplies for France

The French government has ended a massive airlift of medical supplies from China to combat the spread of the deadly coronavirus after stockpiles were deemed sufficient.

Over the past three months, Russian carrier Volga-Dnepr operated 48 Antonov-124 freighter flights to deliver 3,000 tons of medical supplies. French logistics firm Geodis coordinated the operation.

The Cold War-era AN-124s, which were built in Ukraine, are the largest commercial cargo aircraft in use and are normally associated...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/russian-airline-completes-massive-airlift-of-medical-supplies-for-france

Air cargo market: Rationality returns, but for how long?

Big silver jet with pallets of cargo next to it on the ground.

Current and lagging indicators show the air cargo market is continuing to stabilize after a three-month bubble that saw transport rates quintuple for China export routes. Despite the apparent slow-down in shipments of personal protective equipment, shortages of face masks and other medical supplies at U.S. hospitals could make the correction short-lived.

Air freight volumes are picking up as the recovery in global economic activity spurs cross-border trade in more typical goods for manufacturers...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/air-cargo-market-rationality-returns-but-for-how-long

VIP charter airline gets US greenlight for cargo operations

A silver Boeing 737 on the ground, close up view looking at the cockpit from outside.

The U.S. Department of Transportation this week granted authority to operate a Boeing 747 cargo plane to a Bermuda-based company whose business model is private jet charter services for VIPs.

Longtail Aviation International has acquired a jumbo jet freighter to transport personal protective equipment to locations in the U.S. and other parts of the world, according to the company’s application. The gear is still in high demand to help populations cope with the spread of the novel coronavirus and...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/vip-charter-airline-gets-us-greenlight-for-cargo-operations

COVID ushers in direct cargo flights from Vietnam

Big load of cargo on a pallet at the airport.

High airfreight rates and the urgent need for personal protective equipment have led to more direct all-cargo flights from Vietnam to the U.S., saving shippers time and money, according to logistics companies and airport managers.

Since mid-April, Wen-Parker Logistics has chartered 46 full freighters, the majority of them from Vietnam, carrying face masks for multiple U.S. customers, according to Brady Borycki, executive vice president, global business development. Three more aircraft are...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/covid-ushers-in-direct-cargo-flights-from-vietnam

Delta temporarily shuts down cargo facility at O’Hare airport

Mail bags being loaded with a conveyor onto a passenger airplane.

Delta Air Lines (NYSE: DAL) said its cargo station at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport is closed indefinitely and not processing shipments. 

In a message to customers Monday evening, Delta Cargo said the embargo extends to all products originating, transferring or arriving at O’Hare and that inbound and outbound trucks will not be serviced.

Only westbound cargo-only charter flights from London Heathrow International Airport and two-way traffic with Frankfurt International Airport in Germany...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/delta-temporarily-shuts-down-cargo-facility-at-ohare-airport

Cargo clogs U.S. airports as freighters proliferate

Big white 747 freigher with nose cone up to load cargo.

Snapshot: Cargo congestion is a big problem behind the scenes at some major U.S. airports. The coronavirus forced big industry changes that have exacerbated existing inefficiencies due to poor coordination and infrastructure.

  • Ground handlers are understaffed and big freighters are dumping cargo faster than they can process it.
  • The lack of passenger flights has changed the entire dynamic of cargo handling at airports.
  • New technologies are helping to improve communication among airliners, freight...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/cargo-clogs-u-s-airports-as-freighters-proliferate

FEMA winds down Project Airbridge

Large cargo plane being loaded, view from underbelly at tail end.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency said Project Airbridge, the emergency logistics effort to rush personal protective equipment and other critical supplies into the U.S. to combat the coronavirus outbreak in the U.S., has accomplished its mission and will be phased out by the end of the month.

The decision, announced Thursday, reflects the fact that hospitals, nursing homes, first responders and distributors now have enough face masks and other hospital gear to meet their needs and can use...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/fema-winds-down-project-airbridge

Confused about PPE? Canada has tips for safe trucking

A truck driver uses personal protective equipment as he wears a medical face mask

The Canadian government issued new recommendations Wednesday on how and when truck drivers and other transportation workers can best utilize personal protective equipment (PPE) to reduce the risk of getting or transmitting COVID-19. 

While not requirements, Transport Canada’s guidelines provide best practices for how drivers and carriers can effectively use PPE as businesses reopen and freight volumes ramp up.

The biggest one: Drivers should wear a mask or face covering whenever they exit their...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/confused-about-ppe-canada-has-tips-for-safe-trucking

Ports see ‘longer battle’ ahead before volumes turn corner

U.S. ports have revised their initial outlook in March forecasting a quick “V-shaped” recovery in freight volumes and instead do not anticipate a turnaround this year.

That was the message relayed to lawmakers on Capitol Hill via the first-ever public teleconference hearing held by the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee on Friday.

“At this stage in the pandemic, the hope for a quick recovery has been replaced by the realization of a longer battle ahead,” testified Association of...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news

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