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Another typhoon threatens recovery of East Asian ports from congestion

Congestion may be easing in eastern China, but with Typhoon Champi set to sweep across the north-east coast of Taiwan tomorrow there are concerns that disruption to vessel movements could undo benefits carriers are seeing in China. Maersk told customers waiting times at ports along the east China coast were showing a continued week-on-week decline, with its wider east Asian network stabilising following disruption from earlier typhoons., The carrier said: "Recovery efforts across East Asia continue to progress, although strong export demand is putting pressure on congested ports. Operational conditions at East China ports have improved. Vessel wait times have continued to decline. "While the direct impact of recent typhoon activity has largely subsided, recovery across the wider regional network remains ongoing. Conditions across the port network continue to influence overall cargo flows and schedule recovery." Maritime services provider Mas Oceans is, however, warning that fresh adverse weather associated with Typhoon Champi could create "further operational challenges", with reports that pilotage at the Changjiang Estuary had been suspended. Furthermore, there have been restrictions on vessel movements at some ports, with anticipated closures affecting Zhejiang, Fujian, and surrounding areas if the typhoon matches forecast severity, raising the prospect of renewed delays. Chantal Roberts, director of Drewry Supply Chain Advisors, said if a port was forced out of operation for even a day, "you need around five weeks in a quiet period, or about two months in a peak period, to really clear that backlog". The extent of any typhoon-induced disruption will depend on how long restrictions remain in place, the number of vessels affected and how quickly terminals can clear backlogs once operations resume. And, if the threat of a typhoon was not enough, Maersk noted it was likely intermittent delays would continue along its East Asia network, adding that it was "monitoring conditions and contacting customers whose shipments might be affected" to discuss available options. Elsewhere, the Danish carrier sailed nearly double the number of vessels through the Suez Canal over the nine months to October as it did during the same period last year, according to figures from the Suez Canal authority. With a total of 23.3m tonnes moved through the besieged waterway this year, compared with 7m last year, Maersk chief operating officer Rabab Boulos told the authority the group hoped to return all its services to the canal by March.

Airfreight in Africa booming, thanks to disrupted ocean shipping services

African airfreight is seeing something of a boom from the disruption in ocean freight across the Middle East, but forwarders remain sceptical as to whether it will provoke long-term structural benefits. Hennie Heymans, CEO of DHL Express's Sub-Saharan Africa operations, told The Loadstar the shift from ocean services had left airfreight the only viable alternative to keep goods moving. "When people run into trouble from a seafreight point of view, the alternative becomes airfreight, becomes express, and that is a notable trend across African airfreight's growth momentum at the moment," Mr Heymans told The Loadstar. For DHL Express, the timing has proved particularly useful, coinciding with the launch of its Heavy Weight Express service, allowing its customers to ship consignments of up to 3,000kg, with individual pieces of up to 1,000kg. Expanding beyond smaller parcels, the new service is designed for automotive, energy, engineering, machinery, and pharmaceuticals, Mr Heymans noting the significant cost implications delays place on these sectors. "The timing of the launch worked out quite well, which makes the conversation a lot easier, and a lot more comfortable for those customers seeking these sorts of services," explained Mr Heymans. However, he did not disclose how much additional volume DHL Express had gained as a result of shipping disruption, nor how much of the growth in airfreight was a result of transference from ocean freight over underlying growth patterns. Anecdotal evidence from forwarders active on the African west and south coasts indicates that the continent is experiencing an uptick in demand for capacity, with overall volumes growing, but none was able to tell The Loadstar how the present situation should be assessed. One forwarder said: "There's definite growth in demand for capacity in and out of certain countries around the continent - Nigeria, South Africa, and Ghana are big lanes for us - but if it is specific modes, we can only say that uptick in airfreight bookings is transference." Others believe there are long-term prospects on the airfreight side for the continent's major players, with forwarders noting that the chaos in the Middle East, issues with the US, and looming threats in Asia were leading all to reconsider their supply chain make-up.

Korean Air launches "smart" cargo terminal at Incheon Airport

Korean Air has announced that it has completed the modernisation of its cargo terminal at Seoul's Incheon International Airport, declaring it a "fully integrated 'Smart Terminal'. The modernisation programme, which ran from June 2025 to last month, included the introduction of automated technologies across a range of terminal handling operations. "Top-tier cargo handling quality" was nevertheless maintained throughout the process, the airline said. At the heart of the upgrade of the terminal has been the deployment of both Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs) and new Elevating Transfer Vehicles (ETVs). By moving from a single line to dual automated transfer lines integrated with the new ETVs, the terminal has increased its ULD processing capacity from 18 to 30 units an hour. Moreover, the terminal's total cargo handling capacity is expected to increase by more than 25%, while Korean Air is also expanding specialised facilities that handle high-yield, special cargo. Korean Air Cargo already operates its Cool Cargo Center at Incheon, a specialised facility capable of storing and processing over 150 tons of fresh cargo at any one time. According to a statement from the carrier, the automation of heavy equipment has minimised the number of manual handling touchpoints, while infrastructure upgrades have also improved the overall working environment. "This renovation is an essential step to proactively respond to the rapidly changing global logistics environment by upgrading equipment and integrating smart technologies," Korean Air said. As well as its state-of-the-art cargo terminal at its primary hub at Incheon, Korean Air has dedicated cargo terminals in New York, Los Angeles, Narita and Osaka. And, complementing the Incheon facility upgrade, the Seoul-headquartered carrier is also modernising its cargo terminal at JFK International Airport in New York, with completion of the process scheduled for next year. Furthermore, in confirmation of a fleet upgrade, Korean Air said last month that it had finalised an order for eight Boeing 777-8 freighters that it first committed to last year. And, earlier this year, in June, Korean Air Cargo capacity began to be placed on the Freightos booking platform. As a result, customers could access Korean Air's real-time air cargo rates and capacity on key lanes from North America and Europe to Asia, and make bookings via the platform. Meanwhile, at Incheon, last month it was confirmed that supply chain giant DSV had continued the expansion of its Air ThermoDirect service with the addition of a new facility at the Seoul airfreight gateway.