JUPITER SEA & AIR
SERVICES PVT. LTD, EGMORE – CHENNAI, INDIA.
E-MAIL : Robert.sands@jupiterseaair.co.in Mobile : +91 98407 85202
Corporate News
Letter for Thursday October 08, 2026
Today’s
Exchange Rates
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Currency ▲ |
Price |
Change |
%Change |
Open |
Prev.Close |
Day's Low-High |
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96.77 |
0.339996 |
0.352584 |
96.42 |
96.43 |
96.33 - 96.85 |
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1.1183 |
-0.0076 |
-0.675022 |
1.1259 |
1.1259 |
1.1176 - 1.1263 |
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128.0429 |
0.371292 |
0.290818 |
127.8135 |
127.6716 |
127.6496 - 128.2827 |
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108.3451 |
-0.055901 |
-0.051568 |
108.3764 |
108.401 |
108.1951 - 108.6319 |
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|
158.193 |
0.092987 |
0.058815 |
158.10 |
158.10 |
157.852 - 158.517 |
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1.3211 |
-0.0065 |
-0.489606 |
1.3276 |
1.3276 |
1.3204 - 1.3276 |
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0.6112 |
0.0013 |
0.213146 |
0.6099 |
0.6099 |
101.903 - 102.329 |
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0.6081 - 0.6129 |
Carriers
remove Singapore from Northeast Asia–India service
Bengal Tiger Line, KMTC, Interasia Lines and Wan Hai will remove Singapore from both directions of their joint Northeast Asia–India service.
The carriers market the service under the
CCS, CI5 and FME2 brands.
Following the change, the revised rotation
will be:
Qingdao – Busan – Shanghai – Shekou – Port
Klang – Chennai – Kattupalli – Port Klang – Pasir Gudang – Kaohsiung – Qingdao
– Busan – Shanghai.
The service will retain two calls at Port
Klang, while Pasir Gudang will continue to provide additional Malaysian
coverage.
Six vessels of approximately 4,000 TEUs
operate the joint loop.
Hapag-Lloyd
changes LOLO payment process in Chennai and Ennore
Hapag-Lloyd will change the payment process for Lift-On/Lift-Off (LOLO) services at empty container yards in Chennai and Ennore, India.
From 1 November 2026, customers must pay the
applicable charges directly to the yard or depot operator when the container is
handled.
|
Container size |
LOLO charge |
|
20-foot container |
INR 725 plus applicable GST |
|
40-foot container |
INR 975 plus applicable GST |
Payments must be made through NEFT or UPI.
Cash payments will not be accepted.
Customers seeking a tax invoice from the yard
or depot operator must provide their company name, full billing address, Goods
and Services Tax Identification Number and invoice email address when making
the payment.
Hapag-Lloyd advised customers to have the
required payment and billing information available to avoid disruption during
container pick-up or drop-off operations.
Maersk
extends demurrage free time at Durban Gateway Terminal
Maersk has increased the demurrage free
period at Durban Gateway Terminal (DGT) from three to five calendar days.
The revised period took effect on 1 October
2026 and will remain in place until further notice.
|
Term |
Previous period |
Revised period |
|
Demurrage free time |
3 calendar days |
5 calendar days |
The extension applies exclusively to
general-purpose dry and non-operating reefer (NOR) containers.
All other demurrage terms and conditions
remain unchanged.
The measure follows recent operational
disruption and congestion at DGT, which previously prompted the terminal to
call on shipping lines to consider additional free time and demurrage relief
for affected customers.
Greta
Shipping joins Maersk’s East Africa feeder service
Greta Shipping is expanding its Middle East,
Red Sea and Indian Subcontinent network with four new services, according to
Alphaliner.
From mid-October, the carrier will join
Maersk as a vessel provider on the weekly Salalah–Mogadishu HAX/Musafir
Express.
Initially, the partners will contribute one
vessel each, with capacities of approximately 1,700 TEU and 2,500 TEU. Greta
Shipping plans to add a second vessel in January 2027, replacing the tonnage
provided by Maersk.
In addition, Greta Shipping has launched
three standalone services:
·
The fortnightly Salalah–Khor Fakkan Express
(SKX)
·
The India–Red Sea service (IR), operating
every three weeks between Nhava Sheva, Mundra and Port Sudan
·
The fortnightly India–Oman Service (IOS),
connecting Nhava Sheva and Sohar
The additions expand Greta Shipping’s
coverage across the Middle East, East Africa, the Red Sea and the Indian
Subcontinent.
XLY
expands Qingdao–Russia service
Chinese carrier Qingdao Xinlianyun Supply Chain Co., Ltd. (XLY) has expanded its service between Qingdao and Russia’s Far East with the addition of Vostochny.
XLY launched the operation between Qingdao
and Vladivostok in May 2026. The revised service now follows the rotation:
Qingdao – Vostochny – Vladivostok – Qingdao
The carrier deploys a single 8,000 dwt
general cargo vessel with an estimated container capacity of 600 TEU. Sailings
operate every two weeks.
The additional call strengthens XLY’s
coverage of Russia’s principal Far Eastern container gateways.
MSC
expands megamax newbuilding programme
MSC has reportedly ordered six additional LNG dual-fuel containerships from Zhoushan Changhong International Shipyard, according to DynaLiners.
Each vessel will have a capacity of 21,700
TEU. The latest agreement increases MSC’s programme for this vessel type at the
Chinese shipyard to 30 ships.
The vessels are expected to be delivered
during 2029 and 2030.
The wider series includes nine ships that MSC
originally contracted as 19,000 TEU units. Their designs were subsequently
enlarged to provide a capacity of 21,700 TEU.
APSEZ
doubles Colombo West International Terminal capacity
Sri Lanka Prime Minister Dr Harini Amarasuriya has inaugurated the Phase II expansion of APSEZ’s Colombo West International Terminal, doubling capacity from 1.6 million to 3.2 million TEUs through a total investment of US$ 750 million.
The expansion advances CWIT’s ambition to
handle nearly 25 percent of the Port of Colombo’s 13 million TEU target by 2028
and enables the terminal to simultaneously berth three ultra-large container
vessels, strengthening Colombo’s position as a critical transshipment hub on
the East-West trade route.
CWIT has established a record of rapid
operational growth since commencing operations in 2024, becoming the fastest
terminal to handle 1 million TEUs in its inaugural year and achieving 2 million
TEUs within its first 18 months of operation.
The terminal is Sri Lanka’s first fully
automated deep-water container facility, built for the world’s largest
container vessels through fully electrified operations and zero tailpipe
emissions, and has recorded 17 million safe working hours.
Prime Minister Amarasuriya described the
milestone as significant not only for the Port of Colombo but for Sri Lanka’s
economic future, highlighting CWIT’s role in creating jobs, attracting
international commerce and reinforcing the country’s ambition to become the
leading maritime and logistics hub of the Indian Ocean.
Ashwani Gupta, CEO of APSEZ, described the
Phase II investment as a direct statement of confidence from APSEZ and global
shipping lines, positioning CWIT as Colombo’s premier transshipment gateway and
a contributor to Sri Lanka’s EXIM cargo growth.
Krishan Balendra, Chairperson of John Keells
Group, highlighted the strength of the partnership in achieving the 2 million
TEU milestone and the expanded opportunity to support Colombo’s role as a key
regional transshipment hub.
/// Air Cargo News
///
dnata highlights lessons learnt from
challenging Schiphol opening
The
need to manage the speed and phasing of the implementation of new technologies
was one of dnata’s key learnings from the challenging opening of its highly
automated facility at Schiphol Airport.
The
highly automated and tech-based facility was opened in July 2025 and initially faced operational challenges with data issues
across various systems.
Speaking
at the Aviation Connect event in Athens, dnata chief cargo officer Guillaume
Crozier said that the key challenges of moving to the new facility were the
ramp-up of volumes, systems and people, and limited data visibility and
performance insight.
The
recovery involved stabilisation of operations and the transfer of all volumes
from the previous facility, using data and dashboards to drive decision-making,
improving end-to-end collaboration and establishing KPIs.
On
the key lessons learned, Crozier highlighted the importance of early
operational readiness through the use of simulations, having data from day one,
having clear governance and working closely with key stakeholders.
Providing
more detail, Crozier said that it is perhaps not always best to implement too
much automation and new technology at the same time and instead take a phased
approach.
“It
sounds right in terms of planning,” he said. “It will be a big leap, so to have
all of that together, it makes sense.
“As
it is an end-to-end process, you think end to end – if you start automating one
thing, you want to cover it throughout the process.
“Reflecting
on the situation, maybe not always. [Management of the] pace of innovation you
are delivering, especially when it is something that has not been seen in the
market, is potentially better.”
He
highlighted the use of Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs) and the need to make
sure that companies understand the flow around them before they are put into
use.
Another
learning point was the timeline of the project and making sure there is enough
buffer built in for unexpected setbacks.
Elsewhere,
Crozier highlighted the importance of local market knowledge, as there is a lot
of local specificity that cannot be managed from overseas.
Contingency
planning, change management and training were also key to making large
automation projects a success, he said.
Overall,
he said the facility is now “ticking nicely” with good feedback from the local
market.
He
added that automation of handling facilities is becoming increasingly important
as recruitment becomes more challenging.
The
61,000 sq m facility is highly automated with automated storage and
retrieval, AGVs, Elevated Transfer Vehicles (ETV), smart gates, weight
and dimension systems, automated storage and retrieval, forklift guidance
systems and truck management systems.
Heathrow’s third runway looks likely to
open closer to 2039 than 2035
Heathrow
Airport has indicated that the opening of its planned third runway will be
closer to 2039 than 2035.
The
London, UK airport had already outlined early this year that the opening of the
runway may take longer than anticipated.
In
its first quarter 2025 results, published 30 April 2025, it said that depending
on the Government’s response, it aimed for the third runway to be operational
by 2035.
But
in January 2026, Heathrow had said the UK Government timetable was to secure
planning permission by 2029 and bring the runway into operation within a
decade, up to 2039.
In
a recently issued statement to Reuters,
a spokesperson for Heathrow said that 2035 had been an “ambitious target”.
However,
the airport added: “Our focus has always been to secure planning permission by 2029. Once achieved
the runway will be open within a decade.”
Heathrow
did not respond to Air Cargo News‘ request for comment.
The
planned runway will be a key part of Heathrow’s expansion. In November 2025,
the government announced that it had decided to back the Heathrow Northwest
Runway scheme by Heathrow
Airport Limited (HAL).
The
plans include a 3.5 km runway and building a tunnel under the development
through which the M25 motorway will run.
This
scheme “offered the most credible and deliverable option and would be the
scheme to inform the Airports NPS review,” said the Heathrow Expansion National
Policy Statement.
In
January this year, Logistics UK welcomed Heathrow’s
approval of funding to begin work on a planning application for the third
runway.
Funding
the planning application is an important initial step in securing planning
approval by its 2029 target.
Heathrow
is now preparing to launch its 2026 Public Consultation. The eight-week
consultation will run from 27 October to 22 December with local residents able
to learn more about expansion plans, before a planning application is
submitted.
Heathrow
moved 1.5m tonnes in 2025, up 0.8% year on year, as UK cargo surged 29.7% and
North America rose 4.6%.
As
well as HAL’s scheme for a new runway, the airport is also using a participatory stakeholder approach as it continues to
redevelop its ‘Horseshoe’ cargo area and supports the rollout of the CCS-UK AIS (Advance Information System) portal for
booking and monitoring trucks.
WFS opens cargo terminal at Lyon
Airport
SATS-owned
Worldwide Flight Services (WFS) has opened a 25,400 sq m cargo terminal at
Lyon-Saint Exupéry Airport.
The
Aéroport de Lyon DC1 facility is located in the airport’s Cargoport zone and
centralises WFS’ Lyon operations at a single, modern and optimised site
directly connected to the airport’s runways.
With
4,400 sq m of cold rooms for specialised and sensitive cargos, capacity suited
to the storage of perishables products, and 36 door docks handling cargo
imports and exports, including five dedicated to airfreight pallet transfers,
the building is designed to optimise flows between landside access points,
handling areas, and airside operations.
Aéroport
de Lyon DC1 will meet the specific needs of demanding sectors such as
healthcare, pharmaceuticals, and biotechnology and the high concentration of
companies in these sectors in the Lyon region, added Swissport.
The
facility supports all 380 WFS customers in the Lyon area and becomes WFS’
second-largest operation in France after Paris Charles de Gaulle.
Laurent
Bernard, vice-president of WFS France, said: “Aéroport de Lyon DC1 represents a
new milestone for WFS in Lyon, where we first commenced operations in 1971.
“Its
design, temperature-controlled areas, and organisation of cargo flows enable us
to strengthen our capacity and operational efficiency to handle sensitive and
high value goods for our airline and freight forwarder customers.
“Given
Lyon’s strategically important location, industrial base, and high-value
economic sectors, this new generation of logistics infrastructure reinforces
Lyon’s position in national and European logistics flows and will strengthen
the economic attractiveness of the region.”
The
facility is the result of a successful collaboration between Aéroports de Lyon,
WFS, Prologis, the global leader in logistics real estate, and the em2c Group,
the developer and contractor with design, build, and technology oversight of
the project.
With
high environmental standards incorporated from the design stage, the new hub is
targeting a ‘Very Good’ BREEAM rating to reflect its sustainability
credentials. The building is solar-ready, with a roof designed to accommodate a
future photovoltaic installation.
Vincent
Sadé, vice president, head of capital deployment France, Prologis, commented:
“Aéroport de Lyon DC1 illustrates how our business is evolving: beyond the
building itself, we design infrastructure that is directly integrated into our
customers’ operations. “Our role was to align the specific constraints of the
airport environment, real estate requirements and WFS’s operational needs to
create a tailored, high-performing solution built to last “
Yvan
Patet, president of the em2c Group, said: “The Aéroport de Lyon DC1 project
stems from a shared vision among regional and international partners driven by
a desire to strengthen the region by incorporating environmental performance
from the construction phase onwards. This facility provides a solution tailored
to the specific requirements of air freight.”
Cedric
Fechter, chairman of the management board, Aéroports de Lyon, added: “The
Aéroport de Lyon DC1 facility marks the continued expansion of Cargoport, the
freight zone at Lyon-Saint Exupéry Airport and France’s second largest air
cargo hub. The result of close collaboration between Prologis, the em2c Group,
WFS and Aeroports de Lyon, this project epitomises regional supply chain and
significantly strengthens the competitiveness of the region.
FedEx Panda Express transports special
cargo
FedEx
has transported two giant pandas from China to the US aboard a Boeing 777
freighter known as the “FedEx Panda Express”.
The
airline said that it worked with Zoo Atlanta to move six-year-old male Ping
Ping and five-year-old female Fu Shuang, from Chengdu, China to Atlanta,
Georgia.
Throughout
their non-stop flight from Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport to
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Ping Ping and Fu Shuang
travelled in custom-built travel crates under the care of Zoo Atlanta animal
specialists.
The
pandas were the sole cargo aboard the aircraft, accompanied by fresh bamboo,
water, and an assortment of their favourite treats.
Before
their trip, the bears spent time getting accustomed to their enclosures to
ensure a safe and comfortable journey.
As
well as operating the flight, FedEx also provided trucking and logistical
support in Atlanta to safely transport the pandas from the airport to Zoo
Atlanta.
The
airline said it would donate the full transportation cost of this move as part
of its ongoing corporate social responsibility and environmental conservation
efforts.
Including
this move, FedEx has had the privilege of transporting 23 pandas to and from
China since 2000.
“We
have had the privilege of transporting giant pandas for more than two decades,
and every time the FedEx Panda Express is called into service, our entire team
feels the significance of the mission,” said Richard Smith, chief operating
officer, International, and chief executive officer, Airline, FedEx.
“Safely
delivering Ping Ping and Fu Shuang to their new home in Atlanta underscores our
long-standing commitment to global conservation and our network’s ability to
securely transport high-priority, precious cargo.”
Swissport returns to French market with
EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse cargo operation
Swissport
has returned to the French market by establishing a new cargo operation at
EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse.
The
Swissport Cargo Services France operation comprises a 3,000 sq m cargo
warehouse, including a 1,000 sq m French customs zone and 2,000 sq m of
international handling space for the build-up and breakdown of airline pallets.
Initially,
Swissport Cargo Services France will focus on airline cargo handling
activities. While operating as an independent entity for the French market, the
new operation will work closely with Swissport’s established
Basel cargo operation, benefiting from its expertise and Swissport’s global
standards in safety, quality and operational excellence, said the handler.
Swissport’s
existing operation at Basel has been treated as a Swiss operation, while the
new operation is operationally and legally a French entity.
“France
is an important aviation market with significant long-term potential for
Swissport,” said Bruno Stefani, regional chief executive Switzerland, Italy and
France at Swissport.
“The
launch of Swissport Cargo Services France marks a significant step in
strengthening our presence in the country. Beyond cargo, we see opportunities
to bring our global expertise in airport ground services and hospitality to the
French market and to build strong, long-term partnerships with airlines and
airports.”
“The
new operation allows us to build on the strong expertise of our established
Basel cargo team while developing a dedicated presence in France,” added
Andreas Behnke, head of cargo Switzerland, Italy and France and station manager
Basel-Mulhouse at Swissport.
“Our
focus is on bringing the same commitment to teamwork, safety and operational
excellence to our new operation and providing a strong foundation for its
future development.”
The
launch strengthens Swissport’s European cargo network, which forms part of a
global network of more than 120 cargo centres.
Worldwide,
Swissport handles over 5m tons of airfreight annually, combining global scale
and standardised processes with local operational expertise.
The
ground handler has announced several major growth developments this month,
including entering
the Indonesian air cargo market by establishing a joint venture (JV) with
Jakarta-based UNEX Aviation Services, and entering
the Colombian market through the acquisition of Giraldo Hermanos
International (GHI).
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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