Weekly Logistics Briefing Key logistics updates for the week (Week 4 of April 2024)

Flights are suspended and evacuated as of April 18 due to increased volcanic activity in Ruang, North Sulawesi. Authorities raised the level to four levels (the highest level of four levels) and expanded the restricted area to 6km (4 miles) around the volcano. Warning that a tsunami could occur if part of the volcano collapses into the sea. Sam Ratulangi International Airport (MDC) in Manado will be closed until at least April 18 evening. In Malaysia, AirAsia (AK) has canceled flights between Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KUL), Tawau Airport (TWU), and Kota Kinabalu International Airport (BKI) April 18, while Malaysia Airlines (MH) has canceled flights connecting Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KUL) with airports across Sabah and Sarawak April 18. If volcanic ash clouds blow directly toward nearby airports, there is a possibility of further confusion.

At Dubai International Airport (DXB), there is a high possibility that flight delays and cancellations will continue until April 17 due to bad weather. Heavy rains and floods continued at Dubai International Airport (DXB) and operations were suspended until late April 16. DXB announced that Operations halted for 25 mins in the afternoon, with 45 flights cancelled by 5:15 pm. Delays and confusion are expected to continue until April 17 due to severe flooding and unstable weather on the access road to Dubai Airport.

A spokesman for Iran's Civil Aviation Organization announced that the suspension of flights has been lifted. Flights suspended this morning resume at Tehran's two main airports, Merabad Airport and Imam Khomeini International Airport. Iranian state media report that there is no major confusion in Isfahan infrastructure, and all facilities in the region, including important nuclear facilities, are safe. State media also reported that enemy aircraft had never entered Iranian airspace.

As the Israeli-Iran conflict intensifies, Iranian spy ship returned to their home countries. The Iranian spy ship Behshad was deployed to the Red Sea in '21 and is believed to have served as an operational command post for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in Yemen. Meanwhile, The EU's Red Sea naval mission is gradually shrinking. The German frigate Hessen left the Red Sea without replacement, and Germany will send another air defense frigate to resume its mission in August. The last anti-aircraft defense battle reported by the U.S. military in the Red Sea was on April 16.

The railway union is scheduled to strike in three northern Italian regions from April 22 to 23. Workers in Trenord in Lombardy, where Milan is located, are scheduled to strike from 03:00 on April 22 to 02:00 on the 23rd, and workers in Trenitalia in Piedmont are scheduled to strike from 09:00 to 17:00 on April 22. Trenitalia train drivers and service chiefs in Veneto are scheduled to go on strike from 09:01 to 17:00 on 22 April.

If rainfall prediction is accurate, Panama Canal operation is recovering to normal level. The Panama Canal Authority (ACP) announced on April 15 that it expects the canal to operate at a capacity of about 90%, increasing 31 times a day from May 16 and 32 times from June 1. The canal has a design capacity of 36 transits a day, although this is typically expressed as 34 to 38, but is currently allowing just 27. "According to the current forecast, steady rain is expected at the end of April and will continue for months. In this case, the canal plans to gradually ease transportation restrictions and fully normalize them by 2025". If the precipitation falls short of expectations, additional restrictions can be applied, but moderate precipitation is expected at the end of this month, and the canal will be able to gradually increase the slot to 36 daily operations generally provided during the rainy season, it added.

The General Confederation of Greek Workers (GSEE) has declared a 24-hour strike scheduled for Wednesday, aiming to promote public urban transportation, collective labor agreements and personnel hirings. All three lines of the Metro and the tram will be out of service, while city buses will operate on a limited schedule from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. The national railway will also be affected, and the Panhellenic Seamen's Federation will participate in the strike, resulting in ferries and boats remaining docked nationwide for the full 24 hours.

Alaska Airlines briefly grounded all flights Wednesday due to a technical issue. The Seattle based airline said in a statement it requested a ground stop for all Alaska and Horizon air flights out of an abundance of caution. Senate committees held dual hearings Wednesday examining allegations of major safety failures at Boeing. Boeing has been pushed into crisis mode since a door plug panel blew off a 737 Max jetliner during an Alaska Airlines flight in January.

Hundreds of Border Force officers at London Heathrow Airport are planning a strike from April 29 to May 2 over working conditions. The Public and Commercial Services union claims these plans could force about 250 staff out of their jobs at passport control. Heathrow is owned by consortium led by Spanish construction giant Ferrovial. The UK government drafted in military personnel to check passports at airports including Heathrow when Border Force staff went on strike in December 2022.

A Tanzania-flagged freighter, the LAYAR ANGGUN 8, caught fire in Singapore's territorial waters. The incident occurred on a Tuesday afternoon and involved all 12 crew members being rescued by the Singapore Police Coast Guard. Firefighting and patrol vessels provided support, and there was no resulting pollution or immediate navigational risk. The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore is conducting an investigation into the incident.