LATEST LOGISTICS AND FORWARDING NEWS FRANCE - A second destination in Norway for Air France - Air France-KLM has reduced its operational losses - Eurotunnel aims at increasing its rail freight traffic INDIA - Jet Airways will not be able to operate its code-shares with American Airlines - Carrefour intends to withdraw from India - A fourth container terminal at J. Nehru port in Mumbai MADAGASCAR - Additional flights of Air Madagascar to France - Studies will be taken up again for the extension of the port of Toamasina - Business cooperation between Madagascar and Mauritius will be strengthened
MAURITIUS - The European Union grants 5.1 million euros - Investors from Mauritius to set up a recycling plant in Rwanda - Woolworths plans to expand in Mauritius MOZAMBIQUE - CMA CGM has applied a General Rate Increase on cargo from Asia to all ports of Mozambique - South Africa's Atterbury to build malls in Mozambique - A port in Tanzania to serve the northern part of Mozambique REUNION ISLAND - 1.66 billion euros to be invested in the construction of a new coast road - Commercial agreement between Corsair and British Airways - Negotiations have started for direct flights between Reunion Island and Tanzania OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD - Brittany Ferries recorded an annual 5% drop in its freight traffic - Hapag-Lloyd and CSAV have merged - A 4% increase in global air freight traffic during the first quarter of 2014
LATEST LOGISTICS AND FORWARDING NEWS FRANCE A second destination in Norway for Air France Air France is linking since last month, a second destination in Norway. After the capital Oslo, the French carrier is landing at Stavanger, the main town of the Norwegian petroleum industry. Two flights per day are scheduled from Paris-Charles de Gaulle on board an Embraer 170 plane. Air France-KLM has reduced its operational losses The operating losses of the cargo division of Air France-KLM have been reduced to 34 million euros during the first 3 months of 2014 compared to a deficit of 50 million euros during the corresponding period last year. The recovery of cargo demand is taking longer than expected and further scenarios are now under consideration to restructure the full freighter business in order to accelerate the turnaround, said the director of Air France-KLM, Alexandre de Juniac to the press. He stated that he did not want to eliminate freighters and concentrate on the belly of passenger planes to carry cargo. Eurotunnel aims at increasing its rail freight traffic To further attract rail freight traffic, Eurotunnel will apply as from June 2014, a 25% reduction of its tariffs for rail freight during off peak hours (from 23:00 to 07:00 on weekdays).
INDIA Jet Airways will not be able to operate its code-shares with American Airlines The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) of the United States has recently downgraded India s aviation safety rating. As a result, the air carriers of India cannot increase their flights to the United States or enter into new code-sharing with American air carriers. The Indian company Jet Airways will thus not be able to go forward with its plan to establish code-shares with American Airlines on the New York-San Francisco route and from Chicago to 17 other cities in the US such as Dallas, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Atlanta and Detroit. Carrefour intends to withdraw from India The second largest retailer in the world, French Carrefour intends to exit India as there is little hope that the Government of India will allow foreign companies to open multi-brand retail outlets throughout the country. Carrefour currently operates 5 wholesale stores in India (Delhi, Jaipur, Bangalore, Meerut and Agra). Up to now, only the British retail chain Tesco has been able to enter into a joint venture with the Tata Group to enter the retail business. A fourth container terminal at J. Nehru port in Mumbai Bharat Mumbai Container Terminals Private Limited (BMCT), a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Asian port operator PSA, has obtained a concession of 30 years starting this month, at the J. Nehru port in Mumbai to design, build, operate, finance and later transfer a fourth container terminal.
MADAGASCAR Additional flights of Air Madagascar to France As from the 26th June, Air Madagascar will increase the frequency of flights between Madagascar and France, from 3 to 4 flights per week. The flights will link Ivato airport in Antananarivo and Paris Charles de Gaulle airport. Furthermore, the air carrier will launch as from the 29th June, a new direct flight between the airport of the town of Nosy Be in the north west coast of Madagascar and Marseille in France. In addition, a second weekly flight will start to operate between Antananarivo and Marseille but with a stop-over in Moroni, Comoros. Studies will be taken up again for the extension of the port of Toamasina According to the Japanese ambassador in Madagascar, Ryuhei Hosoya, the studies for the extension of the port of Toamasina will be resumed. Five years ago, a study had been undertaken and funds of 290 million dollars were required. We need to review the financial requirements and a delegation from Japan will visit Madagascar in the near future, he told the press. Japan is willing to finance the project through a line of credit at a preferential rate. Business cooperation between Madagascar and Mauritius will be strengthened The Mauritian minister of Industry and Commerce, Cader Sayed Hossen has expressed the wish to set up a framework for companies of Madagascar, to undertake the cutting, polishing and crimping of precious and semi-precious stones in Mauritius.
MAURITIUS The European Union grants 5.1 million euros The Decentralised Cooperation Programme (DCP) of the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development, has obtained from the European Union, 5.1 million euros to give direct support to non-government organisations (NGOs) and local authorities to help them achieve the Millennium Development Goals of Mauritius. 60% of the fund will be used to finance water related projects in Rodrigues and the remainder granted to NGOs for capacity building and poverty alleviation. Investors from Mauritius to set up a recycling plant in Rwanda A delegation of investors from Mauritius has travelled to Rwanda to set up a recycling plant in the capital, Kigali. The Mauritian businessmen plan to enter into a partnership with their Rwanda counterparts to convert the Nduba municipal dumpsite into a modern recycling plant to produce organic fertilizers. The city of Kigali city generates about 350 Metric Tons of waste each day. Woolworths plans to expand in Mauritius The South African company Woolworths plans to expand in Mauritius as well as in Kenya, stated to the press its head of international operations Paula Disberry. Woolworths wants to open retail shops in the several shopping malls which have been recently built in Mauritius.
MOZAMBIQUE CMA CGM has applied a General Rate Increase on cargo from Asia to all ports of Mozambique The French sea carrier CMA CGM has introduced since the 15 th May 2014, a General Rate Increase of 150 US dollars per TEU on all cargo transported on board its vessels from Asia to all Mozambican ports. South Africa's Atterbury to build malls in Mozambique Mozambique is becoming one of the fastest growing consumer markets in South Africa and Atterbury, the property developer of South Africa, intends to build three shopping malls in Mozambique. The properties for residential and commercial uses, will be located near the port of Beira, in the city of Pemba and in the town of Nacala. Atterbury was founded in 1994 in Pretoria with the main objective of developing retail centres and commercial buildings in Southern Africa. A port in Tanzania to serve the northern part of Mozambique The president of Tanzania, Jakaya Kikwete has the project of developing a port at Mtwara in the south of its main port Dar es Salam so as to serve the northern part of Mozambique.
REUNION ISLAND 1.66 billion euros to be invested in the construction of a new coast road The new coast road will be one of the future major projects of Reunion Island. 12 km long, it will be built on stilts to resist gusts of wind up to 150 km per hour as well as to waves up to 10 m high. The construction works will require an investment of 1.66 billion euros and seven years to be completed. The road will have three lanes in each direction. The biggest part of the contract ( 1.2 billion euros), has been allotted to companies Bouygues and Vinci. Eiffage will undertake the works of a vidauct for 37 million euros. Commercial agreement between Corsair and British Airways Air carrier Corsair has signed a commercial agreement with British Airways to offer a greater choice of destinations and frequencies. Corsair flights from Reunion Island land at Orly airport in Paris. There, the cargo can be uplifted on board a British Airways plane to London or on an OpenSkies aircraft to New York. OpenSkies is a subsidiary of British Airways specialised in offering daily transatlantic flights. Negotiations have started for direct flights between Reunion Island and Tanzania Talks have already been initiated between officials of Reunion Island and their Tanzanian counterparts to establish direct flights between the two countries. Currently, air freight between Reunion Island and Tanzania, transit via Madagascar, Mauritius or Dubai.
OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD Brittany Ferries recorded an annual 5% drop in its freight traffic Brittany Ferries which ensures a ferry service between Calais in France and Dover in the United Kingdom, recorded an annual 5% drop in its freight traffic. We are suffering the effects of a rate war among cross-channel operators, said Brittany s chairperson, Martine Jourdren. Hapag-Lloyd and CSAV have merged The German shipping company Hapag-Lloyd and the Chilean maritime company, Compañía Sud Americana de Vapores (CSAV) have merged to become the fourth largest fleet of container vessels in the world, behind Maersk Line, Mediterranean Shipping Company and CMA CGM. The new group will operate 200 ships and transport around 7.5 million TEU per year. Previously, Hapag-Lloyd was the 6 th biggest sea carrier in the world and CSAV the 19th largest line. A 4% increase in global air freight traffic during the first quarter of 2014 According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the global air freight market is recovering. A 4% increase in volume was recorded during the first quarter of 2014 compared to the same period last year.