P&O lays off 800 people following £100m loss March 17, 2022 Ferry operator P&O Ferries confirmed today it is laying off 800 members of staff after the pandemic caused the company to post a £100m loss year-on-year. “Our survival is dependent on making swift and significant changes now,” said a company spokesperson. “Without these changes there is no future for P&O Ferries. Staff will receive compensation [...]
Packed cargo ship sinking quickly, rescue efforts launched for dozens of crew members March 17, 2022 An Emirati-flagged cargo ship is currently sinking in the Persian Gulf, with efforts under way to rescue 30 crew. Captain Nizar Qaddoura, the operations manager of the Salem Al Makrani Cargo company, said that the Al Salmy 6 encountered rough and stormy weather, then capsized. Rescuers had saved 16 crew members, the captain said. Another [...]
Ever Given’s sister vessel runs aground in US a year after Suez Canal incident March 16, 2022 Container ship Ever Forward has run aground in the US, almost a year after its sister vessel Ever Given blocked the Suez Canal for a week. The US Coast Guard said today it was initially notified about the incident on Sunday and it has reported the container ship is stuck outside the Chesapeake Bay, Maryland. [...]
Logistics company GXO deploys fleet of autonomous robots in the UK March 16, 2022 GXO, one of the largest logistics companies in the world, announced today it has deployed a fleet of autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) for its UK operations. “Over the past 18 months, we have accelerated our deployment of modular technologies,” said GXO’s vice president Phil Shaw. “Because this AMRs are small and mobile, they have significant [...]
UK to inject £4bn into shipbuilding for next 30 years March 10, 2022 The UK Government has said it will inject £4bn into the shipbuilding industry to deliver more than 150 vessels over the next 30 years. The funding, which was announced today by Prime Minister Boris Johnson, will unlock tens of thousands of jobs, galvanising shipyards and suppliers across the country. “Shipbuilding has been in our blood [...]
Clarkson delivers 19th consecutive year of growth as profit up 55 per cent March 7, 2022 Integrated shipping services giant Clarkson has delivered its 19th consecutive year of growth, registering a 55.3 per cent surge in profit. In the year ended 31 December, the group reported an underlying profit before taxation of £69.4m, with earnings per share going up 56.2 per cent to 165.6p. “Our record 2021 results are testament to [...]
EU considers ports closure to Russian ships March 1, 2022 The EU is reportedly considering whether to follow the UK’s example and ban Russian ships from docking at its ports. According to the Danish foreign ministry, closing its ports had been considered during Sunday’s meeting when EU foreign ministers agreed to close the bloc’s airspace following the Kremlin’s invasion of Ukraine. “Denmark is actively working [...]
UK becomes first country to ban Russian ships from accessing ports March 1, 2022 The UK has become the first country to pass a law banning all Russian ships from docking at its ports, transport secretary Grant Shapps announced this morning. “At London’s Foreign Office where we’ve just become the first nation to pass a law involving a total BAN of ALL ships with ANY Russian connection whatsoever from [...]
Storm Eunice hits UK shipping hard causing port closures and bottlenecks February 22, 2022 The wreckage caused by Storm Eunice over the weekend didn’t only halt the UK’s road, rail and aviation networks but created unfathomable damages also the UK ports and the overall shipping industry. As a result of the 122mph high winds that stroke across the country, cross-channel ferries were cancelled on Friday, leading to additional bottlenecks [...]
Suez Canal to expand two-way section by 10km February 15, 2022 The Suez Canal’s two-way section will see a 10km expansion, according to Osama Rabie, chairman of the Suez Canal Authority (SCA). The chairman said in a press conference that, following the expansion, the canal will only go from 72km to 82km, as it is too expensive to expand the whole waterway. Rabie added that the [...]