Descartes Systems Group, the global leader in uniting logistics-intensive businesses in commerce, has expanded its global Internet of Things (IoT) network.
The IoT network uses Bluetooth® Low Energy powered tags placed on Unit Load Devices (ULD) or pallets to provide air carriers and ground handling agents (GHA) with real-time visibility into the location and condition of air cargo shipments in transit and help them better track the equipment and assets used to move air freight.
Over the last six months, Descartes has expanded network coverage through:A 20% increase in the number of active readers worldwide, including in the following new countries: Pakistan; Columbia; Ghana; India; and expansion in China; Innovative new technologies, including:Solar-powered readers for outdoor ULD storage areas with no access to power; Mobile readers to affix to GHA equipment for 7-8 days of tracking data on a single charge via USB; and A new mobile app for anytime, anywhere access to data on the location and condition of air cargo shipments, Tripling the in-house resources used to monitor growing network operations.
“We’ve made significant investments in the overall growth of our IoT network for air cargo,” said Scott Sangster, General Manager, Logistics Service Providers at Descartes. “We’ve built out the network in more geographies, deployed active readers across more locations, and expanded the reach of the network with technology innovations that provide coverage in areas not previously accessible because of power restrictions. With the expanded network, we’ve increased the number of times tags communicate with the network by 26%. With these advances, air carriers and GHAs benefit from broader global coverage to track and monitor air cargo assets and shipments, which helps them to decrease operating costs and reduce losses through enhanced levels of visibility.”
With coverage in over 1,300 reader locations and 200 airports worldwide, Descartes operates one of the world’s largest IOT networks for air cargo shipment tracking and monitoring. Descartes’ next generation IoT Bluetooth® Low Energy ULD tracking uses Bluetooth® tags affixed to containers or pallets, mobile applications and mesh networks to automate end-to-end tracking of assets. Bluetooth® tags affixed to ULDs prior to loading enable easy access to real-time location information, shipment-level condition data, such as temperature, light, humidity and movement, and chain of custody detail that indicates whose custody assets are in at any given time. Tags can also be added to any ground service equipment, like dollies, for full control over a carrier’s equipment.
The air freight market is going through a challenging phase: it is back to the pre-pandemic level and acting in a self-destructive manner, says Frank Ziesemer, the CEO of the international air cargo company Strike Aviation Group.
According to him, the good thing about the current market situation is that it will separate the healthy and needed companies from those less needed: “I am pretty sure that some of the air cargo carriers which are investing heavily in technologies and human resources will set the new standard for the entire air cargo industry”, he notes.
The CEO of Strike Aviation shares his insights on the air freight market ahead of the world’s largest trade fair for logistics and mobility – Transport Logistic 2023 – which will take place on May 9 to 12 in Munich. The four-day conference is the leading platform for international networking in the logistics industry and offers a wealth of expert knowledge.
Frank Ziesemer points out that among the trends currently affecting the air cargo industry is the excess of new freighter aircrafts entering the market without a clear strategy for passenger or freighter market segments.
“During the pandemic, everybody was looking out for freighters, because passenger aircrafts were grounded. So, the airlines shifted towards cargo aircrafts without any clear strategy just to satisfy the market’s needs. Currently, air cargo carriers increase frequencies and capacities to gain market shares. Some of them do it without calculating the costs or profit and loss and without receiving any state aid, which could lead to unforeseen difficulties. However, air cargo carriers investing heavily in technologies and human resources will set the new standard for the entire air cargo industry,” Ziesemer anticipates.
There is also overcapacity of the passenger airlines in the market with the airlines coming back to the pre-pandemic schedule and acquiring new and larger aircrafts, for instance, A350 vs A330.
“For example, airlines like Iberia, and Finnair went back to the pre-pandemic schedule, and with the new aircrafts, they doubled their capacity, especially in the North Atlantic region. This all results in lower rates,“ the CEO of Strike Aviation adds.
According to Ziesemer, another trend that will have a significant impact on the global airfreight market is that several passenger airlines, such as Jet Blue, are purchasing more brand-new narrow-body aircrafts (A321 XLR/extra-long range) to serve the North Atlantic market.
“These aircrafts can fly for non stop over the Atlantic, which means that they will begin to operate on routes from the North Eastern US and Canada to Europe, such as London, Amsterdam, Madrid, Lisbon, and Paris. Because these aircrafts do not carry as much air cargo as wide-body aircrafts, they will have a remarkable and positive impact on the Airfreight Prices”, notes the CEO of Strike Aviation.
In the next five years, according to Frank Ziesemer, this action will significantly reduce the air cargo capacity on the North Atlantic routes between Western Europe and the northeastern regions of Canada and the US, as well as from Europe to the Middle East. Therefore, integrators like FedEx and UPS will profit from this move and enhance their positions in developing countries, as well as airlines like Air Canada because they have a mixed fleet of freighters and passenger aircrafts.
The Strike Aviation company, on the other hand, has a strong position in the market because it adheres strictly to the business plans of the airlines we represent and serves as a practical tool to develop those businesses.
“Our Main target is to help airlines in fulfilling their cargo budgets. Strike Aviation develops new routes and combinations of routes to increase the profitability for the carriers we represent. We anticipate creating new routes for our carriers and focusing on high-yield niches. I also believe that Strike Aviation is on its way to becoming the market leader when it comes to human resources and technology”, Ziesemer states.
He claims that the absence of educated specialists in the air cargo sector is the main reason it is difficult to satisfy markets. Strike Aviation, however, has an advantage in this regard as it dedicates time to educate people internally.
“We attract young professionals by offering them the education, and they can improve their skills by working for our company. Resultantly, these specialists have the most extensive backgrounds in our business. Thus, we give our represented carriers a significant advantage by providing a team of competent personnel”.
As regards technologies, AI will play a bigger role in the air freight sector, but only if operational industrial standards are implemented and enforced in markets like Latin America and Africa.
“The EU, North America, and China's populations are over aged, while Latin American and African countries with their young population offer more promising opportunities. At the same time, technology with the human factor and capital will work out for the benefit of all continents “, concludes Frank Ziesemer.
Qatar Airways Cargo today announced the relaunch of its Pharma product in line with its Next Generation and VISION 2027 strategy.
The relaunch includes several enhancements that benefit its customers and streamlines the handling of different categories of pharmaceuticals and healthcare products, including animal healthcare items that fall under the umbrella of Pharma.
“In less than a decade, Qatar Airways Cargo has grown to become an acknowledged carrier of choice when it comes to pharmaceutical products,” says Guillaume Halleux, Chief Officer Cargo at Qatar Airways. “Since we first launched our pharma service in 2014, we have invested heavily to bring on board the best industry experts, equipment, and training. We have also proactively involved ourselves in leading industry working groups* to keep a finger on the pulse of this ever-evolving market.”
From the current offering of two sub-categories, the cargo carrier now offers five product sub-categories – Pharma Critical Advanced, Pharma Critical Passive, Pharma Advanced, Pharma Passive and Pharma Care. These new enhanced categories enable Qatar Airways Cargo to offer customers a diverse range of solutions to transport their healthcare shipments and ensure optimal handling of all cool-chain pharma products transported on its flights.
The airline has also introduced a two-tier system for its 90 approved pharma stations to provide more information and transparency to its customers. This enhancement helps in differentiating between the distinct capabilities available at various stations. Tier 1 stations offer both +2°C to +8°C & +15°C to +25°C temperature-controlled storage, while having the ability to service electronic containers and dry-ice containers. Tier 2 stations offer only one of the two categories of temperature-controlled storage, handle certain temperature-controlled containers or have limited storage capacity.
Active container milestone updates have also been introduced to regularly inform customers on the status of their shipments moving within these containers. The updates are sent to pre-configured email addresses inserted in the booking. Important information includes the temperature and battery readings of each unit transporting the shipments. The project has been rolled out to selected locations only and a global roll-out will take place over the course of this year.
The airline also considers animal health a top priority and offers comparable solutions through its Pharma product to transport animal healthcare shipments in a safe and efficient manner, all within the customer’s sub-category of choice.
Miguel Rodríguez, Senior Manager Cargo Products at Qatar Airways, explains “With ‘Next Generation Pharma’ we are working on evolving product offerings to meet new and anticipated industry needs, and focussing on digitalising processes and activities to increase transparency and provide more real time information to customers. Better visibility means greater assurance, and faster information flows lead to a more agile, collaborative supply chain, enabling decisions based on actual, in-the-moment facts.”
“Our endeavour is to offer customers a wide range of options based on their transport requirements. We aim to be a one-stop-shop for our customers, providing every packaging and container uplift solution necessary to match their diverse product portfolio, and complementing this with our flexible network, temperature-controlled facilities and equipment, as well as professional, expert handling,” Miguel Rodríguez concludes.
Last year, Qatar Airways Cargo transported over 84,000 tonnes of medical and healthcare shipments across its global network via Doha and its regional hubs in Europe. IATA CEIV Pharma certification was achieved in December 2020, confirming the airline’s and its ground handling partner QAS Cargo’s industry-standard quality performance and handling.
In the interest of offering customers a wide range of sustainable, high quality transport solutions, Qatar Airways Cargo was one of the first airlines to endorse Envirotainer’s newest generation active Releye® RLP & RAP containers. The airline also worked together with Sonoco ThermoSafe to launch Pegasus ULD®, on its routes before the end of 2022. In addition, diligent efforts have been undertaken to approve dozens of different monitoring devices or data loggers used in the healthcare industry to be uplifted on the Qatar Airways fleet, with more to follow.
*Qatar Airways Cargo is an active member of the IATA Live Animals and Perishables Board, Pharma.Aero, the Cool Chain Association, and Validaide.
DSV has invested in large quantities of sustainable fuel in order to provide customers with decarbonisation solutions via its new "book and claim" solution.
The solution gives DSV's customers easy access to certified sustainable fuels, enabling the reduction of the carbon footprint of their supply chains, regardless of the mode of transport.
Transport is still heavily dependent on fossil fuels and accounts for a substantial and growing portion of global CO2 emissions. A switch from fossil energy to electricity and sustainable fuels is critical to the ability of the transport sector to significantly reduce its climate impact. By investing in sustainable fuels for each mode of transport, DSV becomes one of the first transport and logistics companies to provide a book and claim solution that utilises the respective sustainable fuels for air and sea globally and road freight within Europe.
"DSV is committed to supporting our customers with a range of products to help reduce the carbon footprint of their supply chains, and I am very proud that we can now add our book and claim solution to this list. Sustainable fuels are a key component of DSV's ongoing strategy to reduce CO2 emissions and mitigate the climate impact of transport and logistics," says Jens Bjørn Andersen, Group CEO, DSV.
Replacing conventional fossil fuels with sustainable fuel alternatives can reduce CO2 emissions by approximately 80-90%. But the market for sustainable fuels is still in its infancy and can be difficult to navigate.
DSV's book and claim provides a solution to the challenges that many of its customers face when trying to purchase sustainable fuels as part of their supply chain decarbonisation strategies. DSV takes care of finding the right producers, ensuring that the fuel is produced in accordance with guidelines and standards.
Collaborating with the customer, DSV calculates the CO2 emissions from the specific shipments and transport modes, and then allocates the appropriate volume of sustainable fuels required to decarbonise the customers shipment. Passing on the ownership of the CO2 reductions to the customer, DSV ensures that the CO2 saved by the allocation of sustainable fuel can then be accounted for within the customer's CO2 reports.
DSV's book and claim solution has been developed based on the latest industry guidance and Science Based Target initiative principles. The process is verified by a third-party auditor and documented across the value chain, and customers will receive a declaration to validate their emission reductions.
While seeking to leverage the full potential of sustainable fuels, the transport and logistics industry still faces several challenges. Costs remain higher than fossil fuels, availability is limited to specific geographies, and further investment is required to increase production levels. Jens Bjørn Andersen believes that further investment can help drive further adoption of sustainable fuels within the industry:
"Recognising our role as one of the world's leading transport and logistics companies, DSV is well placed to help drive the adoption of sustainable fuels and in turn support the development of a critical solution to help achieve emission reductions within the transportation sector. This is an important consideration for DSV as we continue to play a role in shaping the green transition in our industry."
Jens Bjørn Andersen continues:"Our customers are increasingly conscious of their carbon footprint and continuing to offer new services that align with their needs goes hand in hand with meeting our own sustainability objectives."
CN (TSX: CNR) (NYSE: CNI) announces the launch of a new self-service, sustainability tool, My Carbon Emissions.
CN was first to launch the Carbon Calculator, 13 years ago, to give customers visibility into their estimated greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and emissions savings using rail transportation. Now, this new tool, available on the CN One eBusiness platform, provides customers with a detailed report of their estimated GHG emissions based on all their loaded shipments moved on CN, as well as the emissions avoided by choosing rail over truck. These insights into the environmental benefits of shipping via CN’s transcontinental network empowers customers to make data driven decisions that support their climate objectives.
As more companies are looking to quantify, and ultimately, lower their transportation GHG emissions, the information now available will allow customers to easily access and understand part of their Scope 3 emissions. It will also help identify opportunities for them to make more environmentally friendly transportation decisions. It demonstrates CN's commitment to innovate and offer solutions for its customers’ evolving needs.
“Rail has a tremendous potential to reduce the environmental impact of transportation and we are pleased to offer this enhanced tool to our customers, who are at the heart of what we do. Moving long-haul freight by train instead of truck can reduce GHG emissions by up to 75% and CN remains a leader in the North American rail industry, by consuming approximately 15% less locomotive fuel per gross ton mile."Doug MacDonald, executive vice president and chief marketing officer at CN.
CN is part of the climate solution and has set science-based targets to reduce its Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions intensity by 43% and Scope 3 emissions intensity for fuel- and energy-related activities by 40%, by 2030 from a 2019 base year. The Company is also committed to setting a net-zero 2050 carbon emission target aligned to a 1.5°C scenario. CN’s sustainability leadership is recognized through the inclusion in the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index (DJSI) and CDP’s Climate Change A List.
Air Canada and Air Canada Cargo mark the start of freighter operations to Basel, Switzerland, connecting one of Europe's premiere pharmaceutical hubs to the carrier’s extensive network through its Toronto global hub.
The flights will operate twice per week using Air Canada Cargo’s Boeing 767 freighters.
“We are excited to be returning to Basel, this time with our freighters, to serve a key market in Europe for pharmaceuticals. The capability of our freighters, combined with our temperature-controlled containers and cool chain facility at our Toronto global hub position us to serve this critical market with reliable, year-round service, and ensure these important shipments can move safely and in a timely manner throughout our global network,” said Matthieu Casey, Managing Director, Commercial at Air Canada Cargo.
Air Canada Cargo’s Basel service is the latest addition to its worldwide freighter network, following recently launched freighter services to Liege, Belgium; Dallas, Atlanta and Bogota.
50 years ago today, FedEx Corp. (NYSE: FDX) launched an industry that changed the world.
It was this day that marked the company’s first fully operational night and the first step to realizing founder and Executive Chairman Frederick W. Smith’s vision to connect the globe. Now 50 years later, FedEx connects over 220 countries and territories, includes over 530,000 employees, and continues to demonstrate the innovation that defined the company from the start. To mark this milestone, the FedEx team is celebrating with a day full of community service opportunities and global events.
“It is an honor and a privilege to work with such an innovator like Fred Smith who guided us to where we are today,” said President and Chief Executive Officer Raj Subramaniam. “Today is a celebration of our dedicated team members who are committed to our Purple Promise of making every FedEx experience outstanding — now and for the next 50 years.”
FedEx team members around the world are joining together to celebrate this milestone today —and the culmination of 50 Days of Caring — supporting to the communities they serve every day by volunteering their time and donating items to agencies in need. Whether it’s by building homes for those in need in Hungary or making special deliveries to kids in Italy, giving back is part of the company’s culture. FedEx also recently announced it exceeded its FedEx Cares 50 by 50 goal of helping 50 million people by its 50th birthday.
As a thank you, approximately 60 FedEx front line team members have been invited to join in for the ringing of the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange on Monday, April 17th.
And, from Memphis, Tennessee to Kuala Lumpur, cities across the globe are joining in to celebrate this milestone for FedEx by lighting landmarks and airports in orange and purple.
Last week FedEx released a portrait series collaboration with Annie Leibovitz to spotlight and elevate its small business customers. Named Driving Passions, the series incorporates the power and possibilities of FedEx by showcasing three small businesses that represent the startups, innovators, and legends in the making.
“We’re proud of our story of connecting the world – and we know our customers are proud of their stories, too,” added Brie Carere, Chief Customer Officer of FedEx Corp. “This series lifts up passionate entrepreneurs who are changing the world – and how FedEx enables small businesses to start small and grow through innovation.”
Unlimited Tomorrow, Terra Beauty Bars, and Ginjan Bros. were the FedEx small business customers chosen to be photographed to serve as a direct reflection of the modern FedEx brand— inclusive, innovative, and intelligent.
As FedEx continues to plan for what’s next in the industry, the company recently announced it would bring its operating companies together as one FedEx.
In celebration of its 50th birthday and commitment to doing good, FedEx is excited to announce the Founder’s Fund — a philanthropic endowment created to honor Frederick W. Smith and his legacy as a business leader and changemaker in communities around the world. FedEx Cares is committing $2 million to kick off the fund. Annual beneficiaries include innovative veteran entrepreneurs and nonprofit organizations chosen by team members for their outstanding volunteer engagement.
“Today is a huge milestone in the history of our company and I am immensely proud to share it with our team members across the world as we deliver what’s next,” added Subramaniam.
XPO (NYSE: XPO), a leading provider of less-than-truckload (LTL) freight transportation, today announced that Dave Bates is joining the company as chief operating officer, North American LTL, effective April 21, 2023.
Mario Harik, chief executive officer of XPO, said, “Dave is a high-impact executive with a strong track record of driving excellence in all aspects of LTL operations. We’re delighted that he’ll be leading our operations in creating ongoing value for our customers and investors.”
Bates joins XPO from 27 years with Old Dominion Freight Line, Inc., where he was responsible for all day-to-day operations in North America for the last 12 years as senior vice president, operations. He started his career with roles at Carolina Freight Carriers and Roadway Express.
Today, at the MRO Americas 2023 conference in Atlanta, Georgia, Kuehne+Nagel, Atlas Air, Inc., a subsidiary of Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq: AAWW), and SR Technics Group introduce the “Sustainable Engine Alliance”.
Representing a wide range of the aerospace industry, the Alliance pledges to set new industry standards for low-carbon aircraft engine supply chains in line with the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi).
The alliance members aim to reduce their collective environmental impact through networks for sustainable engine supply chains and a portfolio of sustainable services. Some of the first joint initiatives carried out by the alliance include the deployment of sustainable fuels, engine stand management solutions and a global digital interface for emission transparency, reduction and avoidance. The initiative is expected to reduce engine supply chain related scope 3 emissions ahead of the aerospace 2050 sustainability targets.
Erik Goedhart, SVP Global Head of Aerospace at Kuehne+Nagel, comments: “Collaboration is key to industry-wide improvements in aerospace sustainability. With the “Sustainable Engine Alliance”, we will set new standards for responsible sourcing and engine transportation, while creating further awareness within the industry to minimise environmental impact of engine supply chains jointly. I am confident that together with Atlas Air and SR Technics we will pave the way for future sustainability efforts in aerospace. And we invite other value chain companies to join us”.
Jean-Marc Lenz, Chief Executive Officer at SR Technics states: “Sustainability is a strategic pillar of SR Technics’ organization and service portfolio. By extending the engine life cycle and delivering best-in-class on-wing performance, SR Technics contributes to the environmental impact of airline operations. We are very pleased to be joining with the leaders in this growing market, and we look forward to working with them to pilot this zero-emission journey together. With Kuehne+Nagel and Atlas Air, we have experienced partners on board who support our major cornerstone in our company development to sustainable growth in future.”
James Forbes, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Atlas Air Worldwide said: "We look forward to working with Kuehne+Nagel and SR Technics to accelerate decarbonization in our combined value chain. Through our partnership, we will be developing maintenance and supply chain best practices that will guide us well into the future and help us achieve our environmental stewardship goals.”
The total throughput of Port of Antwerp-Bruges amounted to 68.7 million metric tonnes in the first quarter, a drop of 4.5% compared with the same period last year.
This decline is due to the still complex geopolitical and macroeconomic context, which has led to a decline in the container segment and significant shifts in cargo flows. To keep responding to these demands, the port is committed to sustainable growth together with new and existing pioneers.
Operational challenges at container terminals and congestion have slowly declined since the third quarter of 2022. Economic uncertainty and inflation led to a global slowdown in demand for container shipping and the cancellation of sailings, particularly those from the Far East. Along with the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, which caused Russia-related traffic in the first three months of 2023 to be two-thirds lower than in the same period last year, this has resulted in a 6.6% drop in container throughput in tonnes and 5.7% in TEUs, compared to the first quarter of 2022.
Conventional general cargo throughput volumes are in line with the pre-COVID-19 period, but down 19.8% compared to a very strong first quarter in 2022, when a robust post-COVID-19 recovery resulted in high throughput figures. The slowing economy is accompanied by a decline in steel demand. This caused a 21.9% drop in throughput of steel, both in incoming and outgoing flows.
The dry bulk segment is down 7.3%. This is mainly due to the decline in fertilisers, the largest product group within dry bulk. Although the production of these has been increasing since March due to the fall in energy prices, overall throughput of fertilisers was still down 26.4% during the first quarter. In turn, the continued high demand for coal for power generation translated into throughput that was almost three times higher than in the same period last year. Throughput of sand and gravel also increased (+9.3%).
The liquid bulk segment posted growth of 0.5%. Besides an increase in the throughput of LNG (+23.3%), partly as an alternative to natural gas via pipelines from Russia, there was also growth in the throughput of diesel, fuel oil and energy gases. Chemical throughput is picking up compared to the last quarter of 2022, when high energy prices resulted in lower production rates or complete stoppages, but still remains 21.3% below the record of the first quarter of last year.
Roll-on/roll-off traffic is maintaining the status quo, but within the new-car segment there is a resurgence. The first quarter of 2023, saw 904,901 new cars shipped in and out, up 7.2% from 2022. Throughput of all transport equipment has grown by 4.3%, while unaccompanied cargo (excluding containers) is showing a decrease (-2.4%.) The share of these volumes related to the United Kingdom fell by 5.6% in the first quarter, while traffic to and from Ireland increased by 14.2%.
Port of Antwerp-Bruges is and remains the largest car port in the world. The terminals have a total area of more than 400 hectares with a parking capacity of 210,000 units.Cars from all major brands in the automotive sector pass through and, for many brands, Port of Antwerp-Bruges is the intercontinental and European hub.
In the first 3 months of 2023, Zeebrugge welcomed 29 cruise ships. Efforts to spread cruise tourism throughout the year are thus delivering a new first-quarter record.
In the first quarter, 4,946 ocean-going vessels called at the port, down 3.7%. The gross tonnage of these vessels fell by 3.8%.
Consolidating role as a world port: merged port attractive to investors
Several investments in the first months of 2023 have demonstrated that the port, which merged a year ago, is attractive to investors from both home and abroad. American pioneer PureCycle, for example, announced the construction of a plastic recycling plant in the NextGen District, a hotspot for the circular economy in the heart of Antwerp's port site, where excavation work will start later this year. In addition, global player Vopak, a Dutch tank storage company, will sustainably redevelop the former Gunvor site in Antwerp. The company will work with Port of Antwerp-Bruges on joint development/fulfilment on the basis of renewable energy, among other things. This marks another important step towards a climate-neutral economy. In order to remain a top-class world port, the port must prioritise efficient infrastructure and additional container capacity.
The process of modernising and deepening the Europa Terminal, which has now begun, will ensure that the latest generation of mega-ships can continue to call at this location. This trend of using ever larger container ships will become even clearer in the coming weeks as records are successively broken by visits by the MSC Tessa (24,116 TEU), the OCCL Spain (24,188 TEU) and the MSC Loreto (24,346 TEU).
Jacques Vandermeiren, CEO Port of Antwerp-Bruges: "These results show that the world port is at the centre of a continuously challenging geopolitical and macroeconomic context. But despite these disappointing figures, the outlook for 2023 remains positive. Falling energy prices, an improving Chinese economy and signs that the liner market is also picking up are reasons to be confident about the future. Moreover, the complementarity of the two port platforms allows us to better respond to shifts in cargo flows."
Annick De Ridder, Port Alderman of the City of Antwerp and Chairman of the Port of Antwerp-Bruges Board of Directors adds: "Together with the innovative port companies and the new pioneers who are bringing a range of jobs to our port, we remain committed to sustainable growth. In addition, investments in strategic infrastructure such as the modernisation of the Europa Terminal are indispensable to ensure our position as a world port and to live up to our role as the economic engine of Flanders. Filling the many vacancies is a significant challenge in this regard. To this end, we will soon launch a promotional campaign and a digital job platform together with our partners."
Dirk De fauw, Mayor of the City of Bruges and Vice President of Port of Antwerp-Bruges: "Port of Antwerp-Bruges is the world player for the automotive sector. That position will only strengthen given the investments in additional capacity by existing operators and new players who choose our port as a base from which to conquer the European market. I am therefore confident that we can again realise growth here in 2023. Furthermore, the record number of cruise ships that called at Zeebrugge this first quarter is confirmation that efforts to better spread cruise tourism throughout the year have succeeded. In the quieter winter months, cruise tourism is a boon to the tourist industry in Bruges, Blankenberge, Brussels, Ghent, Ypres and Antwerp."
DP World has achieved a record container handling performance at the Port of Dakar, handling 76,282 TEU during March, the highest throughput in a single month since DP World began operations in Senegal in 2008.
Since then, DP World has invested nearly $300 million to upgrade and expand the terminal. These investments have increased productivity by 200% and reduced vessel waiting time from an average of 35 hours to zero. This has also led to increased trade, economic growth and the creation of both direct and indirect jobs, as well as improved access to goods for communities in Senegal and the wider region.
DP World's successive investments in the Port of Dakar have transformed the terminal into the best-performing in West Africa and one of the best on the continent, steadily increasing productivity from 265,000 TEU per year in 2008 to 738,000 TEU per year in 2022.
Clarence Rodrigues, CEO of DP World Dakar, said: “This record performance in March is the result of excellent teamwork, detailed planning and execution, while at the same time ensuring the highest levels of safety and risk management. We managed to achieve this while maintaining our current high-performance levels. A more productive container terminal allows us to attract more vessels and further strengthen the Port of Dakar's position as a regional trade hub.”
Mountaga Sy, CEO of the Port Autonome de Dakar (Dakar Port Authority), said: “The constant increase in productivity at the container terminal is helping to boost trade in Senegal and the sub-region. This is in line with the vision of the Head of State as expressed in the Plan Senegal Emergent, which aims to strengthen the position of Senegal as a privileged point of entry for transit to the sub-region.”
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