New train between Moscow and Far East 
Russian transport group Fesco has expanded its domestic route network with the launch of a new regular container train. The ‘Fesco Chita Shuttle’ runs weekly from the Bely Rast Terminal and Logistics Centre in Moscow to Chita, in Russia's Far East. Transit time is seven... more
Rising global fleet faces staff shortfall
London-based maritime consultancy Drewry draws attention to a growing concern of the high sea shipping industry, according to the latest Manning Annual Review and Forecast report. Due to the diminishing attractiveness of a career at sea, coupled with rising man-berth ratios... more
Creating an air cargo hub in Siberia
In Central Siberia, Krasnoyarsk region, Krasnoyarsk International Airport (KJA) and Volga-Dnepr Group have signed a cooperation agreement for the development of cross-regional and international cargo operations, with KJA becoming a main logistics hub. The agreement covers... more
High freight rates inflate prices
Copenhagen-based maritime consultancy Sea-Intelligence recently analysed the impact of the elevated freight rates on importers for a variety of consumer goods, especially on the Asia to US West Coast and North Europe trade lanes. An OECD-data-based value of consumer goods... more
China Southern Air Cargo expects OL
Guangzhou-based China Southern Air Cargo is set to be granted an operator's licence (OL) by the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) almost six months after it applied. The regulator said it had now completed its initial review and was now planning to formally award... more
MSC block trains: full speed ahead
MSC reports that its recently-launched Asia-to-Europe ocean and rail solution has been well received by its customers (see ITJ Daily from 24 April 2021). Introduced in mid-May, the first shipment of MSC containers was moved via block train from Vostochniy to St. Petersburg in... more
Ettamogah rail hub handles 1,800 m trains
A rail siding in the Ettamogah rail hub near Albury in NSW (Australia) has been upgraded for around AUD 12.2 million (EUR 7.7 million), providing significantly increased efficiency for freight and passenger rail services. The new siding extension will work with Inland Rail to... more
A silver lining for reliability at sea?
According to Sea-Intelligence, a maritime intelligence provider from Copenhagen (Denmark), the increase in global schedule reliability in March 2021 didn’t last. Reliability levelled out, with carriers recording a 1 percentage point decrease month-on-month in April, coming to... more
Asia-Pacific airlines stagnated in April
Preliminary figures released by the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA) have shown that passenger demand remains depressed, whilst cargo demand grew. Renewed border restrictions and lockdowns in many Asian economies quelled hopes of resurgent international markets.Some... more
Shanghai test centre now operative
In Shanghai, Centre Testing International (CTI)-Maritec, a fuel and environmental technical advisory company for the maritime industry, recently cut the ribbon of a new fuel-testing centre. The opening of the lab, located in the city’s Minhang district, coincides with the first... more