Italy's minister for infrastructure and transport 
On 13 February 2021, the new Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi swore in the economist, statistician and academic Enrico Giovannini as government minister for infrastructure and transport. Following Paola De Micheli, Giovannini manages a budget of EUR 32 billion. From 1997... more
ASL converts option
Dublin-based ASL Aviation Holdings is taking up ten options for the 737-800 Boeing Converted Freighter. This follows the original agreement with Boeing for ten firm orders and ten options, announced at the Paris Air Show in 2019. They will be introduced to meet the requirements... more
Sustainable steel distribution
XPO Logistics has renewed its UK partnership with stainless steel manufacturer Outokumpu. The partnership has now lasted nearly two decades. As Outokumpu’s supplier, XPO is responsible for transporting stainless steel products from the manufacturer’s plant in Sheffield to its UK... more
Endless summer?
Early in Q1/2021, the Hamburg-based shipping company Hapag-Lloyd expects a significant higher profit than in the same quarter last year. In a media release, the carrier spoke of a "very good start" in 2021 due to a high demand for container transports and further... more
New managing director and chairman
PE Automotive has a new managing director, Christian Loidolt, who will also chair the executive board. He succeeded Ralf Maurer when he joined the company on 1 February 2021. Loidolt will be working with longstanding managing director Markus Seitz. Loidolt brings experience... more
Stihl fully automated in Italy
Andreas Stihl, a manufacturer of outdoor working tools, has entrusted Swisslog with the expansion and upgrade of its production plant in Cambiago near Milan (Italy). The newly installed fully automated system comprises almost 17,000 containers on 16 levels and has 17 robots and... more
Wallenius SOL calling Lübeck
The Wallenius SOL (WSAB) shipping company has added Lübeck (LHG) to its roundtrip between Finland and Antwerp on the northbound route. Once a week, the vessels "Fionia Sea" and "Jutlandia Sea" take turns to call at the Skandinavienkai terminal. The... more
Two power ladies underway in Germany
VTG and its subsidiary Retrack and ELP signed a long-term leasing contract for up to four Euro Dual locomotives last year. The first two locomotives were successfully tested by the subsidiaries in Braunschweig, Germany recently. The new locomotives can pull up to 30% more... more
Masks from China, flowers from Kenya
Ahead of Valentine’s Day, IAG Cargo transported 438 t of flowers (approximately 18 million stems) across its network. Over the past few weeks, its five sister airlines have been running flights across its network, including four flights a week from Nairobi into London Heathrow... more
BLG Logistics contracts
As from April 2021, the Bremen-based BLG Logistics Group will pull out of freight forwarding and concentrate on its contract, automotive and container business. Rhenus Air & Oceanis will take over its freight forwarding activities. Financial details of the deal were not... more