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Terminal operators and liners eye concession opportunity at Colombo Port

Global terminal operators, backed by container shipping groups, are keenly eyeing fresh concessions at Sri Lanka's Colombo port, according to industry sources. One opportunity up for grabs soon is a rebid for South Asia Gateway Terminals (SAGT), where 30-year concession rights end in 2029. SAGT's ownership has four partners: 42% held by John Keells Holdings; 33% by Maersk/APMT; 15% by Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA); and 10% by Evergreen. According to sources in Colombo, Sri Lankan policymakers are not considering a further extension of the concession term but will seek new proposals. "There are clear signals that SLPA will go in for a fresh tendering attempt," one source told The Loadstar. SAGT, which has three berths with a total quay of 940 metres, and able to handle 2m teu annually, began operations in 1999. The terminal handled 1.8m teu in fiscal year 2025-26, which was down 11% year on year, as the Middle East crisis resulted in a wave of service suspensions, according to available data. Sources said most major liners were upbeat about staking a claim for SAGT, with indications that Maersk will partner with another European liner to jointly pursue the concession rights. The Danish group had previously explored collaborating with an Asian carrier, but the prospect of EU regulatory clearance risks was understood to have derailed that move, sources added. "A joint bid between two European liner behemoths could be a game-changer for Colombo's terminal operations," one Sri Lankan port veteran told The Loadstar. Sources believe Colombo's booming transhipment traffic offers investors a stronger growth proposition, so bidding for any upcoming projects at the port is expected to be heated. Despite the nagging capacity strain and growing competition from Indian ports, Colombo saw combined throughput in H1 26 spike 12% year on year, to 4.4m teu. Meanwhile, until new concessions emerge or become operational, Adani Group's $750m investment in Colombo West International Terminal (CWIT) is seen to be Colombo's primary growth engine. CWIT has officially launched phase 2 operations, doubling its capacity to 3.2m teu, after hitting 2m teu within 18 months of phase 1 operations, claimed to be the fastest growth seen by any operator at the port. "With additional capacity, CWIT would be able to simultaneously berth three ultra-large container vessels, strengthening Colombo's position as a critical transhipment hub on the east-west trade route," said Adani Ports (APSEZ). "Phase 2 is a landmark for APSEZ's international portfolio and sharpens our position across the Indian Ocean's key trade corridors. With expanded capacity, full automation and deepwater infrastructure, CWIT is built to be Colombo's premier transshipment gateway and contribute to export/import cargo in Sri Lanka." In recent years, Adani has markedly expanded its terminal networks beyond India, aiming to become the world's largest port operator handling 1bn tonnes of cargo across markets by 2030 - doubling the 500m tonnes in fiscal 2025-26.

AI won't plug forwarder margin leaks without better data and processes

Freight forwarders must tackle unbilled charges, manual rework, and unreliable data before expecting AI to protect their margins, according to Metro Shipping and Portcast. Speaking on The Loadstar Podcast, Ian Powell, tech and solutions director at Metro, said profitability could be eroded by incorrect buy and sell rates, costs not passed on to customers, and repeated administrative work. "If we're constantly reworking activity, if we're raising credits against jobs, re-invoicing jobs, that's not optimal for us from an operating cost point of view," he said. Emma Crumpton, enterprise solutions director at freight intelligence platform Portcast, highlighted detention and demurrage as a particularly complex source of margin erosion. Different free-time allowances, charging milestones, and contractual terms make managing charges difficult at scale. Forwarders may also absorb costs to protect customer relationships. "When I think about detention and demurrage, it's a complexity issue," she said. Technology could help identify approaching free-time deadlines and ensure charges were correctly recorded and billed. But both guests stressed that automation depended on reliable data and understanding the task. Mr Powell said Metro's adoption of airfreight tracking technology included a three-month pilot to integrate systems and resolve problems. Forwarders should identify the root causes of losses, with some problems addressable through process changes. "You don't need to apply AI for the sake of it," added Ms Crumpton. That echoed Australian forwarder Neolink's experience. In an earlier interview with The Loadstar, Sean Crook said around half its shipment workflow incorporated automation. "Automation, to be honest, has probably been even bigger for us than AI," he said. Mr Crook said Neolink's staff were handling 80% to 90% more shipment volume than three years earlier, without an increase in staff numbers. He attributed the gains to both technology and a business model that gives customers a single contact responsible for the relationship from start to finish, reducing departmental handovers. Its approach also relies on obtaining purchase-order information early enough to plan shipments, rather than waiting until goods are ready. Mr Crook said receiving orders two or more weeks in advance helped the forwarder make earlier bookings and choose services suited to customers' actual inventory requirements, avoiding unnecessary premiums for speed they did not need. Meanwhile, The Loadstar's State of AI in Supply Chain 2026 report found 48.7% of respondents cited integration with existing systems as a major barrier to scaling AI; while 53.8% identified insufficient in-house AI expertise and change-management capability. Looking ahead, the podcast guests saw opportunities to turn shipment data into practical insights, while retaining human oversight of decisions affecting customers and profitability.

Volga-Dnepr carrier Atran restores operations with 737 freighter

Russian outsize freight specialist Volga-Dnepr Group's cargo airline Atran has returned to operations with a flight on the Moscow-Mirny route. Atran, which had been subject to international sanctions, had voluntarily requested suspension of its air operator's certificate in 2025. It had turned to using Antonov An-12s in 2023, after uncertainty emerged over its leased 737 fleet. But it stated that a Boeing 737-400 freighter (RA-73854) underwent a maintenance C-check and carried out a test flight in late August after being retrieved from storage. Federal air transport regulator Rosaviatsia reinstated Atran's certificate in September, the carrier stated. Atran added that it resumed commercial operations between Moscow Vnukovo and Mirny, flying via Novosibirsk, on 16 October. "Resumption of Atran commercial flights expands the capabilities of the Volga-Dnepr Group in the domestic cargo air transportation segment," it said. Atran added that the 737-400 has a payload capacity of 18 tonnes, and that Mirny is an industrial centre supplying businesses with "essential materials and equipment".