Archives: February 2010 cargo news
The News stories below are cargo / freight related stories which made the headlines in February 2010 (other archived months are shown at the bottom of the page).
For all the latest Cargo News, click on the link on the left-hand side menu. ukimports.org
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27/02/10 - Heart of (Felixstowe) port undergoes massive changes
- Courtesy of The Ipswich Evening Star (www.eveningstar.co.uk)GONE but not forgotten.
Port chiefs are planning to ensure that the historic heart of Britain's biggest port will be forever remembered - even though it has now completely vanished from the landscape.
The Dock Basin was the centre of Felixstowe's 134-year-old port for decades, once the only place cargo could be delivered and then from the 1970s onwards seeing a steady decline in its use as goods were packaged in steel boxes.
Eventually it was completely enclosed by container quays and yards, the modern face of shipping technology removing the basin's use altogether. ukimports.org
24/02/10 - Ryanair reinstates Oslo service from Newcastle
- Courtesy of The BBC (www.bbc.co.uk)Flights between Tyneside and Norway are to be reinstated, a low-cost airline has announced.
Ryanair will be flying from Newcastle to Oslo-Rygge - about 31 miles (50kms) south of the city - three times a week from May. ukimports.org
22/02/10 - Freight train derails in Hampshire
- Courtesy of The BBC (www.bbc.co.uk)Thousands of rush-hour commuters had their journeys disrupted after a freight train derailed in Hampshire.
A wagon on a freight train travelling from Eastleigh to Westbury in Wiltshire came off the track in the Millbrook area at 1520 GMT, Network Rail said.
Train services from London's Waterloo to Weymouth, Dorset, were severely affected until the line reopened shortly before 1900 GMT.
The caused of the incident was still being investigated, a spokesman said. ukimports.org
22/02/10 - Luton Airport opens after snow closure
- Courtesy of The BBC (www.bbc.co.uk)Luton Airport has reopened, but the severe weather means flights are subject to delays and cancellations.
Passengers are advised to contact their airline for the latest information. No Easyjet flights are departing from the airport before midday.
In a statement, Easyjet said the closure of many European airports has had a knock-on effect on services.
Passengers with cancelled flights could claim a refund or arrange a transfer to another flight via the website. ukimports.org
22/02/10 - Lufthansa pilots' strike disrupts thousands
- Courtesy of The BBC (www.bbc.co.uk)About 4,000 pilots at German airline Lufthansa have gone on strike for four days in a dispute over job security.
The carrier has cancelled about 3,000 flights and has warned of delays both domestically and internationally.
The strike has disrupted thousands of passengers around the world, while the company tries to arrange alternative travel for them. ukimports.org
22/02/10 - BAA posts big loss after Gatwick sale
- Courtesy of The BBC (www.bbc.co.uk)UK airports operator BAA has reported a big loss for the full year 2009 as the forced sale of Gatwick and falling passenger numbers hit performance.
The operator posted a pre-tax loss of £821.9m, much worse than the £324.2m loss it made in 2008.
The sale of Gatwick cost the company £277.3m and pension deficits cost £217.8m, while passenger numbers were down almost 4%, at 85.9 million. ukimports.org
22/02/10 - Heathrow third runway '£21.7bn boost to UK economy'
- Courtesy of The BBC (www.bbc.co.uk)A third runway at Heathrow airport would provide a £21.7bn boost to the UK economy, the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) has suggested.
This is the single largest benefit from 13 key transport projects that would boost the economy by £85bn, it said. ukimports.org
20/02/10 - Lydd Airport manager pleads for expansion plan approval
- Courtesy of The BBC (www.bbc.co.uk)The managing director of Lydd Airport in Kent has urged the district council to approve plans to extend the runway and to build a new terminal.
Jonathan Gordon urged Shepway District Council's 46 members to vote yes to the proposals despite some local opposition.
The plea followed the publication of a report by council officers recommending the applications were refused.
Councillors are due to meet to determine the application on 3 March. ukimports.org
19/02/10 - Air India government bail-out plan approved
- Courtesy of The BBC (www.bbc.co.uk)The Indian government has approved an injection of $173m (£110m) for the ailing national carrier Air India.
The instalment is part of an expected $432m ($277m) financial aid package for the company, which has reported massive losses in recent years.
The money would be paid out in two phases, officials said. ukimports.org
19/02/10 - Heavy snow shuts Birmingham Airport
- Courtesy of The BBC (www.bbc.co.uk)Passengers flying from Birmingham International Airport have been told to expect delays after the runway was closed due to heavy snow.
Nineteen flights were delayed and one to Dublin was cancelled as some parts of the Midlands had 10cm (4in) of snow.
The airport said it hoped to open first thing on Friday but there were likely to be cancellations and urged passengers to check with their airline.
The Met Office has warned of severe weather across much of England. ukimports.org
18/02/10 - Files reveal UFO near-miss near Manchester airport
- Courtesy of The BBC (www.bbc.co.uk)A "near miss" between a UFO and an aircraft approaching Manchester Airport was investigated by the Civil Aviation Authority, newly released files claim.
The pilots of British Airways flight 5061 reported the incident as they flew over the Pennines en route from Milan on 6 January 1995.
The files were released by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) and National Archives.
The officers both saw a lit object fly down the side of the aircraft at a high speed, reports revealed. ukimports.org
17/02/10 - Men injured after lorry collision on A2 in Kent
- Courtesy of The BBC (www.bbc.co.uk)Two men have suffered serious injuries after the lorry they were in collided with a stationary vehicle in Kent.
The incident happened on the A2 between Lydden and Whitfield at about 0950 GMT when the lorry hit the vehicle, jack-knifed and fell on to its side.
Police said the two men suffering from serious, possibly life-threatening injuries were being treated.
The road is expected to remain closed for some time, and may need to be re-surfaced before it opens again. ukimports.org
17/02/10 - Man killed by freight train
- Courtesy of The Ipswich Evening Star (www.eveningstar.co.uk)SUFFOLK: Train commuters heading back to Suffolk faced delays this evening after a person was killed by a freight train.
The victim, who is yet to be identified, was hit by a train at Witham Railway Station in Essex at 11.45am.
The incident initially forced the closure of the Ipswich to London line for over an hour. However, a later problem at a level crossing at Ingatestone meant evening commuters were affected and delays were up to an hour long. ukimports.org
16/02/10 - Isle of Wight ferries continue after 'unlawful' ruling
- Courtesy of The BBC (www.bbc.co.uk)Controversial larger ferries will continue between Hampshire and the Isle of Wight despite the High Court ruling they were unlawfully introduced.
A campaign group brought the legal challenge after Wightlink introduced three new ships on its Lymington to Yarmouth route in February 2009.
A judge declared the move was a breach of the European habitats directive.
Wightlink said the breach was not intentional and it had believed that it was acting in accordance with the law. ukimports.org
16/02/10 - Eurostar halted for second day after Belgium rail crash
- Courtesy of The BBC (www.bbc.co.uk)Eurostar services between the UK and Brussels will remain suspended for a second day following a train crash in Belgium which killed 18 people.
The collision between two commuter trains, which happened on Monday morning, injured almost 150 other people, 55 of them seriously.
Eurostar has cancelled its trains in and out of the Belgian capital and its Lille services have run with delays.
The Thalys services to France, Germany and the Netherlands are also affected. ukimports.org
16/02/10 - Airport body scanners 'may be unlawful'
- Courtesy of The BBC (www.bbc.co.uk)The use of airport body scanners in the UK may be unlawful, the Equality and Human Rights Commission has warned.
Scanners already in place at Heathrow and Manchester Airports may be breaking discrimination law as well as breaching passengers' rights to privacy, it said.
It has now written a letter to Transport Secretary Lord Adonis.
The government said security concerns meant scanners had been needed immediately, but it was carrying out an equalities impact assessment. ukimports.org
15/02/10 - Brazil container row man ordered to pay £730,000
- Courtesy of The BBC (www.bbc.co.uk)The owner of a Swindon-based company which sent "toxic" waste to Brazil has been ordered to pay a shipping firm more than £730,000 in compensation.
Containers sent by Worldwide Biorecyclables were rejected by the South American country's government.
Shipping firm MSC was fined for transporting the rubbish but has won a High Court order to get the money from Worldwide Biorecyclables' former owner.
Julio da Costa, 49, has said he intends to appeal against the ruling. ukimports.org
15/02/10 - Airline Flybe unveils Kent-to-Edinburgh service plan
- Courtesy of The BBC (www.bbc.co.uk)Airline firm Flybe is to start daily passenger flights from Kent International Airport (KIA) to Edinburgh, it has been announced.
The new service from the Manston site is the first daily route since airline EUjet collapsed in 2005.
Airport owners Infratil said that the new flights could increase projected passenger numbers from 50,000 in 2010 to more than half a million by 2014.
Flybe's new route will operate between 27 May to 30 October. ukimports.org
15/02/10 - Heathrow flight ordered back by US authorities
- Courtesy of The BBC (www.bbc.co.uk)A transatlantic flight had to return to London two hours into its journey because of a "data discrepancy" concerning an American passenger.
The British Airways flight to Mexico City was ordered back to Heathrow by the US authorities after it had reached a point just west of Ireland on Friday.
The passenger was taken off the plane, which was carrying 318 passengers, and his bags were searched.
The Department of Transport said Heathrow's security was not breached. ukimports.org
15/02/10 - Easyjet to launch new Liverpool to Isle of Man flights
- Courtesy of The BBC (www.bbc.co.uk)Easyjet has announced it is to begin offering flights between Liverpool and the Isle of Man.
The company, which has a base at John Lennon airport, will start the six-times-a-week service on 21 May.
Designed to target business people and those visiting family on the island, the service will compete with rival budget air carrier Flybe.
Easyjet said it expected up to 70,000 passengers to use the service in its first year of operation. ukimports.org
15/02/10 - BAA asked to clarify airport plans
- Courtesy of The Ipswich Evening Star (www.eveningstar.co.uk)THE Government Minister responsible for dealing with proposals for a second runway at Stansted Airport has asked its operator to clarify whether it still wants to continue with its expansion plans.
But Stansted's owner, BAA, not only said it wanted to press ahead with the project to build a second runway at the Essex airport but also added it was waiting for the Government to set the date for a public inquiry.
John Denham, Secretary of State for Communities, told BAA that if it does still want to continue with its second runway plans then some of the information provided when it submitted the application almost two years ago would need to be updated.
The message was contained in an open letter sent by the Secretary of State to BAA, pressure group Stop Stansted Expansion (SSE) and other interested parties. ukimports.org
13/02/10 - Sir Richard Branson slams US airline competition move
- Courtesy of The BBC (www.bbc.co.uk)A US government decision to support American Airlines and British Airways working together is a "kick in the teeth", Sir Richard Branson has said.
Under the plan the airlines would share costs but give up four transatlantic take-off and landing slots.
Virgin Atlantic boss Sir Richard said the agreement would "blatantly harm competition and the consumer".
BA said closer co-operation between the airlines would benefit passengers with more choice and lower fares. ukimports.org
12/02/10 - Driver dies as three lorries crash on M1 near Luton
- Courtesy of The BBC (www.bbc.co.uk)A driver died when three lorries collided on the southbound carriageway of the M1 in Hertfordshire.
The collision happened between junctions 10 for Luton and nine.
One of the other drivers received minor injuries and the road was closed from just after midnight until one lane opened at about 0530 GMT. ukimports.org
12/02/10 - India factory output rises at fastest pace for a decade
- Courtesy of The BBC (www.bbc.co.uk)India's industrial production has risen at its fastest pace in more than a decade, providing further evidence of the country's strong economic recovery.
Factory output rose by 16.8% in December compared with a year earlier, much faster than analysts had expected. ukimports.org
11/02/10 - Snow in Kent causes danger on roads and school closures
- Courtesy of The BBC (www.bbc.co.uk)Heavy snow which fell in parts of east and south Kent earlier has led to further travel disruption.
Kent Police said Operation Stack was in place, which involves parking lorries destined for the continent on the M20.
The move was necessary, the force said, because of large amounts of traffic building up on the approaches to the Port of Dover and the Channel Tunnel. ukimports.org
11/02/10 - Manchester Airport acts after separate collisions
- Courtesy of The BBC (www.bbc.co.uk)Air traffic controllers at Manchester Airport have changed instructions to pilots after confusion led to taxiing planes colliding.
Aircraft involved in the two collisions in 2007 and 2008 were damaged, but none of the 468 passengers was hurt.
The pilot of the Boeing 737, which struck the tail of a passing plane, said the words "give way" confused him.
A report, by the Air Accident Investigations Branch, prompted the airport to withdraw the term.
Instead, the pilot told investigators, air traffic controllers should use the phrase "hold position". ukimports.org
11/02/10 - London City Airport crash jet 'not properly serviced'
- Courtesy of The BBC (www.bbc.co.uk)Safety maintenance work on a plane whose nose landing gear collapsed as it touched down at London City Airport had not been properly completed.
Smoke filled the British Airways Avro 146 jet, carrying 67 passengers, as it landed on 13 February 2009.
A fatigue crack led to the landing gear fracturing, an investigation found.
Improvement work on the plane had not been fully finished even though records at the American maintenance firm responsible showed it had been. ukimports.org
10/02/10 - Competition Commission to challenge BAA ruling
- Courtesy of The BBC (www.bbc.co.uk)The Competition Commission (CC) has sought leave to appeal against a judgement that said airports group BAA could challenge one of its decisions.
The commission ruled in March last year that BAA would have to sell Gatwick, Stansted, and either Glasgow or Edinburgh airports.
But the Competition Appeal Tribunal said in December that BAA could appeal on the grounds of "apparent bias".
CC said the tribunal's conclusion was wrong. ukimports.org
10/02/10 - Arrest after lorry driver abducted in Lego robbery
- Courtesy of The BBC (www.bbc.co.uk)A man has been arrested in connection with the abduction of a lorry driver in Northamptonshire by robbers who stole his cargo of Lego and beauty products.
The victim was parked in a lay-by on the A14 services at Rothwell, near Kettering, early on 4 February.
The robbers gagged and tied him up, put him in another vehicle and then dumped him 75 miles away in Staffordshire. ukimports.org
10/02/10 - Streams monitored after lorry sheds beer on M20 in Kent
- Courtesy of The BBC (www.bbc.co.uk)Streams near the M20 in Kent are being monitored for pollution after a lorry containing hundreds of cans and bottles of beer shed its load.
The Environment Agency said a large amount of beer had entered the motorway drains between junctions 12 and 13 of the motorway, near Folkestone.
It said a team was sent to the area following Tuesday's accident to limit the possible effects of the beer.
There was currently no sign of pollution in local streams, it added. ukimports.org
10/02/10 - Arrest in rooftop Ryanair protest in Liverpool
- Courtesy of The BBC (www.bbc.co.uk)A man has been arrested after he staged a protest against airline Ryanair on a hotel roof on Merseyside.
Police negotiators spent eight hours trying to coax the 44-year-old off the roof of the Crowne Plaza next to Liverpool John Lennon on Tuesday. ukimports.org
10/02/10 - China's export prowess confirmed, January figures show
- Courtesy of The BBC (www.bbc.co.uk)China's exports and imports grew substantially in January year on year.
This suggested that global demand for Chinese made goods is continuing and Chinese consumers are spending too.
The figures for January were slightly lower than in December but analysts say they show the country's trade with the rest of the world has stabilised.
The data came a day after figures from Germany confirmed that China had overtaken it to become the world's largest exporter last year. ukimports.org
09/02/10 - Heathrow BA plane crash caused by 'unknown' ice fault
- Courtesy of The BBC (www.bbc.co.uk)The fault which caused a plane to crash land at Heathrow Airport was not covered by plane safety requirements at the time, an official report has said.
The British Airways (BA) Boeing 777 lost power to both engines due to restricted fuel flow, the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) said.
It said the crash, on 18 January 2008, was probably caused by a build-up of ice in the fuel system.
None of the 152 people on board the aircraft was seriously injured.
The report said it was probable ice had formed within the fuel system from water that occurred naturally in the fuel. ukimports.org
08/02/10 - Port of Ramsgate boosted by Channel ferry agreement
- Courtesy of The BBC (www.bbc.co.uk)Two ferry companies have announced a deal to collaborate on cross-channel services which could boost traffic through the Port of Ramsgate in Kent.
LD Lines and Transeuropa Ferries are to work together to provide passenger and freight services between Ramsgate and Ostend, Belgium, from mid-March.
LD's vessel, Norman Spirit, will be transferred from the Dover to Boulogne route and renamed Ostend Spirit.
The ship can carry up to 1,850 passengers, 250 cars and 75 lorries. ukimports.org
08/02/10 - Gatwick's new owners rule out second runway
- Courtesy of The BBC (www.bbc.co.uk)Gatwick Airport's new owners say they have no plans to build a second runway at the West Sussex site.
At a meeting with conservationists, Gatwick chairman Sir David Rowlands said there was "not a shred of interest" in a second runway.
Sir David talked about the future of the airport with members of the Gatwick Area Conservation Campaign (GACC).
GACC chairman Brendon Sewill said the comments should kill off speculation and "a lot of uncertainty and anxiety".
During the meeting, Sir David said: "The simple fact is that we at Gatwick have not a shred of interest in a second runway. ukimports.org
07/02/10 - Heathrow airport expansion e-mails investigated
- Courtesy of The BBC (www.bbc.co.uk)The Department for Transport (DfT) is facing an "intensive investigation" over claims e-mails about the expansion of Heathrow Airport were deleted.
The exchanges with airport operator BAA were requested by a Conservative MP under the Freedom Of Information Act, who said she then spotted gaps.
The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) confirmed it would examine the 2007 e-mails about the third runway.
The DfT said all freedom of information cases had been handled "responsibly". ukimports.org
07/02/10 - Campaign launched against Kent rail freight depot
- Courtesy of The BBC (www.bbc.co.uk)A conservation charity has launched a campaign to fight a railway freight interchange in west Kent.
Protect Kent, part of the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE), has set up a website to fight the Borough Green International Gateway (BIG).
The proposals are for a 260-acre depot on the site of a former quarry alongside the M26 motorway between Wrotham Heath and Borough Green.
The proposals are being led by Cemex UK and Borough Green Sandpits. ukimports.org
05/02/10 - Lorry driver abducted in Northamptonshire over Lego
- Courtesy of The BBC (www.bbc.co.uk)A lorry driver asleep in his cab in Northamptonshire was abducted and taken to another county by robbers who stole his cargo of Lego and beauty products.
The victim was parked in a layby on the A14 services at Rothwell, near Kettering, early on Thursday.
The robbers gagged and tied him up, put him in another vehicle and then dumped him 75 miles away in Staffordshire. ukimports.org
04/02/10 - China hits back at US over trade and currency
- Courtesy of The BBC (www.bbc.co.uk)China has hit back at the US a day after President Barack Obama promised to take a tougher line with Beijing over currency and trade.
Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu insisted the value of the Chinese yuan was not the main reason for China's trade surplus with the US.
Mr Obama vowed to ensure that countries were not giving their currencies an unfair advantage over the dollar.
Ties between the US and China have been strained over an arms deal with Taiwan. ukimports.org
04/02/10 - Trucker bailed in Berkshire immigrants case
- Courtesy of The BBC (www.bbc.co.uk)A driver who was arrested after eight suspected illegal immigrants were found climbing out the back of his lorry in Berkshire has been bailed.
The six women and two men, believed to be from Iraq and Iran, were spotted by a police officer at the Twin Bridges roundabout, Bracknell, on Wednesday.
All were arrested and are being held in a detention centre. ukimports.org
03/02/10 - Lorry contents stolen overnight in Maidstone
- Courtesy of The BBC (www.bbc.co.uk)A lorry driver had some of the contents of his French vehicle stolen overnight while he was parked near a Maidstone business park.
Kent Police said the lorry driver was parked at the 20/20 Business Park on the A20.
Slits were cut into the lorry curtain and a lock was broken at the back, enabling access to the contents. ukimports.org
02/02/10 - Gatwick Airport drug smuggling gang jailed
- Courtesy of The BBC (www.bbc.co.uk)A gang that smuggled cocaine into the UK hidden in tins of Chinese cooking sauce has been jailed.
Members of the gang imported the Class A drug from Guyana in South America to Gatwick Airport in West Sussex.
Three men and a woman were given prison sentences of between two and 10 years at Kingston Crown Court.
Surrey Police said the gang had used courier companies to deliver the drugs to addresses in Surrey and south London.
The gang was caught after customs officers intercepted suspect packages on a British Airways flight from Guyana on 23 April 2009. ukimports.org
02/02/10 - Gatwick airport attracts South Korean state investment
- Courtesy of The BBC (www.bbc.co.uk)South Korea's state pension fund has said it plans to buy a 12% stake in the newly-independent Gatwick airport.
A statement from the fund said it had signed an agreement with the new owners of the UK's second-busiest airport, Global Infrastructure Partners.
Gip, which is backed by Credit Suisse and General Electric, bought Gatwick airport for £1.51bn ($2.4bn).
News of the plan comes after Gip went on the offensive, saying it would compete hard for passengers.
Gatwick's main competition is with its London rivals Heathrow and Stansted, but it could also take customers from Manchester airport, which attracts a high percentage of leisure customers. ukimports.org
02/02/10 - Singapore Airlines returns to profit
- Courtesy of The BBC (www.bbc.co.uk)Singapore Airlines (SIA) returned to profit in the last three months of 2009, prompting hopes of a recovery in the travel sector.
The airline made a net profit of 403.7m Singapore dollars ($287m; £180m) in the quarter, having made losses in the previous two quarters.
SIA is now expected to avoid making a full-year loss, having warned in July that that was a possibility.
The carrier said the outlook for 2010 was "encouraging". ukimports.org
01/02/10 - Small manufacturers 'see rise in exports'
- Courtesy of The BBC (www.bbc.co.uk)Export orders for small and medium-sized manufacturers have started to stabilise after seven quarters of decline, according to a survey.
The finding comes in the latest quarterly SME Trends Survey by the CBI business organisation.
It said that 27% of respondents saw their export orders rise in November to January, while 25% said they fell, creating a balance of +2%.
The CBI spoke to 418 UK firms that each employ fewer than 500 people.
The balance of +2% was the strongest performance for exports since January 2008, when the figure stood at +12%. ukimports.org
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