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Avianca Cargo transports 60 tons of humanitarian aid to Colombia

Avianca Cargo has transported 60 tons of humanitarian aid to Cali in Colombia to support response and recovery efforts in areas affected by the recent earthquakes in the country. Of the 60 tons transported to Cali from Miami, Florida, nine tons consisted of aid coordinated by the Government of Colombia, while 51 tons were donated by Global Empowerment Mission (GEM) to support the communities most in need. The shipment includes electric generators and essential supply kits containing hygiene products and non-perishable food. This aid was transported aboard one of Avianca Cargo's seven Airbus A330 freighters. This operation builds on Avianca's efforts since the start of the emergency, leveraging both its cargo operations and passenger network to support humanitarian relief efforts. During the first two days of the emergency, the airline transported more than 150 tons of humanitarian aid to affected communities. The operation from Miami reflects coordinated efforts in Colombia and abroad to expedite the delivery of essential resources. The shipment will be received in Cali and distributed based on the needs of affected communities. "At times like this, our operation serves a purpose that goes beyond connecting destinations: We want to help ensure aid reaches the communities that need it most. We thank the Government of Colombia and the Global Empowerment Mission (GEM) for trusting our logistics capabilities and joining efforts to support affected communities," said Diogo Elias, chief executive of Avianca Cargo. "Humanitarian response is ultimately about speed, efficiency and getting the right aid into the hands of families when they need it most," added Michael Capponi, founder and president, Global Empowerment Mission (GEM). "This partnership with Avianca Cargo, the City of Doral, and our on-the-ground partners allows GEM to move critical supplies directly from Miami to Colombia and immediately into our distribution network on the ground. "We are deeply grateful to Avianca Cargo for leveraging its aircraft, logistics expertise and reach to make this mission possible. Colombia can count on GEM not only in these critical first days, but throughout the long road to recovery." Last month, Avianca Cargo and forwarder DSV teamed up to transport 58 tons of humanitarian aid to Venezuela following devastating earthquakes that hit the country.

US ports vie for a slice of the 'data centre build-out' pie

The AI boom is putting a strain on the US high-and-wide transport system, from ports to rail and barges. A deluge of large components for data centres, and an even larger one of power equipment, are pouring into the US to build the infrastructure needed by the AI craze, putting more US ports on the map as gateways for heavy and outsize loads. Forwarders that specialise in out-of-gauge shipments and project cargo have their hands full, not only with the influx of components for data centres, but also for equipment to boost electricity generation and distribution. The US grid has been in a state of neglect for years and urgently needs upgrades - the rise of AI has turbocharged those power needs. As a result, the US transport system is teeming with transformers moving to installation sites, and a slowdown is not in sight, as delivery times for those units have stretched, even though manufacturers have increased capacity and a growing number has been imported from around the world. Rail transport, which moves the lion's share of transformers, stands out as arguably the tightest bottleneck. Rail cars, particularly large models, are in short supply, stretching wait times. For their part, the rail carriers - never too keen on special cargo - need longer than usual to provide clearances for proposed moves, according to forwarders. Extended waiting times, never a welcome scenario, are even more of a bother for project owners at this point. "Time is the critical element now, more than cost," observed Ragan Watson, project sales manager at Barnhart Crane & Rigging. "This will revert over time, but now it's a race." Another forwarder executive described the market as being driven by a sense of urgency. Constraints on rail moves have been a big reason why shippers have been more inclined to abandon established routings for alternative options that may involve putting cargo on the road or a barge, suggested Mark Cowie, CEO North America of Trans Global Projects. Rather than use the port of Houston, one project forwarder has routed large modules for data centres in Georgia, Texas ,and Michigan through ports on the east coast. And Mr Cowie said. "Projects in the south-west may have come through Houston; now we look at trucking from the west coast because you can't get rail cars." Mode shifts may also run into roadblocks. Large-deck barges have also become harder to get hold of, one forwarder reported. Road transport faces obstacles from maintenance work, especially on bridges, which may close a selected route. Mr Cowie noted that construction activity around some ports did not allow moving outsize equipment around. Port authorities have sensed an opening to establish themselves as up-and-coming gateways for project cargo, or they look to diversify their mix of freight. North Carolina Ports has put together a five-year plan which identified project traffic as a strategic growth avenue, and recently upgraded berths and acquired a pair of new rail cranes. Some ports that built up regular wind energy traffic over the years are looking to other sectors as the White House's determined opposition to this energy source has blunted development there. In early August, RWE US Offshore signed a $1.2bn settlement to abandon projects under development off New York, California, and Louisiana. This brought the amount Washington has spent on paying wind energy developers to walk away from offshore projects to nearly $4bn. The Revolution offshore wind project, off the coast of Connecticut, was 95% complete last week, with 61 out of 65 turbines installed, according to Danish wind energy developer Ørsted. State Pier at New London, which has been the staging point for the development and the associated Sunrise Wind and South Fork Wind projects, is now looking for new business. The Connecticut Port Authority anticipates wind farm traffic to wane. The port of Vancouver, Washington, which established itself as the leading gateway for wind energy components on the west coast, has seen this traffic slow to a trickle over the past year. Indeed, in recent years most of this cargo arriving at the port was headed to projects in Canada rather than the US; and Washington's war on wind energy has given additional impetus to the port authority to look to other sectors. The AI boom has been a driver of traffic, albeit indirectly, according to Alex Strogen, the port's chief commercial officer. It has handled a large number of transformers and large electrical modules, he reported.

Strong Q2 for Gemini partners, but Maersk steams ahead over first half

Gemini by name, Gemini by nature, as 'cooperators' Hapag-Lloyd and Maersk presented very different faces with their H1 earnings announcements: the Danish carrier beaming on the back of strong growth; the German line reporting a downturn. Group-wide revenue for the Copenhagen-headquartered shipping giant jumped 8.6% year on year over the six months to June, to $28.7bn, generating profits, measured as EBITDA, of $4.7bn, an upswing of 16.5% compared with H1 25. During an investor call attended by The Loadstar, CEO Vincent Clerc singled out container market demand as the core growth driver, noting it had been "extremely resilient, driven by export growth out of Asia". He added: "This has continued relentlessly despite various events, such as the war in the Middle East or a new round of tariffs, with demand out of Asia up 6.2% in Q2, and our weekly volumes above where they were prior to these events." For the Ocean unit, H1 revenue climbed 6.9% year on year, to $18.7bn, driven by rate spikes in Q2, but profits fell 12%, to $2.9bn. The group's second-quarter figures, praised by those on the investor call, included a 20% revenue surge, to more than $15.7bn, generating profits, of $2.9bn, an upswing of 30% on 2025. CFO Robert Erni said: "We had a good second quarter, with results stronger in comparison with both the prior year and the first quarter, driven by all three [business] segments but in particular Ocean, as higher spot rates and volumes translated into better earnings. "The largest contributor was freight rates, which alone had a positive impact of about $1.6bn on EBITDA. It included compensation for higher bunker costs, elevated insurance premiums, longer dwell times and other costs associated with contingency routing." Such buoyancy was less visible at Maersk's Gemini partner, Hapag-Lloyd, which reported downturns in earnings and profitability over the first six months, blaming a "challenging market environment and operational disruptions". H1 revenue for the German carrier fell 4.7%, to $10.6bn, resulting in a disastrous profit drop of more than 35%, to $1.2bn, thanks to "weather-related disruptions" and the continuing situation in the Strait of Hormuz. But there was a note of optimism from CEO Rolf Habben Jansen, who said: "The second quarter was better than the first, driven by significantly higher spot rates and robust demand. Our Gemini network remained resilient and continued to outperform the market, setting industry benchmarks for schedule reliability. "The terminal business continues to grow and is becoming increasingly strategically relevant, supported by strong throughput and investment in new assets. We will remain focused on growing our liner shipping and terminal businesses while maintaining strict cost discipline." Its Q2 revenues hit $5.7bn, an increase of 8.3%, albeit with profitability holding roughly flat on 12 months ago. at $821m. Nonetheless, the carrier opted to raise its outlook on what proved to be a "better-than-expected" quarter.