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

A lighter vessel carrying Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) caught fire following an explosion near Kutubdia Point in the Bay of Bengal around 1:00 a.m. on Sunday. The crew and staff jumped into the sea to escape the fire and were later rescued by the Bangladesh Coast Guard and Navy. The vessel, named "B-LPG Sofia," was anchored at the outer Chittagong port when the incident occurred. All 31 people on board were safely rescued.

Strike by 33,000 U.S. West Coast workers of Boeing has stalled production of major jets. The ongoing strike is expected to result in 5 billion in third quarter losses. Boeing has announced global job cuts, potentially affecting up to 17,000 employees, amidst an ongoing workers' strike. The layoffs are part of Boeing's broader cost-cutting measures as it faces challenges in production and labor relations.

Traffic through the Bosphorus Strait is set to resume after a suspension caused by a ship malfunction. The suspension affected a critical maritime route connecting the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara. Authorities halted vessel movement to ensure safety while resolving the issue. Northbound vessels are expected to resume their passage as of today. Operations are expected to normalize following the repair, with further updates pending on the complete resumption of traffic.

British Airways is canceling several long-haul flights this winter due to engine and parts shortages from Rolls-Royce. The affected aircraft are mainly Boeing 787s with Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engines. Flights between London and Kuala Lumpur, as well as daily services from Gatwick to New York and Heathrow to Doha, are suspended. The airline is utilizing older Boeing 777 aircraft in response but faces maintenance challenges. Additionally, flights from Heathrow to Beijing are suspended until November 2025.

Employees of state-run railway companies belonging to Cub Trasporti and SGB labor unions are scheduled to strike nationwide from 21:00 on October 12 to 20:59 on October 13 demanding better working conditions. The strike is likely to disrupt passenger and freight railway services operated by Trenitalia, Trenord, Trenitalia Tper and FS Group.

Planned transport strikes in Spain could cause significant disruptions during the Christmas season. Unions representing lorry and bus drivers are pushing for better working conditions, particularly the right to early or partial retirement. The strikes are set to occur on various dates from late October through December 23, just before Christmas, potentially affecting supply chains and leading to empty supermarket shelves, as seen in 2022. There is still time for negotiations to prevent these strikes from happening.

Hurricane Milton rapidly strengthened into a Category 5 storm last Monday as the storm is projected to threaten areas of the Florida Peninsula still recovering from Hurricane Helene. Forecast models indicate the system is currently forecast to weaken into a category 3 hurricane just before making landfall on the west coast of the Florida Peninsula near Tampa Bay the evening of October 9. Nevertheless, It's still projected to be a "large and powerful" hurricane once it makes landfall. Flights will be suspended at Tampa International Airport (TPA) will be closed from 09:00 October 8 and further flight disruptions are likely in affected regions over the coming days. There are no reports of port closures yet, but Tampa, Jacksonville, and Miami Port is also expected to be affected.

On October 5, several containers collapsed at COSCO's Piraeus port, causing port workers to express deep concern about safety issues. The port union stressed that if the accident occurred a few minutes early or late, human lives could have been sacrificed.

The ELIZABETH Line is severely delayed following a 'power supply failure' on October 8 morning. Waiting times of up to half an hour are expected including trains to Heathrow Airport. National Rail is warning severe disruption will last until 1 30pm. Thameslink, Lumo and LNER are among the operators affected by the problem.

Flights at King Phalo Airport in East London were disrupted due to a navigation issue that prevents planes from landing in poor weather. The South African Civil Aviation Authority suspended Air Traffic & Navigation Services (ATNS) procedures, impacting operations during adverse weather. FlySafair announced that most flights on Tuesday were affected, and passengers were offered rebooking and refunds. The problem stems from a backlog in ATNS procedures, with over 2,000 flights delayed since July. Normal operations will resume once weather conditions improve.