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

Iran's drones and missiles entered Israeli airspace around 1:42 a.m. on April 14. A spokesman for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced that Iran has launched about 320 weapons, including 170 drones, 30 cruise missiles, and 120 ballistic missiles. The Iranian attack does not appear to have taken a significant military toll on Israel. Israel claims to have thwarted most of the Iranian attacks with its own forces and help from the US, UK, and others. Israel, which closed its airspace from 0:30 a.m. on April 14 due to Iran's air strike, opened its airspace seven hours later. Israel, which judged that Iran's attack ended at 3:30 a.m. on the same day, also lifted its evacuation order to its people. However, activities where more than 1,000 people gather are restricted, and educational activities and school trips are suspended for the time being.

Iran's Revolutionary Guards seized an Israeli-linked cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, the Iranian state-run IRNA news agency reported, days after Tehran warned it could close the area to sea traffic. IRNA reported that a Guards helicopter had boarded and taken into Iranian waters the Portuguese flagged MSC Aries. The Aries is leased by international shipping line MSC from Gortal Shipping, an affiliate of Zodiac Maritime, Zodiac said in a statement, adding that MSC is responsible for all vessel activities. Zodiac is partly owned by Israeli businessman Eyal Ofer.

Workers at Canada's two largest railway companies (CN, CPKC) urge union members to vote for and against the strike. According to the Teamsters Canadian Rail Conference (TCRC), voting will begin on April 8 and continue until May 1. Earlier in March, the TCRC, representing engineers and conductors of Canadian National (CN) and Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) railways, mentioned that they have made very little progress on negotiations with employers. Should most members vote in favour of a strike, the country could witness a walkout or lockout on CN and CPKC lines in Canada on 22 May.

As many as 22 flights were diverted at the Delhi airport on Saturday evening due to bad weather. Of them, 9 were diverted to Jaipur, 8 to Lucknow, 2 to Chandigarh, and 1 each to Varansi, Amritsar and Ahmedabad. The Indira Gandhi International Airport handles around 1,300 flight movements daily.

Tampa International Airport faced significant disruptions due to severe thunderstorms on Thursday afternoon, leading to a ground stop by the Federal Aviation Administration. By 5:30 p.m., out of 563 scheduled flights, 329 were delayed, and 42 were canceled. Passengers were advised to check the status of their flights online.

The Central Union of Workers (CUT), one of Chile's largest labor unions, is scheduled to strike 24 hours a day nationwide on April 11. Railway, bus, taxi driver's union and other labor groups are also expected to participate in the CUT strike. Due to the protests of the workers participating in the strike, Alameda, the main road connecting the central area of Santiago and Arturo Merino Benitez International Airport (SCL), is likely to be partially closed.

Public and private sector workers belonging to CGIL (Italian Workers' Federation) are scheduled to strike nationwide on April 11. Purpose of the steike is to demand for higher wages, denounce public health and tax reform. The strike is expected to take place on April 11 from 9:00 to 13:00 for rail transport, and from 13:00 to 17:00 for air, with the Aviation Control Center (ACC) in the Milan region expected to participate. Local transport, maritime services, and logistics services will stage four-hour strikes during April 11 with independent schedules.

Following CMA CGM, Evergreen will also stop accepting new reservations to and from Haiti until further notice. This is due to heightened security instability in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, and intensifying street violence, and the situation is expected to continue for some time.

Less than two weeks after a cargo ship hit a bridge in Baltimore, another large ship, the APL Qingdao, nearly collided with the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge in New York. Late on a Friday night, the ship, carrying 1,100 containers and weighing about 90,000 tons, lost partial control while in New York Harbor. The U.S. Coastguard and tug boats responded to stabilize the vessel, which was dangerously close to the bridge. After being towed to safety, the APL Qingdao underwent necessary repairs and checks in New York Harbor. It safely departed on Sunday morning for Norfolk, Virginia. This incident occurred shortly after another major incident where a container ship collided with a bridge in Baltimore, causing significant disruptions. The APL Qingdao, operated by French logistics firm CMA CGM, has traveled over 180,000 nautical miles this year.

In Kent, train service is limited to four routes today due to a strike by Aslef union drivers over pay and conditions. Southeastern operates only specific connections, including Ashford to St Pancras, and between Orpington and Charing Cross. The Rail Delivery Group offered a two-year, 4% annual pay increase, which was rejected by Aslef.