Philippines Freight Forwarding Services
Air & Sea Freight Between the Philippines and the UK

Barge surcharges skyrocket as Europe's inland waterways struggle

Surcharges for Rhine barge transport have skyrocketed in the past few days as water levels continue to plummet, with forecasts only showing further falls as Northern Europe waits for rain. MSC, for example, has confirmed the following surcharges: €1,350 per teu for the Kaub gauge section of the river; and €895 per teu for the Koln gauge, which at 55cm is 1cm off requiring individual agreement, as is already the case on the Duisburg Ruhrort gauge. Sources on the waterway told The Loadstar that with the Kaub gauge measuring around 11cm of depth, it was essentially "non-navigable" for containers, as is the case with the Emmerich gauge. One barge owner told The Loadstar: "Mid-size container barges, those offering capacity of around 300 teu, are now only able to offer roughly 20% of their capacity, so 60 teu, but the larger barges, those with 400 teu of space, can no longer use the Rhine." Asked whether a surcharge of €1,350 per teu made it economically viable to take advantage of the limited capacity available, sources said it depended on the cost of turning to alternative modes of transport, "especially with congestion building on road and rail". MSC announced on Friday it had introduced a wave of "traffic congestion surcharges" for rail, trucking, and rail/truck transport from/to Antwerp and Rotterdam via Andernach, Frankfurt, Germersheim Munich, Nurnberg, Neuss, Strasbourg, Trier, and Woerth. The carrier noted additional fees would become applicable from 20 August and will be charged at a rate of €44 per container being moved by truck for all origins and destinations, with rail and rail/truck surcharges of €50 per container for Germany/Alsace origin or destined loads. Despite these trucking surcharges being markedly lower than those for barges, one barge source said they expected shippers to continue using the Rhine until it becomes "impossible" for any traffic to move on it. "That is the point when traffic will shift from barge to road, but whatever happens it needs to be understood that it will not be the shipper who pays these additional costs, it will be the cargo - read "consumer" - who pays," the barge owner added.

FedEx shows off retro-livery 777F as Memphis hub named after founder

US freight operator FedEx has shown off a Boeing 777F carrying a retro livery as its Memphis hub airport was named after the company's founder. The twinjet, registered N884FD, was originally delivered to the carrier in 2011. It has undergone a repaint in the colour scheme which, says FedEx, is "inspired" by the company's original Dassault Falcon 20 jets, used when it started operations in 1973. Memphis airport is being renamed after Frederick W Smith, the founder of FedEx, who passed away in 2025. The carrier says the 777F was among the first aircraft to land at the newly-renamed facility. This aircraft also features the name 'Rosie', after Smith's granddaughter. FedEx says this represents a "meaningful connection between our past, present and future". Smith chose Memphis as the home for Federal Express in 1973, citing its strategic geographic location and reliable weather. "Moving forward, every plane, person, and package that passes through Frederick W. Smith International Airport will carry the spirit of our visionary founder and the pride of a city that connects the world," said Raj Subramaniam, president and chief executive of FedEx Corporation.

Hong Kong Air Cargo launches Hong Kong-Mumbai freighter service

Hong Kong Air Cargo has launched a dedicated freighter service between Hong Kong and Mumbai as part of its global expansion plans. Data from Flightradar24 shows that Hong Kong Air Cargo operated a flight from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in Mumbai to Hong International Airport on 6 August. Hong Kong Air Cargo's charter programme for the period of 1 August to 31 August includes a Hong Kong - Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International service. However, Air Cargo News (ACN) reported last month that Hong Kong Air Cargo planned to launch charter flights between Hong Kong International and Navi Mumbai International from August. ACN has requested clarification from Hong Kong Air Cargo on its route(s) between Hong Kong and Mumbai. The launch of flights between Hong Kong and Mumbai comes within two months of Aeroprime Group's appointment as Hong Kong Air Cargo's cargo General Sales & Service Agent (GSSA) in India. Raymond Chen, vice president, commercial spokesperson for Hong Kong Air Cargo said: "The launch of our freighter service from Mumbai marks an important step in our India growth strategy. "Mumbai is a key export hub, and we are pleased with the rapid progress achieved alongside Aeroprime Group. Their support have played a vital role in expanding our footprint, and we look forward to strengthening our network and delivering greater value to customers." Abhishek Goyal, executive director, Aeroprime Group, said: "Launching Hong Kong Air Cargo's freighter service from Mumbai within just two months of our partnership reflects the shared commitment and agility of both teams. "Mumbai is one of India's most strategic cargo gateways, and this expansion enables us to offer customers greater capacity, enhanced connectivity, and reliable cargo solutions. "We thank Hong Kong Air Cargo and our partners for their continued trust and look forward to further expanding the airline's presence in India."