JUPITER SEA & AIR SERVICES PVT. LTD, EGMORE – CHENNAI, INDIA.
E-MAIL : Robert.sands@jupiterseaair.co.in Mobile : +91 98407 85202
Corporate News
Letter for Wednesday - June 18,
2025
Today’s
Exchange Rates
|
CURRENCY |
PRICE |
CHANGE |
%CHANGE |
OPEN |
PREV.CLOSE |
DAY's LOW-HIGH |
|
86.24 |
0.18 |
0.209157 |
86.01 |
86.06 |
85.88- 86.2875 |
|
|
1.1562 |
0.0001 |
0.008651 |
1.1561 |
1.1561 |
1.1543- 1.158 |
|
|
116.811 |
-0.121201 |
-0.10365 |
116.7269 |
116.9322 |
116.5888- 116.9482 |
|
|
99.6736 |
-0.032898 |
-0.032995 |
99.4585 |
99.7065 |
99.3078- 99.7389 |
|
|
144.843 |
0.093002 |
0.06425 |
144.75 |
144.75 |
144.397- 145.112 |
|
|
1.3546 |
-0.0032 |
-0.235679 |
1.3578 |
1.3578 |
1.3542- 1.3579 |
|
|
98.168 |
0.169998 |
0.173471 |
98.189 |
97.998 |
98.069- 98.277 |
|
|
0.5957 |
-0.0012 |
-0.201032 |
0.5947 |
0.5969 |
0.5932- 0.5965 |
/// Sea Cargo News ///
Plastic nurdle spill from sunken cargo ship reaches Tamil Nadu, raises
alarm
A plastic nurdle spill from the sunken
cargo ship MSC ELSA 3 has spread into the newly declared Dhanushkodi Greater
Flamingo Sanctuary in Ramanathapuram district, threatening one of India's most
fragile coastal ecosystems.
The MSC ELSA 3, a Liberian-flagged
vessel, sank off the Kochi coast a few weeks ago while carrying 640 containers,
including 13 with hazardous materials, 12 with calcium carbide, 367 tonnes of
furnace oil, and 84 tonnes of diesel.
The ship's cargo manifest remains
undisclosed, fuelling speculation about the full extent of environmental
risk. Dhanushkodi Sanctuary, located within the Gulf of Mannar Biosphere
Reserve, supports 128 species of birds -- including Greater and Lesser
Flamingos-- and is home to sea turtles, crustaceans, molluscs, and fish. Its
dunes, marshes, and seagrass beds form part of the Central Asian Flyway for
migratory birds.
He urged the public not to panic, stating that swift action was
underway. The disaster evokes memories of the 2021 X-Press Pearl incident in
Sri Lanka, where 1,680 tons of nurdles led to mass marine deaths and crippled
fisheries.
Studies showed severe impacts on plankton and larval life forms,
threatening entire food chains. Cleanup efforts in Ramanathapuram face
challenges due to the nurdles buoyancy and small size, worsened by monsoon
waves that break them into microplastics.
With the 61 days annual fishing ban nearing its end, fisherman fear
reduced fish catches and consumer hesitancy could harm their livelihoods if the
spill worsens.
Environmentalists are calling for urgent intervention, cargo
transparency and long term containment measures to prevent irreversible damage
to one of India’s most critical marine ecosystems.
Bengladesh Govt moves to delist Khanpur ICD project from Indian LoC
The interim government has now started
the procedure to delist the Khanpur Inland Container Depot (ICD) project from
the Indian line of credit (LoC) after rejecting a proposal for cost-and tenure
extension in January, said officials.
The Ministry of Shipping (MoS) recently
sought the opinion of the Economic Relations Division (ERD) regarding the
exclusion of the project from the LoC, sources said. According to
officials concerned, the ERD is now consulting relevant ministries to determine
if delisting the project will have any legal complications or any financial
implications.
Once opinions are received, the ERD will
request the Indian High Commission in Dhaka to delist the project from the LoC,
according to a joint secretary of the ERD. Earlier in March, during a
review meeting on the Bangladesh-India bilateral LoC, both sides agreed not to
proceed with the project, sources said.
World
Bank slashes U.S. growth forecast over trade war
President Donald Trump’s trade wars are
expected to slash economic growth this year in the United States and around the
world, the World Bank forecast Tuesday.
Citing “a substantial rise in trade
barriers” but without mentioning Trump by name, the 189-country lender
predicted that the U.S. economy – the world’s largest – would grow half as fast
(1.4%) this year as it did in 2024 (2.8%). That marked a downgrade from the
2.3% U.S. growth it had forecast for 2025 back in January.
The bank also slashed 0.4 percentage
points off its forecast for global growth this year. It now expects the world
economy to expand just 2.3% in 2025, down from 2.8% in 2024.
In a forward to the latest version of the
twice-yearly Global Economic Prospects report, World Bank chief economist
Indermit Gill wrote that the global economy has missed its chance for the “soft
landing” — slowing enough to tame inflation without generating serious pain —
it appeared headed for just six months ago.
“The world economy today is once more running into turbulence,” Gill wrote. “Without a swift course correction, the harm to living standard could be very deep”.
India scrambles for rare earths as China tightens grip on critical exports
India is urgently working to secure supplies of rare earth minerals after China imposed export curbs on seven key elements and finished magnets. These are crucial for making electric vehicles, smartphones, and appliances.
Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal called this a “wake-up call” and stated that India must act quickly to achieve self-reliance.
The government is supporting Indian Rare
Earths Limited to increase local production. Goyal also noted that India’s
automotive and white goods sectors will face short-term issues, but believes
these can become long-term opportunities with innovation and policy
support.
A recent Crisil report warned that if
magnet supplies are hit for more than a month, it could affect vehicle
production and slow down the auto sector’s growth. Globally, countries are
scrambling to reduce reliance on China, which processes over 90% of the world’s
rare earths. The US is investing $39 million in its own supply system.
India has also joined hands with Central
Asian countries to explore new mineral sources. At a recent Delhi dialogue,
they agreed to speed up co-operation on rare earths.
While India isn’t directly involved in
the ongoing US-China trade talks, it’s preparing to play its hand in this
high-stakes game.
China says its exports to the US have plummeted ahead of trade talks
China's exports rose 4.8% in May from a year earlier, according to data released on Monday, just hours ahead of another round of trade talks between the US and China.
The total was a bit lower than expected,
as shipments to the United States fell 34.5% in the same period. Imports
declined 3.4% year-on-year, leaving a trade surplus of $103.2bn
(€90.33bn). China exported $28.8bn to the United States in May (compared
to $44 billion last year), while its imports from the US fell 7.4% to $10.8bn,
the report said.
Still, exports to Southeast Asia and the
European Union remained robust, growing 14.8% and 12% year-on-year. “The
acceleration of exports to other economies has helped China’s exports remain
relatively buoyant in the face of the trade war,” Lynne Song of ING Economics
said in a commentary. Still, trade slowed in May from an 8.1% jump in
China's global exports in April.
MSC eyes Damen Mangalia shipyard takeover
The Mediterranean Shipping
Company (MSC) Group has formally expressed its interest in
acquiring Damen Shipyards Mangalia in Romania, which has been under
insolvency proceedings for over a year.
According to local media, the company has
reportedly made advance payments for ship repair services, indicating
serious intent.
MSC now finds itself in
a competitive bid with Turkish firm Desan, which is also in
talks with Romanian authorities to lease production facilities and workforce
from the Mangalia yard. Ship repair operations resumed in May, reactivating
roughly 800 employees.
At present, two ships are undergoing work
in the docks, with another expected shortly. This marks a reversal from earlier
months when only 100 employees were active and nearly 1,000 were
on technical unemployment.
Earlier this month, MSC’s logistics arm, MEDLOG, officially opened the
MEDLOG Inland Terminal Paris-Bruyeres, a new multimodal facility located 40
kilometers north of Paris, France.
Record container production out of China allays box shortage
concerns
The huge swings in containership
deployment brought about by Donald Trump’s on/off trade war have seen rates
rocket and congestion grow in recent weeks; however, unlike another great
disruptor of the 2020s, COVID, there is no box shortage this time.
Container manufacturing in China is at
higher levels than 2024’s record figures. According to Linerlytica, an
Asia-based consultancy, new container inventories in China climbed to a record
high of 1.55m teu as of late May.
“Concerns over container shortages proved
to be unfounded despite the delays in returning empty containers from Europe
and North America, given the ready availability of new boxes with both carriers
and lessors taking advantage of the recent drop in new equipment prices to
order more boxes,” Linerlytica noted in its most recent weekly report.
Already, more than 2.3 million new
containers have been produced this year, with Linerlytica forecasting that the
massive production spurt will ensure there’s no repeat of the Chinese box
inventory crisis of 2021 when inventories dropped to just 0.1 million TEUs.
UPS expands India-Germany
freighter operation
Express giant UPS is adding an extra weekly
freighter flight to its operation between Europe and India in line with the
growing demand for Indian goods in European and American markets.
The extra flight will operate from Delhi to
its Cologne hub utilising one of the express firm’s Boeing 747-8 freighter
aircraft. UPS said the expansion will double its airfreight capacity on
the route and capitalise on growing demand for fast-moving and time-sensitive
shipments.
The company said the move is also in line
with expanding demand from sectors such as automotive, industrial
manufacturing, retail and healthcare. UPS pointed out that from Cologne,
cargo can be transported to the US, one of India's largest trading partners.
Daniel Carrera, president, UPS Europe, Middle
East, Africa & India, said: "Across Europe and worldwide, there is
growing demand for high-quality goods from India from a range of sectors. This
expansion of our global air network will create new opportunities for European
consumers, as well as for Indian businesses looking to export”.
UPS saod that a surge in demand from India
was driven by policy reforms, a push for manufacturing competitiveness and
improved access to international markets.
Europe is not India’s largest trading
partner, with trade in goods handling $137.4 Billion in the last fiscal
year. UPS has been investing in its
India business in recent years. In 2022, it opened an air express operation at
Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru while it has also doubled capacity
at its Delhi facility and opened a temperature controlled cross-dock facility
in Hyderabad.
It has also teamed with India based travel
conglomerate InterGlobe Enterprises to launch delivery firm Movin.
Centre clears revival of TruJet; aiming for November take
off as full-fledged airline, says MD
The Centre has given its nod to revive TruJet
(formerly Turbo Megha Airways) as a national-level scheduled operator to cater
to the growing demand for air transport in the country, sources said.
The regional low-cost airline was operational
between 2015 and 2022. It was headquartered at Rajiv Gandhi International
Airport in Hyderabad. It halted operations in February 2022 due to the
financial crisis triggered by the Covid pandemic.
When contacted, Umesh Vankayalapati, the Managing Director of TruJet, confirmed the development. “We had approached the Union Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) to revive the TruJet brand.
After extensive discussions and presentations
made to MoCA officials, the Centre has finally granted us the NoC,”
Vankayalapati said. “Now we are required to renew the AoP (Air Operators
Permit) from the DGCA (Directorate-General of Civil Aviation). The AoP renewal
is expected to take up to 180 days.”
Notably, this time around, the airline has
received approval to operate as a full fledged domestic airline. In 2014,
Trujet had received approval to operate as a Scheduled Air Transport (Regional)
Services”, provider.
According to Vankayalapati, after the receipt
of AoP, the airline can restart operations with an Airbus A320 aircraft.
“Visakhapatnam will be our hub airport for the narrow body A320 aircraft,” he
said. We are targeting to launch the first flight by November. It will be from
Visakhapatnam to either Delhi, Mumbai , Bengalur and Hyderabad. Preparations
are on in full stream from our end”.
ATR for UDAN routes : Apart from A320 planes, Trujet turboprop
aircraft to participate in the centre’s regional connectivity UDAN scheme. We
plan to base ATR’s out of Lucknow airport. There is massive scope for growth in
regional aviation in this region,” Vankalapati said.
“The plan is to introduce ATR aircraft after
routes are allocated to us under the UDAM scheme. Additionally, Vankayalapati
claimed tp have financial backing from a set of new investors.
“The airline plans to initially invest about
Rs. 200 crores and hire some 600 people,” Vankayalapati said, adding that the
industry has lately attracted players due to its high growth rate. Nonetheless,
heavy taxation still hinders many from entering this industry, he said.
Trujet, is a subsidiary of Turbo Aviation, an
aircraft maintenance and ground handling services company based in Hyderabad.
Before shutting operations, the airline had identified 18 tier-II cities in
southern india as prospective destinations in its regional network.
“We see tremendous prospects for growth in
India’s regional and national markets. India’s aviation sector growth has just
began,” he added. On a sequential basis, the passenger traffic had grown by
over 8% in March 2025 to around 1.45 crore.
Awesome Cargo grows fleet with EFW’s first A330P2F delivery
Elbe Flugzeugwerke (EFW) has completed the first of three A330 passenger-to-freighter (P2F) aircraft redeliveries to Air Lease Corporation, a major global lessor with a fleet of over 800 owned, managed, and on-order aircraft. The redelivered A330-200P2F aircraft will be operated by Mexican airline Awesome Cargo.
It is the first A330P2F aircraft to be
registered in Mexico after EFW received the validated supplemental type
certificate (V-STC) for its A330-200P2F and A330-300P2F solutions by the
Agencia Federal de Aviación Civil Mexico (AFAC) in November 2024, according to
an official release by EFW.
The aircraft, MSN 1252, is 13.8 years old and
was originally operated by Alitalia. It was later transferred to ITA Airways
and subsequently acquired by Air Lease Corporation. The remaining two
A330-200P2F aircraft to be redelivered to Awesome Cargo are also former
Alitalia models. These include MSN 1218, which is 14.2 years old, and MSN 1225,
aged 14.1 years.
Notably, MSN 1225 is currently active in
service with Awesome Cargo. According to data from Flightradar24, its most
recent flight was on June 5, operating from Anchorage (ANC) to Mexico City
(NLU). Both MSN 1218 and MSN 1225 have no main-deck cargo door and have been
interim-converted for cargo operations.
EFW will carry out full
passenger-to-freighter conversions on these aircraft to equip them for
dedicated cargo operations. The new converted freighter is fitted with a flight
crew rest compartment and centre fuel tanks, enabling both medium- and long-haul
operations on routes such as those between Mexico and China.
It also features a powered cargo loading
system designed to handle extra-large or heavy shipments on 16- or 20-foot
pallets. “We are very grateful for Air Lease’s confidence in our A330P2F
solution, the most modern converted freighter in the market,” says Jordi Boto,
CEO, EFW.
“This milestone redelivery marks a
significant step in supporting the operator Awesome Cargo in its mission to
serve key routes across Mexico, Latin America, and Asia-Pacific, some of the
fastest-growing regions in e-commerce”.
“Through this conversion programme, Awesome
Cargo is committed and focused on offering unique and attractive alternatives
to its clients: increasing the fleet with aircraft that are highly efficient in
fuel consumption and cargo capacity compared to aircraft of the same class,”
says Luis Ramos, CEO, Awesome Cargo.
“We are adopting a strategic approach that
balances fleet expansion with market demand and operational efficiency; working
together with e-commerce platforms and logistics providers in order to align
its services with customer needs, and raising all the reliability indices of
its operation, making it efficient, competitive, and safe.”
Awesome Cargo operates flights from cities
such as Anchorage, Los Angeles, and Mexico City to destinations in South Korea
and China, including Seoul and Zhengzhou. The airline recently announced its
first-ever regular cargo flight transporting perishables from Tijuana (TIJ) to
Zhengzhou (CGO), starting Tuesday, May 6, 2025.
Shanghai Pudong International Airport Cargo
Terminal (PACTL) and Lufthansa Cargo Servicios Logísticos De México (LCSLM)
signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to advance cross-continental
connectivity, trade efficiency and logistics innovation.
"Under the MoU, the two parties will
collaborate to strengthen the air cargo supply chain between China and Mexico
with a focus on e-commerce exports and key import commodities," according
to an official release from PACTL.
The collaboration will focus on the following
areas: *Increasing freighter operations: PACTL and LCSLM intend to jointly
support the increase of freighter flight frequencies between China and Mexico
by engaging key national and multinational carriers, supporting favourable
regulatory conditions, and exploring synergies under the joint shareholder,
Lufthansa Cargo.
*Facilitating trade flows: The partnership will
enhance export-import logistics between China and Mexico, enabling more
reliable cargo movement and supporting bilateral trade growth. Special emphasis
will be placed on facilitating the e-commerce supply chain between the two
countries and improving the handling of key imports to China, including
perishables, pharmaceuticals, and other high-value goods.
*Joint marketing and promotion: The two companies
will carry out joint branding and business development initiatives to increase
visibility and unlock new market opportunities; and
*Cargo terminal cooperation: Both sides will
exchange expertise and cooperate in the terminal planning, construction and
operations to improve ground handling efficiency and infrastructure
development.
Frank Nozinsky, CEO-Managing Director, LCSLM
says: "We are pleased to sign this memorandum of understanding with PACTL
to strengthen airfreight connectivity between Mexico and China. In recent
months, we have witnessed a significant rise in trade volumes between our two
countries, driven by shifting global supply chains and evolving geopolitical
dynamics.
This partnership reflects our shared
commitment to supporting this growth through enhanced terminal cooperation and
operational synergy." Carsten Hernig, Deputy General Manager, VP, Sales
& Marketing and Production, PACTL adds: "Partnering with LCSLM is a
significant step in expanding our international footprint. Together, we aim to
build a faster and more reliable cargo channel to support the evolving needs of
global trade and deliver lasting value to our customers. We are excited about the
opportunities this collaboration will bring."
LCSLM is a wholly-owned subsidiary of
Lufthansa Cargo, based at Mexico City International Airport (AICM), the release
added. PACTL partners with Ethiopian Airlines to boost China-Africa air cargo
gateway PACTL and Ethiopian Airlines Group formalised a MoU during the
transport logistic 2025 exhibition in Munich.
The agreement establishes a collaborative
framework to strengthen the air cargo industry, optimise operational efficiency
and foster mutual growth opportunities between China and Africa, according to
an official release from PACTL. "The two parties agree to mutually
designate each other as overseas air cargo terminal partners, working together
to construct the Air Silk Road of the 21st century."
New
cargo terminal opens at Jordan’s Queen Alia International Airport
A new cargo warehouse at Queen Alia
International Airport (QAIA) in Jordan has officially opened as the
country looks to build up its logistics capabilities.
Source: Lödige IndustriesThe new terminal is located around 30 km
south of Jordan’s capital city, Amman, and will be operated by Aviation
Handling Services (AHS) Jordan and Menzies Aviation with equipment
from Lödige Industries.
The terminal measures 8,000 sq m and will
increase the handling capacity to 60,000 tons per year.
The cargo terminal will “significantly
strengthen Jordan’s position as a major logistics hub in the Middle East”, the
partners said in a press release.
“AHS Jordan’s mission is to transform the
cargo terminal at Queen Alia International Airport into a leading hub for
regional and international trade,” said Dominique Ceulemans, managing
director at AHS Jordan.
”To achieve this goal, we rely on advanced
automated handling technologies from market leader Lödige Industries to
streamline cargo processes, create a safe working environment and meet the
growing demands of our customers now and in the future.”
The delivered systems include a fully
automated storage system for 136 Unit Load Devices (ULDs) with an Elevating
Transfer Vehicle (ETV) to ensure reliable, fast and efficient storage and
retrieval processes.
It also features ergonomic construction/break
workstations (EWS), storage racks to maximise shipping capacity and a ULD
control system for seamless monitoring with material flow management in
conjunction with a Cargo Management System from Menzies.
“It is a great honour for us to be the cargo
handling technology partner for this ambitious project, and we are extremely
proud to support AHS/Menzies in the Kingdom of Jordan in achieving their future
goals and improving their cargo capacities”, said Guy Walker, managing director
of Lödige Systems Middle East.
Work on the terminal started in February
2022 and was finished in July 2024, with operations commencing earlier this
year.
UK Air Cargo Club raises funds for the Alzheimer’s Society
The United Kingdom Air Cargo Club (UKACC) has
donated £18,000 to the Alzheimer’s Society charity - proceeds raised at its
industry social events over the last calendar year.
The money was raised at UKACC industry
lunches, a quiz night, golf day, and the Club’s annual Gala ball and Christmas
Lunch events, attended by some 300 guests from across the UK air cargo
community.
UKACC’s membership consists of cargo
professionals from airlines, freight forwarders, cargo handlers, courier and
express companies, equipment suppliers, and others.
David Stroud, former policy & compliance
adviser at the British International Freight Association (BIFA), and past chair
of UKACC during the last fundraising year, presented the Club’s significant
donation to Soya Cutts, regional fundraiser for Alzheimer’s Society.
“When choosing a charity to support during my
year as UKACC Chair, I picked one close to my heart as my mother is living with
dementia,” said Stroud. ”Throughout our year of fundraising, I met so many
other industry friends and colleagues who had a family member or friend that
been impacted by this terrible disease.
”Working with Alzheimer’s Society opened my
eyes to the difference they make, not just to those living with dementia, but
the families, friends and support groups involved, so it was a great honour to
make such a sizeable donation to support their outstanding work.
”I especially want to send a special thank
you to our members from across the UK cargo community, who so generously
support our events and donate prizes to boost our fundraising.”
I hope you have enjoyed reading the above
news letter.
Robert Sands
Joint Managing Director
Jupiter Sea & Air
Services Pvt Ltd
Casa Blanca, 3rd Floor
11, Casa Major Road,
Egmore
Chennai – 600 008.
India.
GST Number :
33AAACJ2686E1ZS.
Tel : + 91 44 2819 0171
/ 3734 / 4041
Fax : + 91 44 2819 0735
Mobile : + 91 98407
85202
E-mail : robert.sands@jupiterseaair.co.in
Website : www.jupiterseaair.com 1Branches : Chennai, Bangalore,
Mumbai, Coimbatore, Tirupur and Tuticorin.
Associate Offices : New
Delhi, Kolkatta, Cochin & Hyderabad.
Thanks to : Container News, Indian Seatrade, Cargo Forwarder Global & Air Cargo News.
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