Weekly Logistics Briefing Key logistics updates for the week (Week 3 of March 2024)

At around 15:45 pm on March 16, local time, a container ship docking at Turkye Evyap port (TREYP) collided with a quay crane, causing three of the four cranes to overturn. Due to this accident, emergency teams including health, police, and fire services were dispatched to assess the extent of injuries and damage. Fortunately, no injuries or environmental pollution were reported, thanks to the absence of workers and operators in the vicinity of the cranes at the time. Evyap port (TREYP) is one of the main ports in Istanbul's Asian region.

On the night of March 16, an unannounced volcano erupted in southern Iceland, threatening local infrastructure and prompting authorities to declare a state of emergency. According to the Icelandic Meteorological Agency, a lava fountain erupted from the ground on the Reykjanes Peninsula around 8:30 p.m. and cracks nearly two miles long occurred. Keflavik Airport and Iceland Airports were not affected and are operating normally. According to the Icelandic Meteorological Agency, Reykanes volcano has an orange warning level and the orange warning refers volcano is exhibiting heightened unrest with increased likelihood of eruption or, volcanic eruption is underway with no or minor ash emission.

Houthi rebels attacked the oil tanker "PACIFIC 01" sailing in the Red Sea on March 15. An explosion occurred while sailing in the Red Sea, about 65 nautical miles west of Al Hudaydah, Yemen, and the crew and ship are safe and in the process of sailing. The Houthi rebels refers to this ship as an Israeli ship, but it is now confirmed to be owned by a Vietnamese company. Meanwhile, according to some reports, the release of the car carrier Galaxy Leader and crew members detained by Houthi rebels since November has been controlled by Hamas. The majority of the crew are Filipinos, and the Philippine government predicts that the crew will be detained until hostilities in the Gaza district are over.

Due to significantly reduced passenger loads, especially during the holy month of Ramadan, several flights from Karachi have been cancelled, affecting both domestic and international routes. This includes flights operated by Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), Emirates, Air Sial, Fly Jinnah, and Fly Baghdad, with destinations such as Islamabad, Dubai, Lahore, and Baghdad. A total of 19 flights were cancelled. The Civil Aviation Authority cited low demand for air travel during Ramadan as the reason for these cancellations.

A commercial freighter, Cuyahoga, in eastern Ohio suffered a fast-moving fire on Friday, causing significant damage but no injuries. The cause of the fire on the Cuyahoga is still under investigation. The Coast Guard, alongside local firefighters, deployed extensive resources to combat the blaze. All crew members aboard were safely accounted for, although their exact number wasn't disclosed. The freighter was reportedly in the port for repairs at the time of the incident.

Due to escalating security concerns in Haiti's capital, the French shipping company CMA CGM announced it will suspend its services to Port au Prince on March 15. As an alternative, the company plans to use Lafito, located about 20 km away from Port au Prince, and will continue its operations in Cap Haitien as usual.

An unexpected snowstorm hit Denver, Colorado, covering the city in white and causing significant disruptions. The storm, unusual for its timing and intensity, led to the cancellation of over 800 flights. Denver, known for its generally sunny days and mild winters, experienced up to a foot of snow, impacting daily life and travel plans severely. Forecasters predict that the storm will persist until early Friday, snarling traffic along Colorado's Front Range communities.

Germany's Verdi union announced an airport strike by security and cargo management staff during the period of March 14 to 15. Airports affected by the strike are Hamburg, Stuttgart, Karlsruhe/Baden-Baden, Cologne, Berlin on March 14, and Hanover, Dortmund, Weeze, Dresden, Leipzig, Karlsruhe/Baden-Baden on March 15. Cargo management staff will also go on strike from March 14 04:00 to March 15 06:00 at Munich Airport, and Hanover Airport announced that all flights departing between midnight and noon on March 15 have been canceled, but arrival flights are not affected. Verdi requires an hourly wage increase, higher performance-based bonuses, and better overtime conditions.

Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith of Mississippi successfully included a provision in the recently signed Transportation – HUD Appropriations Bill. This provision allows trucks carrying unprocessed agricultural commodities, such as logs and wood chips, at Mississippi's state weight limit of 88,000 pounds, to use interstate highways within the state. Over 7,000 UAW workers at Daimler Truck North America (DTNA) across North Carolina, Georgia, and Tennessee, have voted overwhelmingly (96%) in favor of a strike authorization. This action affects workers manufacturing Freightliner and Western Star trucks, along with Thomas Built Buses. Such a vote allows for a potential strike if the ongoing labor negotiations falter, with the current agreement set to expire on April 26.

French port workers and sailors have initiated a strike, affecting over a dozen major ports across France due to concerns over job precarity, high turnover, and workload. Ports affected include Dunkirk, Le Havre, Rouen, Caen, Lorient, Bastia, Nice, Port la Nouvelle, Boulogne, Saint Malo, Cherbourg, Guyane Port, Toulon, Ajaccio and Sete. The strike, supported by unions CGT, CFDT, and UNSA, impacts logistical operations and some passenger ferry services, notably between Marseille and Corsica. This disruption is part of broader labor actions aiming for better working conditions.