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Hapag-Lloyd offers new proposals in bid to take over Zim

Hapag-Lloyd may yet land its prize purchase of Zim, the Israeli government affording the carrier an extra 30 days to revise the details of its proposed $4.2bn takeover and silence critics in Tel Aviv who remain hostile to the deal. It is understood the German carrier and Israeli financial institution FIMI Opportunity Funds have held several rounds of talks with regulators in a bid for sign-off from five of eight Israeli authorities, including shipping and defence agencies, which object to the deal. Hapag-Lloyd said: "We have listened carefully to the needs raised during our discussions with the relevant authorities. We are now developing an improved proposal designed to further strengthen Israel's maritime security and independence. "The revised proposal will secure Israel's access to key shipping routes, including routes from Asia, and strengthen the protections provided under the Golden Share framework. The agreement will also prevent foreign interference in the transport of Israel's sensitive cargo." Describing the changes as a "significant improvement over the current arrangement", Hapag-Lloyd is hoping it will have done enough to prevent Israel's government actioning the veto its "golden share" affords it on the sale of any stock exceeding 24% of the total. Should the changes placate the agencies looking to block the deal, FIMI would be responsible for the carved-out Zim Israel carrier, which would operate 16 vessels on direct links with key markets and make them available to government when required. Furthermore, FIMI has pledged that it would not list the company outside Israel, while also upping the oversight the government's golden share brings it by cutting the threshold for the sale of stock from 24% to 10%. So far, there has been no response from those looking to block the deal, and there remains a sense that the chances of Hapag-Lloyd securing the purchase remain slim. One analyst told The Loadstar they did not believe the parties "knew yet how to restructure the deal", with of the key trade unions describing Zim's potential new owner as "hostile" and "should not be allowed anywhere near" the carrier. Opposition from the unions comes despite Hapag-Lloyd's attempts to offer some sort of guarantee on job security, with revisions including creation of a regional Israeli division, staffed by several hundred people, and an Israel-based tech centre employing 300. Forwarders have shared the scepticism, venting their frustration to The Loadstar over the ongoing consolidation of the liner shipping sector, - one active on the affected trades claiming: "These deals are bad news for customers, plain and simple." Given the politicised nature of the affair, the upcoming Israeli elections are only likely to muddy the waters further, suggesting that any deal will be long in the pipeline, if ever likely to emerge.

Miami operations back to normal after tragic Amazon freighter crash

Cargo operations at Miami International Airport appeared to be running broadly normally this morning, less than 24 hours after a fatal Amazon freighter crash brought flights to a halt and caused widespread disruption. Freighters were again arriving and departing the major US cargo gateway, with little indication of a significant reduction in 21 Air's operation following the loss of its 32-year-old Amazon-chartered B767, which caused the death of five people.. The recovery follows the major disruption yesterday, when more than 160 flights were cancelled and nearly 325 delayed as the accident prompted a ground stop lasting around three hours. The crash occurred just before 2pm when 21 Air's flight 7598, a B767-300F from San Juan, over-ran runway 30 on landing. The aircraft left the airport perimeter, crossed a road and struck vehicles, before coming to rest and catching fire. At least five people were killed and five injured, three critically. Rescue crews had to extricate the aircraft's pilots from the cockpit. The FAA and NTSB are investigating and no cause has yet been established. However, attention is focusing on what happened during the landing. Flight tracking data shows the aircraft, registration N1997A, was still travelling at 112 knots as it left the usable runway area. There were thunderstorms and strong winds in the vicinity, and aviation experts have suggested investigators are likely to examine where on the runway the aircraft touched down, as well as the weather, braking performance, condition of the aircraft, and crew actions. There was no emergency declaration from the pilots before landing, according to a review of air traffic control communications by CNN. The accident has put the rapidly expanding US cargo airline under scrutiny. Although headquartered in Greensboro, North Carolina, 21 Air has a significant presence at Miami, where it operates a 24-hour operations centre and stations pilot and loadmaster crews. The Part 121 all-cargo carrier flies for customers including Amazon, DHL, and Cargojet, and has grown rapidly in recent years. When logistics entrepreneur and Houston Astros owner Jim Crane acquired the airline in 2021, it operated just four or five freighters. By April this year, its fleet had reportedly grown to 16, including seven B767-300 converted freighters operating within Amazon's domestic air network. More recent data from aviation analytics firm Cirium, following Sunday's accident, puts the number of 767s operated by 21 Air for Amazon at eight. The Amazon relationship itself is relatively recent, with 21 Air beginning flights for the ecommerce company in late 2024. The airline has also undergone significant ownership and management changes this year. In April, Canadian freighter operator Cargojet sold its 25% holding in 21 Air, ending an investment it had held since 2021 and leaving Mr Crane in control. Cargojet said the divestment would allow it "to focus capital on its Canadian domestic network, ACMI and charter operations", although the companies have continued to work together commercially. Cargojet still reportedly leases one 767-200 and one 757 to 21 Air, with leases expiring May 2027 and August 2031 respectively There has also been a change at the top. of 21 Air: CEO Tim Strauss's two-year contract expired this year and Keith Winters, a former CEO of Crane Worldwide Logistics and long-time associate of Mr Crane, was brought in to run the carrier, tasked with building out the management team to support an "accelerated growth plan". And 21 Air's ambitions extend well beyond its 757 and 767 operations. The carrier is seeking to add 777 freighters and enter the long-haul international cargo market, with Mr Crane saying earlier this year he hoped to have the aircraft type added to 21 Air's operating certificate by the end of 2026. "The revenue base on those 777s is probably triple that of the planes we're running. And they're flying long routes, so you get a lot of billable hours," he said. Separately, 21 Air has been awaiting an FAA decision on a long-running application concerning pilot experience requirements across its 757 and 767 fleets. The airline petitioned the regulator in March 2025 for permission, subject to specified conditions, to count combined experience on the closely related 757 and 767 towards certain crew-pairing requirements. It also sought permission for combined captain experience across the two types to count towards the 100-hour threshold after which a newly qualified captain is no longer subject to higher landing minima. 21 Air argued its training and experience requirements would provide an equivalent level of safety, and said having to satisfy the experience requirements separately on both aircraft types would increase training and operating costs. As of 31 July, the application remained unresolved, with 21 Air writing to the regulator to say it had received neither an approval nor denial, and requested an update. The Loadstar could find no subsequent FAA decision on the application. There is no evidence that the exemption application, the experience of the pilots involved, or 21 Air's rapid expansion played any role in yesterday's accident. Amazon spokesperson Kelly Nantel said of the accident: "This is a fast-moving situation and we're still gathering details. We're working closely with local authorities and officials to understand exactly what happened. "Right now, our absolute priority is the safety, well-being, and care of everyone involved. We're doing everything we can to support those affected." Mr Winters said all at the carrier were "devastated" by the accident, adding: "Our deepest condolences are with the families and loved ones of those who lost their lives. Our immediate priorities are supporting those affected, assisting the authorities, and ensuring that accurate information is communicated as it becomes available. "We are cooperating fully with the National Transportation Safety Board, the Federal Aviation Administration, and local authorities. The circumstances of the accident are under investigation." The NTSB is expected to provide its first detailed update on the investigation later today. The Miami accident is the second fatal crash involving an aircraft operating for Amazon Air. In February 2019, an Atlas Air B767 freighter operating an Amazon flight from Miami crashed into Trinity Bay, near Houston, killing all three people on board. The NTSB concluded that the first officer's inappropriate response to an inadvertent activation of the aircraft's go-around mode "led to spatial disorientation and a steep descent". For more detail, check out Amazon's Miami runway disaster exposes fragile seam of air cargo contract carrier model. Check out today's News in Brief podcast, on geopolitics, port congestion ,& rising air freight rates, featuring former liner executive Nils Roche

Airfreight rates remain firm in August despite summer lull

Airfreight rates in August remained firm despite the air cargo market's summer lull being in full swing. The latest Baltic Air Freight Index (BAI00) calculated by data firm TAC Index shows that overall rates were almost unchanged across the month, bucking usual seasonal trends that see prices decline across the summer months. TAC said the flat pricing partly reflected higher fuel prices, which, according to IATA were up by around 8.2% over the month to 28 August as fighting between the US and Iran ramped up. Demand levels also remain firm, with cargo tonnages up 6% year on year in August. Rate performance in August represents a turnaround from July when prices fell by almost 9%. Compared with last year, rates in August were up by 18.1% due to the Middle East conflict and soaring data centre/semiconductor demand levels. "Rates remained at relatively elevated levels at a time of year when people take summer holidays and cargo volumes usually ease off," TAC said in a monthly market summary "This summer or 'low season' period often sees rates falling through a combination of demand easing and passenger traffic increasing, which can add extra bellyhold capacity." While rates at a global level were flat in August, there were exceptions. TAC pointed out that rates from China to Europe declined by 11.3% during the month, possibly reflecting lower e-commerce volumes on the trade after the European Union added a €3 charge for low-value packages entering the bloc. This decline came despite carriers removing capacity from the trade lane. "Asia-Europe volumes and rates were falling over much of July and into early August, but there were also signs the market was beginning to adjust to the EU's new interim flat-rate customs duty, with rates starting to stabilise in mid to late August," TAC said. Meanwhile, rates from Asia to North America continued to soar, with prices from China to the US up 28.7% year on year in August. Looking ahead, TAC editor Neil Wilson said the peak season could be governed by how the semiconductor market performs, after signs that the industry has been cooling after a period of rapid investment. "The biggest swing factor for the strength of peak season may be how the AI theme continues to play out," said Wilson. "Some suggested that the recent momentum reversal may reflect investors pausing for thought about the sheer scale of investments by so-called 'hyperscalers' like Amazon, Microsoft and Google in the race to build and operate huge global data centres. "On the other hand, others suggest that the recent correction was perhaps exaggerated by rapid deleveraging, while the underlying performance of those firms is still strong. If so, that race to build data centres could well escalate demand further in the final quarter through the traditional peak season."