Saudi Airlines Cargo thrice weekly to Milan 
Saudi Airlines Cargo launched three weekly B747 freighter flights from Riyadh to Milano Malpensa airport (Italy) on 11 January 2015. "The direct freighter flights into Malpensa enables us to offer first class connections from our entire network, including Hong Kong,... plus
Lower slot costs to drive profitability
Despite record vessel deliveries, container shipping profitability is expected to improve in 2015, driven by lower unit costs, according to the latest edition of the Container Forecaster, published by shipping consultancy Drewry. This year, the global fleet is projected to... plus
Chinese shipyards apply for safe recycling list
Zhoushan Changhong International Ship Recycling and Jiang Xiagang Changjiang Shiprecycling Yard, two leading Chinese ship recyclers, have applied for inclusion of their companies in the future EU list of ship recycling facilities. With a capacity of 100 and 120 vessels... plus
ICS - position change on ballast water
The International Chamber of Shipping (ICS), the global trade association for merchant shipowners, has modified its stance towards the ratification by governments of the International Maritime Organization ballast water management convention (IMO BWMC), which has still not yet... plus
Khalifa receives first scheduled ro-ro vessel
Abu Dhabi Ports has welcomed the first scheduled ro-ro vessel to call at the Khalifa port ro-ro terminal. The "Dream Angel" berthed at the port on 5 January, heralding the transition of Abu Dhabi Ports’ ro-ro cargo from Zayed port to Khalifa. The vessel, which is... plus
Global schedule reliability on the rise
According to the analyst Seaintel global schedule reliability increased for the third consecutive month to 76% in November 2014 from 74.4% in the preceding month. This marks the highest performance recorded in 2014. Global schedule reliability in November is based on more than... plus
Volvo completes acquisition of Dongfeng
Volvo has completed its acquisition of a 45% stake in the Chinese automotive manufacturer, Dongfeng Commercial Vehicles (DFCV) for CNY 5.5 billion (EUR 742 million). DFCV includes most of Dongfeng’s operations in the heavy-duty and medium-duty commercial vehicle sectors. To... plus
MOL throws down the gauntlet
In his new year's speech, the MOL president Koichi Muto outlined the strategy for the Japanese liner company and confirmed it is planning to upgrade its containership fleet with an order for 20,000 teu ultra-large vessels. Muto said, "many of you may be worried about our... plus
Consortium developing new terminal in Jakarta
PT Pelabuhan Indonesia II (Persero) (IPC), Mitsui & Co (Mitsui), Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha (NYK Line) and PSA International Pte (PSA) will jointly construct and operate a new container terminal at Tanjung Priok Port in Jakarta (Indonesia). The facility, to be... plus
2014 scrapping level falls short of forecast
According to a recent report by Alphaliner, the total capacity of containerships sent for scrap in 2014 is believed to be about 393,000 teu, which is substantially below the 500,000 teu forecast at the beginning of the year. In 2015, scrapping activity could be even more... plus