Weekly Logistics Briefing Key logistics updates for the week (Week 3 of December 2023)

Following Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd, CMA-CGM and MSC also declared a suspension of traffic in the Red Sea region. CMA-CGM said in a statement on December 16, “We have decided to instruct all CMA CGM containerships in the area that are scheduled to pass through the Red Sea to reach safe areas and pause their journey in safe waters with immediate effect until further notice”. MSC and OOCL announced that due to operational issues, it will stop cargo acceptance to and from Israel with immediate effect until further notice. From the afternoon of December 17, HMM also switched stops on major European routes, including the Far East-Northern Europe and the Far East-Mediterranean Sea, from the Suez Canal to the Cape of Good Hope in Africa.

As the water level of the reservoir has improved slightly, the Panama Canal authorities have partially postponed the daily reduction in transportation, which was scheduled to take effect next month, while adjusting the reservation system. Two slots that were excluded from the daily number of operations have been restored, allowing a total of 24 daily operations to be secured from January 2024. This announcement that it will be able to increase the daily slot by six from the expected low, which was scheduled to take effect in about six weeks. They are also making other adjustments to the administration of reservations, including a limit of one booking slot per customer per date, and priority when assigning booking slots to full container vessels.

Public transport in Northern Ireland, including cross-border rail, was halted due to a second day of industrial action. A limited Enterprise Service from Dublin operated only up to Dundalk. The Unite union blamed the Northern Ireland Secretary, Chris Heaton-Harris, for the strikes, citing a pay freeze equivalent to an 11.4% pay cut in real terms due to inflation. This industrial action follows similar disputes involving nurses and teachers over pay and another public transport strike is scheduled for the following Friday.

At least 18 flights into Brisbane Airport were cancelled shortly before 8am on Saturday. Many more, including international flights, have been thrown into disarray with delays lasting well into Saturday afternoon. The disruptions followed heavy rain, hail, and gale force winds lashing the city overnight. Brisbane Airport spokesperson Stephen Beckett said the weather event impacted multiple flights departing and arriving from the city. He advised passengers to monitor their flight schedules with the airline directly and also Brisbane

French air traffic controllers struck, heavily impacting Paris-Orly and Brest airports, with significant flight cancellations. The strike protested new rules requiring 48-hour strike notice, which controllers claim restricts their right to strike. Paris-Orly, Lyon, Lille, and other airports were affected, but Paris Charles de Gaulle airport was not. Future strikes are possible if disputes continue. Additionally, Paris-Orly workers are concerned about Air France's decision to shift operations from the airport by 2026, fearing job losses.

Ground service workers at Iberia, owned by International Airlines Group, plan to strike at Spanish airports over the New Year period. The country's main unions, UGT and CCOO, announced a walkout from December 29 to January 1 and January 4-7. These workers, including baggage handlers, are protesting against contracts signed with new providers in September. Aena, which operates Spanish airports, has hired new contractors for services formerly provided by Iberia, causing union discontent despite assurances of retained worker conditions. Iberia criticized the planned strike as "irresponsible".

On December 14, unionized Trenord rail workers in Lombardy, Italy, struck from 09:01 to 16:59, impacting regional, suburban, and long-distance trains, including airport services. The S50 Malpensa Airport-Stabio line remained operational, with replacement buses provided for certain routes. The strike was expected to cause rail disruptions and increased road traffic.

Polish/Hungarian/Slovak truck drivers demand that Ukrainian truck drivers not be allowed access to the EU without permission, and block truck traffic between the countries and Ukraine. Poland has blocked four out of eight intersections between the two countries since early November. Hungarian truckers belonging to the Hungarian Road Carriers Association (MKFE) have been blocking the border of Zahony-Chop, which borders Ukraine, indefinitely since December 11. Slovak truck drivers belonging to the Slovak Automobile Transport Association (UNAS) are blocking cargo transportation from Ukraine at the Vysne Nemecke-Uzhhorod border intersection on December 11.

As of the morning of December 11, 134 sections from 12 provinces, including 95 highways, were closed due to snowfall and icy roads due to heavy snow in northeastern China such as Shaanxi, Shandong and Beijing. Schools have been closed in two cities in Henan Province, and trains have been suspended in Shaanxi Province. A total of 26 trains under the jurisdiction of Beijing Western Station are suspended from 12/11 to 12/12. A total of 65 flights were canceled at Beijing Capital International Airport until 12:27 p.m. on December 11.

Nearly 100 Swissport workers at Denver International Airport held a one-day strike on December 11 to protest unsafe working conditions. These conditions included working with broken equipment, inadequate safety training, and a previous fire in a warehouse. The strike primarily affected Amazon package delivery but not commercial flights. This strike is part of a series by Swissport workers, including recent strikes at Chicago's O'Hare and New York's La Guardia airports for better pay and safer conditions.