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With fighting in the Persian Gulf flaring up again over the weekend, container lines serving markets trapped behind the blocked Strait of Hormuz have begun to further formalise their landbridge supply chains. MSC announced this morning it would launch the Europe-Red Sea-Middle East Express service, “in response to the growing demand for services from Europe to the Red Sea, and to the challenging scenario in the Middle East”. It said: “The service will call at strategic ports in Europe directly connecting to King Abdullah Port, Jeddah, Aqaba, and with connections to POD [ports of destination] in the Gulf (UAE and Upper Gulf) through our multimodal service. “It is designed to provide reliable, efficient, and competitive shipping options, with improved transit times to suit all kinds of cargo,” MSC added. The port rotation is: Gdansk-Klaipeda-Bremerhaven-Antwerp-Valencia-Barcelona-Gioia Tauro-Abu Kir-King Abdullah-Jeddah-Aqaba. MSC has yet to reveal the full vessel deployment for the new service, but said the first sailing was scheduled to depart Antwerp on 10 May. The Red Sea port calls at King Abdullah, Jeddah, and Aqaba will allow MSC customers landbridge access to both the upper and lower Gulf regions, while an MSC map of its planned Gulf network indicates volumes trucked across Saudi Arabia will be loaded onto intra-Gulf feeder ships: Source: MSC In a separate development, Abu Dhabi’s AD Ports Group has signed an MoU with CMA CGM and its CMA Terminals Khalifa Port container terminal “to develop efficient intermodal solutions and extend inland reach across the UAE and wider region”. The partners intend to “anchor cargo flows across AD Ports Group’s consolidated network of rail-linked inland container depots, dry ports, and cargo depots, extending CMA Terminals Khalifa Port’s reach beyond the quay to inland consumer, industrial, and regional markets”. Mohamed Juma Al Shamisi, group CEO of AD Ports Group, said: “This MoU marks an important step in consolidating the UAE’s inland intermodal logistics backbone under one integrated platform. “By bringing CMA CGM as the first global shipping line partner into this network, we are extending CMA Terminals Khalifa Port beyond its traditional role at the quay and creating a more connected, flexible, and resilient trade gateway for the UAE and the wider region.” He added: “This initiative directly supports national industrial growth ambitions by strengthening inbound cargo access, improving corridor optionality, and enhancing the long-term competitiveness of national supply chains.” The CMA CGM terminal in AD Ports’ Khalifa hub in Abu Dahbi – CMA Terminals Khalifa Port – is a joint-venture between CMA CGM (70%) and AD Ports Group(30%) and formally launched operations in December 2024. In contrast with nearby Dubai, where DP World’s Jebel Ali facilities have retained their common user status, the CMA CGM terminal in Abu Dhabi is one of three carrier-controlled terminals in the port, the other two operated by MSC and Cosco. Jesper Stenbak, regional director in the Middle East Gulf, Indian Sub-Continent and Indian Ocean at CMA CGM Group, said: “By linking maritime services more directly to inland cargo flows, this partnership supports more efficient routing, stronger supply chain resilience and improved service reach for our customers.”

Air cargo markets are showing early signs of stabilisation after the sharp rate surge, while forwarders and airlines are continuing to secure capacity amid ongoing disruption and uneven demand. Speaking during last week’s Q1 earnings call, DSV chief executive Jens Lund described conditions as “challenging”, amid geopolitical uncertainty, but said the company had “managed to limit the impact of the situation in the Middle East to something moderate in our numbers”, and reported solid air freight profitability. That resilience is being matched by forwarder action on the ground: DHL Global Forwarding is expanding its controlled airfreight capacity with a new thrice-weekly 777 freighter service linking South-east Asia and the US, alongside additional Asia-Europe routes, underlining continued demand on key east-west lanes. Kuehne+Nagel, meanwhile, struck a cautious tone in its latest results, highlighting a volatile environment and fragile demand backdrop, but it also pointed to stable air volumes and a continued focus on yield over volume. Airlines are also adjusting networks as conditions in the Middle East begin to normalise, although capacity remains structurally constrained. Qatar Airways Cargo has resumed freighter and bellyhold services to Iraq, restoring more than 115 tonnes of weekly capacity on the Doha–Baghdad route, while Etihad Cargo received a boost via a long-term agreement with UAE-based EDGE Group to handle its global airfreight requirements. DHL CEO Tobias Meyer highlighted the scale of disruption during the conflict, noting that the company had been forced to relocate its Middle East hub operations from Bahrain to Muscat and Riyadh following airspace closures. “I’m very proud how colleagues in the Middle East handled the situation,” he said, adding that the company was able to redeploy aircraft and use its road feeder network to maintain service levels across the region. However, he warned that reduced Middle Eastern capacity continued to affect global flows, particularly on Asia-Europe lanes. “There is a broader impact on the air freight market for Asia-Europe, where we continue to see elevated rates,” he said. “As the Middle Eastern capacity is not available, the hub carriers in the Middle East do not provide the same capacity we are used to.” Meanwhile, jet fuel prices are also easing – although they remain more than 100% above the same time last year, according toIATA’s jet fuel price monitor. Out of Hong Kong, where cargo fuel surcharges are made public, major operators including Cathay Cargo and other international carriers, raised surcharges sharply during the initial fuel spike. While increases have slowed in line with stabilising fuel prices, surcharge levels remain elevated, although varying significantly between airlines. Xeneta cautioned that fuel alone did not explain rate movements. Chief airfreight officer Niall van de Wouw said: “We need to bust the myth that if jet fuel goes up, airfreight prices go up… the all-in cost a freight forwarder pays an airline is more driven by demand and supply than it is by fuel costs.” Market data suggests the air cargo sector is now transitioning out of its most acute disruption phase. According to WorldACD, global air cargo spot rates rose around 2% week on week in late April, with full-market prices, which include contract rates, up about 1%. On a year-on-year basis, spot rates remain around 45% higher, and full-market rates up about 30%. However, the pace of increase has slowed. More recent TAC Index data show a more mixed picture in early May, with China-US rates continuing to edge upwards, while some Europe-bound lanes have softened. Forwarders reported demand for capacity from China to the US had been strong in recent weeks, driven by AI server shipments, ecommerce flows, ocean-to-air conversions and general cargo, maintaining pressure on available capacity and keeping rates elevated. Demand to Europe, by contrast, has been stabilising, with rates expected to follow. While the pressure on capacity was expected to ease slightly for China’s Labour Day holiday, forwarders say demand across most Asia Pacific markets remains high, with tight capacity, elevated pricing, and extended lead times likely to persist. At the same time, broader demand signals are becoming more fragmented. Data from Aevean shows China-origin ecommerce volumes fell 6% year on year in March – the first decline since mid-2023 – driven by sharp drops to the US (-24%) and Middle East (-45%). While Europe (+27%) and Latin America (+31%) recorded strong growth, this was not enough to offset declines elsewhere. With disruption to key trade routes continuing, fuel costs remaining volatile, and no clear resolution to the Iran crisis in sight, air freight rates are likely to stay high in the near term – with further upside risk linked to fuel availability and capacity constraints. But, as Xeneta notes in its latest market update, “the worst may be behind us”. Check out our latest News in Brief podcast, with exclusive insights from Xeneta’s Peter Sand.

It was something of a mixed bag for the North American intermodal scene in Q1, with Canadian National (CN) and CSX the only operators to record an uptick in revenue – their competitors experiencing a period to forget. Of the two, CSX had the stronger showing, as revenue and volumes climbed 5% (to $518m) and 6% (to 757,000 carloads) year on year, respectively; CN finding itself with a 1% volume dip and a 4% revenue bounce, to $707m (C$962m). CSX EVP sales and marketing Mary Claire Kenny told investors the intermodal business had “good momentum”, supported by “tighter trucking supply and higher diesel prices creating tailwinds for freight conversions”. She said CSX “felt good about domestic intermodal business, with truck conversion opportunity and new services”, with chief operating officer Michael Cory adding that additional volumes were not hampering operational performance. Meanwhile, Union Pacific (UP) saw volumes drop 6% year on year, to 975,000 carloads, and revenue down 5%, to $1.6bn, and it seems getting its proposed Norfolk Southern (NS) merger past the US Surface Transportation Board (STB) has not been the only thing the rail operator struggled with in the opening months of 2026. Refiling the merger application with the STB last week, UP and NS claimed the $85bn deal would save shippers more than $3.5bn and would take around 2.1m trucks off US roads as a consequence of shippers favouring their joint rail offering. Despite its own and NS’s poor Q1 performance – NS recorded a 1% year-on-year revenue decline, to $749m, and 4% volume drop, to 980,600 carloads – UP CEO Jim Vena said intermodal would be a “large piece of the growth” from the merger. Mr Vena told investors: “It will give customers optionality between rail and truck. Committed gateways give western and eastern railroads a set price they can offer customers in the identified products. “We have said we will keep every gateway open. If someone wants to get to the south-east through CSX at New Orleans, they can – it is the faster road in some markets. Why would we limit that?” Even so, a coalition has formed to try and impede the President Trump-backed deal getting through, with concerns that its marketshare – combined, 39% – resulting in poorer service, givinging shippers limited alternatives. Comprising among others the American Chemistry Council, American Farm Bureau Federation, BNSF, CPKC, and Teamsters Rail Conference, the opposition coalition is arguing that the deal would also put pressure on rates. CPKC – itself a merged railroad operator – joined the roll call of North American intermodal operators to experience a poor start to the year, its Q1 intermodal revenue down 3% year on year, to $481m, with volumes down 1%, to 431,100 carloads.

First reaction to the formal launch of Amazon Supply Chain Services* (ASCS) on Gloomy Monday, 4 May: long in the making, it’s the natural evolution of the species. (*ASCS: a ’logistics network now open to every business’ by all modes of transport) Is it? Or? More than that? Just a revamp of the brand, for instance? Should we instead, perhaps, think about ASCS as “the largest startup in the history of supply chain”? To be sure, given the impact on value in the transport and logistics ...

South Korean flagship carrier HMM said today that the fire on one of its ships, following an explosion in the Strait of Hormuz yesterday, has been extinguished and the vessel is being towed to Dubai for repairs. The newly built 38,000 dwt multi-purposeHMM Namu, which had been among those stranded in the strait, was reportedly hit by an Iranian missile off Umm Al Quwain, in the UAE. An HMM spokesperson toldThe Loadstarall 24 crew, comprising six South Koreans and 18 foreigners, were safe. She added: “We are investigating the cause [of the fire], including potential contact with an external object, in close coordination with relevant authorities.” HMM has four other ships – two tankers, another multi-purpose vessel, and a containership, stranded in the Gulf. Maritime security firm Vanguard Tech said an explosion had been detected on the port side ofHMM Namu, near its engine room and, citing security sources, said the source was either a sea drone or drifting mine. TheNamuincident coincided with Iran announcing a new maritime control zone in the strait, extending from south of the line between Mount Mubarak in Iran and south of Fujairah in the UAE; and from the west, the line between the tip of Qeshm Island in Iran and Umm Al Quwain in UAE. HMM Namuhad been delivered from China in January and was on its maiden voyage when it became one of many ships to get stuck in the strait when the US/Israel-Iran conflict broke out on 28 February. South Korea’s second vice-minister for foreign affairs, Kim Jin-ah, said the incident was the first strike on a South Korean-owned ship. The minister has met with representatives of seven Middle Eastern diplomatic missions, and said it was fortunate that nobody was injured in the incident. HMM Namuwas one of three ships reportedly attacked within 24 hours yesterday, the UK Maritime Trade Office reporting a tanker had been hit by unknown projectiles, and a bulk carrier attacked by multiple small craft 11 nautical miles west of Sirik, Iran. On Sunday, several ship masters in the vicinity of Ras Al Khaimah, UAE, reported they had been directed via a VHF broadcast to move from their anchorages. Meanwhile, a Maersk car-carrier, the US-flaggedAlliance Fairfax, left the strait yesterday escorted by the US Navy. The US Central Command said onXthat the military were working to restore commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a scheme termed “Project Freedom”. Alliance Fairfaxis part of the ‘US Maritime Security Program’, which pays US-flagged privately owned merchant ships to guarantee transport for the US military during a ​war or national ​emergency.

“Markets are starting to treat wars less as shocks and more as recurring events,“ a recent Julius Baer report says, adding: “Supply chains have once again proved more adaptable than the doomsday scenarios implied.“ We do seem to be getting used to Perma-Disruptions, and indeed our industry thrives on them, since end-consumers’ lives have so far seen little interruption beyond some more inflation. In any case, day 65 and no progress on the Hormuz front, still neither side has blinked. On ...

Teleport, which describes itself as aSouth-east Asian ecommerce logistics specialist, plans to establish a hub in Bahrain despite the uncertainties created in the region by the military conflict. At a recent air cargo conference, Teleport’s chiefbusiness officer,Jan Philipp Poeter, said the Middle East remained an emerging e-commerce market. “So, there is a purpose for moving things into the region, and it is a jumping board both for freight operators and some of the world’s largest passenger airlines that fly in and out of that region. So, for us, it is important to build a hub,” he explained. Teleport had also been encouraged by support from the Bahrain government, Mr Poeter noted. Bahrain Airport re-opened at the end of last month having been a target for Iranian missiles and drones. “I’ve been speaking to our colleagues, especially from the government in Bahrain, throughout the crisis. I think they are still optimistic about the future, and are still very hungry to go forward with this. So we are ready to go.” However, he did not elaborate on the timeframe for setting up the hub in Bahrain. Along with low-cost airline, AirAsia, Teleport is a subsidiary ofCapital A,a Kuala Lumpur-based investment firm, which, last autumnsigned a letter of intent with the Bahrain authorities to evaluate the state as a potential hub for its Middle East operations. Teleport, which started out as a consolidator of AirAsia’s belly cargo capacity, now has a fleet ofthree leased A321-200P2Fs andexpanded its network in the Middle East in Q2 25, following a deal with Emirates SkyCargo to access each other’s freighter capacity. In January, Teleport announced it had raised $50min“pre-IPO growth capital” to allow it“to strengthen its balance sheet and fund network growth with its key partner airlines, ahead of a future public listing”.In addition to Emirates, Teleport has deals with Etihad Cargo, Turkish Cargo, Vietjet Air Cargo and SF Airlines. Meanwhile, DHL has resumed daily flights to and from Bahrain Airport, which, under normal circumstances, serves as its air hub in the Gulf. A spokesperson toldThe Loadstar:“We remain in a transitionary phase, with operations being adjusted gradually based on regional conditions. “We have started the process of relocating our aircraft to Bahrain as we begin to return to some of our previous schedules.” The improving picture for air freight in the Gulf region is also illustrated by Qatar Airways Cargo increasing freighter destinations to more than 60 from 1 May, while the airline’s passenger/belly-hold network will continue its expansion to more than 150 destinations from 16 June. The Doha-based carrier will introduce a weekly B777F service to Baghdad on 7 May and twice-weekly passenger flights to the Iraqi capital from 10 May.

Torna il Taranto Eco Forum. Il 21 e 22 maggio la città ospiterà la quarta edizione del TEF 2026, con un programma ampliato tra sostenibilità, innovazione e transizione energetica. L'evento, presentato al Castello Aragonese, si terrà al Dipartimento Jonico dell'Università di Bari. Organizzato da Eurota ETS, Futureventi e RemTech Expo, il forum prevede 11 tavole tematiche su bonifiche, economia circolare, energia, IA e blue economy, oltre a quattro sessioni generaliste e un tour aziendale il 20 maggio. Coinvolti partner come Eni ed Edison."Il TEF si conferma uno spazio di confronto proficuo, capace di generare progetti e opportunità", ha detto il presidente Eurota Patrick Poggi. Per Vito Felice Uricchio, commissario per le bonifiche e coordinatore del Comitato scientifico del TEF, "la rigenerazione attiva trasforma le ferite del passato in laboratori di futuro".Silvia Paparella (general manager RemTech Expo) ha definito l'evento "strategico per accompagnare i territori nei processi di transizione", mentre l'ammiraglio Andrea Petroni, comandante marittimo Sud, ha parlato di "luogo essenziale per costruire una visione comune". Il sindaco Piero Bitetti ha sottolineato che "la transizione ecologica è un percorso concreto", e il direttore del dipartimento Jonico UniBa Paolo Pardolesi ha evidenziato il valore scientifico del forum. Per Leonardo Mazza (Puglia Green Hydrogen Valley Project Director - Edison) il TEF è "fondamentale per il dialogo sulla transizione energetica". Riproduzione riservata © Copyright ANSA Da non perdere Condividi

Hapag-Lloyd seems to have geared up to fill the booking gaps following the suspension of landbridge-based coverage by Gemini partner Maersk for imports into the Persian Gulf region. The German liner has announced it would accept dry, reefer and in-gauge special cargo containers for Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Iraq, and the UAE, supported by a bonded trucking service between Sharjah and Khor Fakkan. Hapag-Lloyd claimed this partnership, using third-party feeder services, would enable connectivity into the upper Gulf without transiting the Strait of Hormuz – but questions remain over schedule reliability. “Feeder rotations do not operate on a fixed weekly schedule and remain subject to transit safety conditions in the region,” the advisory noted. “The lead time for bonded transport between Sharjah and Khor Fakkan is approximately five days.” Hapag-Lloyd, like other carriers, halted Middle East booking on 4 March, soon after the US/Israel-Iran conflict broke out. Several mainline carriers have returned to the Gulf trade in recent weeks, concentrating calls at Khor Fakkan and Fujairah in the UAE, and Sohar in Oman, as alternatives to Jebel Ali, as authorities there laid out multimodal networks extending beyond the regional borders. However, on17 April Maersk told customers it was temporarily pausing bookings for the upper Gulf with landbridge solutions, due to supply chain bottlenecks on the land side. Meanwhile, Hapag-Lloyd had a critical breakthrough in the Gulf: one of its six containerships stranded by the conflict safely passed through recently, according to reports. Said to have been deployed on an India-Africa service, it had been trapped for almost seven weeks. According to reports, the charter held by Hapag-Lloyd for one of the other ships expired, so the carrier now needs deal with the release of only four. A Panama-flagged general cargo ship –HMM Namu, reportedly operated by South Korean liner HMM, came under attack yesterday while at anchor outside the port limits of Umm Al Quwain in the UAE, which has caused fresh supply chain security tensions.