[070420.EN.AIR] John Menzies Cuts 17,500 Jobs Globally And Seeks UK Government Support

AVIATION group John Menzies is making 17,500 staff redundant across the globe in response to the coronavirus pandemic. The job cuts represent half of its workforce at 200 airports in 34 countries.

The UK-headquartered company, which offers ground handling, cargo handling and aircraft refuelling, has seen over the last two weeks number of flights it has handled drop by 60 per cent.

It added that the dynamics in the cargo sector are more mixed, with increases in activity in certain areas as freight customers seek to respond to underlying demand patterns, but overall cargo volumes are down by 20 per cent, reported London's Air Cargo News.

"Reductions are being supported in some countries by governmental schemes and we hope that in the fullness of time a high number of these employees can return to the business," the company said.

In addition, all directors and senior management have now taken 20 per cent fee and salary reductions.

The company is also hoping to gain support from the UK government. Last week, the handler, along with three of its rivals, wrote to UK government warning that airport operations could grind to halt unless they were given support.

Chief executive Giles Wilson said: "John Menzies plc has existed since 1833 and been listed since 1962 but never have we faced such difficult and unpredictable times.

"Our industry has been one of the most affected by COVID-19 and we are doing everything we can to reduce costs whilst looking after the needs of our employees.

"I now look to our government to support our business and for them to provide the support required to help the UK aviation sector to navigate this crisis. For the aviation supply chain to function it requires a strong inter-reliant chain of airlines, airports and service providers.

"Without these three components of the supply chain, working together, the sector will not function. Handlers such as Menzies are therefore essential to the recovery and future success of the UK and global aviation industry."

Source : HKSG.

[070420.ID.BIZ] PHRI Mencatat Sudah Ada 1.266 Hotel Tutup Akibat Virus Corona

KONTAN.CO.ID - JAKARTA. Perhimpunan Hotel dan Restoran Indonesia (PHRI) mencatat, hingga Senin (6/4) sore, terdapat 1.266 hotel yang ditutup karena terdampak pandemi virus corona atawa Covid-19. Namun, Ketua Umum PHRI Hariyadi Sukamdani mengatakan, angka hotel yang tutup bisa jauh lebih besar dari data yang ada.

"Laporan terakhir yang sudah dinyatakan tutup itu 1.226 per kemarin sore, kalau yang riil lebih banyak karena ini hanya berdasarkan yang lapor saja," kata dia, Selasa (7/4)

Menurut Hariyadi, tutupnya hotel-hotel tersebut turut berpengaruh pada tenaga kerja. Dia memperkirakan ada lebih dari 150.000 tenaga kerja yang terdampak akibat penutupan hotel tersebut.

Menurut dia, bila hotel ditutup, maka karyawan pun diminta cuti tanpa ditanggung oleh perusahaan. Angka ini belum memperhitungkan restoran yang juga tutup akibat virus corona.

Hariyadi mengakui, hotel yang tidak beroperasi pun akan berdampak pada kemampuan perusahaan untuk memberikan gaji kepada karyawan. Pasalnya, pendapatan hotel akan ada bila beroperasi, sementara saat ini pengunjung hotel pun berkurang tajam.

Tak hanya gaji, pemberian hingga Tunjangan Hari Raya (THR) kepada karyawan pun bisa terdampak. Dia mengatakan masih ada hotel yang bisa membayar THR pada karyawannya. Tetapi jumlah yang diberikan lebih sedikit dari biasanya.

"Karena kalau tidak ada cash inflow, apa yang mau  diberikan, masa;ah besarnya di situ. Kami tahu selama ini tidak ada masalah pada THR, tetapi karena ini kejadian luar biasa sehingga sulit diatasi," tambahnya.

Karena itu, Hariyadi pun berharap pemerintah bisa memberikan stimulus kepada tenaga kerja, khususnya dari sisi pendapatan. Menurutnya, bila pendapatan tenaga kerja tidak terjamin, maka akan timbul dampak lainnya.

Dia menilai upaya seperti penyediaan kartu pra kerja sudah cukup baik. Tetapi dia belum bisa melihat sejauh apa cakupan program kartu tersebut.

Lebih lanjut Hariyadi berharap pemerintah bisa segera menangani virus corona. Dia mengatakan ekonomi yang masih terdampak disebabkan penyebaran virus corona yang masih terjadi.

Adapun, bila virus corona ini sudah bisa diatasi, dia memperkirakan hotel-hotel membutuhkan waktu 6 hingga 12 bulan sebagai waktu pemilihan.

"Tidak mungkin setelah tutup tiba-tiba bisa mengejar, karena pengunjung juga dalam kondisi tidak punya dana," katanya.

 Sumber : Kontan, 07.04.2020.

[060420.EN.BIZ] Aqaba Terminal To Serve As Gateway to Iraq, as Box Volumes Rise

THE Aqaba Container Terminal (ACT) in Iraq achieved 3.4 per cent growth between August and December last year, boosted by the strategy to promote the port as a gateway to the Middle East nation and the wider Levant.

Containers destined for Iraq jumped by 367 per cent compared to the previous year, while the terminal has seen a growth in import container volumes of 13 per cent and in export container volumes of six per cent in the first two months of 2020, reports London's Container Management.

Said ACT chief executive Steven Yoogalingam: "2019 was a year with many challenges. 2020 had a strong start but the year will not be free of challenges. The coronavirus outbreak has prolonged the period of low trading activity well beyond Chinese New Year so we naturally expect lower volumes in March."

ICRC, the global humanitarian agency for the protection and assistance for victims of armed conflict providing support and emergency relief to Syrian refugees, and Nile Forwarding, the project cargo expert which ships several hundreds of containers into Iraq, have both made Aqaba their preferred gateway.

Nile Forwarding CEO Nasri Aqrabawi said that ACT had gone "the extra mile to ensure that the processes and costs of all the different parties involved were all clear and without surprises".

Said ICRC local logistics chief Jean-Marie Falzone: "We consider Jordan to be a safe haven for our cargoes and we enjoy the full welcome and support of the authorities of this country in order to accomplish our mission.

Source : HKSG.

[060420.ID.AIR] INACA: Maskapai Penerbangan Mulai Merumahkan Karyawan

KONTAN.CO.ID - JAKARTA. Akibat pandemi virus corona (Covid-19), kondisi maskapai penerbangan nasional saat ini kian terpuruk. Bahkan sejumlah maskapai mulai merumahkan para pegawainya.

Hal tersebut juga lantaran sejak Januari-Maret memang ada penurunan penumpang, sepanjang April tak ada permintaan sama sekali untuk pemesanan tiket.

Sekjen Indonesia National Air Carriers Association (INACA) Bayu Sutanto mengungkapkan, sejak awal Maret sudah terjadi penurunan jumlah penumpang hingga turun drastis dan bahkan di akhir Maret kemarin turun lebih drastis lagi.

Menurutnya, ini karena banyak aturan pembatasan dari pemerintah pusat maupun pemerintah daerah untuk tidak bepergian. Sehingga tidak ada demand atau permintaan untuk orang bepergian, terutama di April ini. Hal tersebut juga dilakukan sebagai langkah memutus penyebaran pandemi corona (Covid-19).

"Bahkan dari reservation system booking beberapa maskapai kita di bulan April sampai tidak ada orang yang pesan tiket atau beli tiket. Karena adanya banyak pembatasan tersebut," ujar Bayu kepada kontan.co.id, Senin (06/4).

Bayu juga mengaku belum mempunyai data rinci mengenai kerugian maskapai. Yang jelas dia memastikan kerugian yang harus ditanggung besar sekali jumlahnya.

Terlebih, menurut Bayu dalam kondisi seperti saat ini, beban pembiayaan maskapai tidak berkurang. "Khususnya biaya tetap, itu harus ditanggung mulai biaya sewa pesawat, bandara dan lain-lain," ungkapnya.

Alhasil, sebagai bentuk efisiensi, maskapai memilih untuk mengurangi biaya pegawai. "Kalau di sisi internal airline, beberapa sudah melakukan perumahan atau unpaid leave, mungkin dengan pemotongan gaji biasanya yang terjadi awal-awal," katanya.

Ia menuturkan, pemotongan gaji itu baru langkah awal untuk efisiensi. Jika kondisi kian memburuk, tidak menutup kemungkinan adanya PHK besar-besaran. "Tapi kalau ini masa daruratnya berlarut larut, tentu kemungkinan terjadinya PHK juga bisa terjadi," pungkasnya.

Sumber : Kontan, 06.04.2020.

[050420.EN.AIR] Emirates SkyCargo Speeds Up Delivery With Help of Accuity

EMIRATES SkyCargo is collaborating with compliance solutions provider Accuity to automate and streamline its regulatory compliance screening operations, raise efficiency and accelerate service delivery for its customers.

The airline has implemented Accuity's Firco Trade Compliance, an Accuity solution that screens shipment documentation (such as airway bills) against sanctions, dual-use goods and regulatory watch lists, within a single interface, London's Air Cargo News reported.

The new solution will enable Emirates SkyCargo to automate six million compliance checks each month.

Emirates senior vice president Henrik Ambak said: "Our top priority is to continue to adhere to regulatory requirements and manage our screening obligations accurately. Working with Accuity has enabled us to screen our very high volumes of shipments more efficiently ensuring that we comply with all international regulations."

Cargo operators are responsible for conducting due diligence on the parties and items involved in every shipment they facilitate. This includes verifying the legitimacy of the sender and recipient, checking for dual-use or controlled goods, and ensuring the shipment is not going to or coming from a prohibited location.

Emirates said that using the system will allow it to screen shipment documentation against a variety of regulatory lists, such as the OFAC sanctions list and the EU dual and controlled goods list.

Firco Trade Compliance also allows the analysis of bespoke datasets so, for example, Emirates will be able to screen goods against an endangered wildlife list, all within the same system.

Source : HKSG.

[050420.ID.BIZ] Aptrindo Desak Kemenhub Atur Angkutan Logistik di Masa PSBB

Bisnis.com, JAKARTA - Asosiasi Pengusaha Truk Indonesian(Aptrindo) meminta Kementerian Perhubungan menerbitkan aturan tegas mengenai pergerakan jalur logistik setelah Kementerian kesehatan merilis Pedoman Pembatasan Sosial Berskala Besar lewat Peraturan Menteri Kesehatan RI No.9/2020.

Ketua Umum Aptrindo Gemilang Tarigan mengatakan dalam beleid Menteri Kesehatan tersebut memang menyebutkan pergerakan angkutan logistik secara penuh tidak dilakukan pembatasan. Namun, pelaku usaha masih memerlukan aturan yang lebih pasti dan jelas terkait pengangkutan logistik dari otoritas terakit, yakni Kementerian Perhubungan.

Terlebih, lanjutnya, masih terdapat wilayah yang melakukan pembatasan sedangkan daerah lainnya tidak melakukannya. Hal ini berimplikasi terhadap aktivitas eskpor-impor dan pengiriman logistik yang mungkin tidak sampai ke daerah tujuan.

“Harus ada aturan lebih jelas dari kemenhub karena ini juga erat kaitannya dengan ekspor. Kalau barangnya datang dari luar negeri dibatalkan karena di pelabuhan nggak bisa tampung kan gawat. Begitu juga satu daerah bisa ada pembatasan yang lain belum pembatasan bagaimana jangan sampai berangkat bisa tapi di daerah tujuan nggak boleh. Sinkronisasi,” jelasnya, Minggu (5/4/2020).

Selain itu, Gemilang juga menanggapi penerbitan rekomendasi surat edaran Badan Pengatur Transportasi Jabodetabek terkait pembatasan transportasi telah membuat pelaku usaha khawatir karena menimbulkan ketidakpastian. Mengingat setiap mobil, truk, kontainer yang diangkut pengusaha nilainya hampir mencapai Rp500 juta sampai Rp1 miliar.

“Enggak bisa diangkut, kalau enggak jelas peraturan itu, makanya juga perlu adanya sosialisasi,” imbuhnya.

Pemerintah baru saja menerbitkan Peraturan Menteri Kesehatan RI No.9/2020 tentang Pedoman Pembatasan Sosial Berskala Besar Dalam Rangka Percepatan Penanganan Corona Virus Disease 2019 Covid-19.

Adapun dalam beleid tersebut juga menyangkut sejumlah sektor dan industri yang dikecualikan. Diantaranya pengecualian peliburan tempat kerja yakni bagi kantor atau instansi tertentu yang memberikan pelayanan terkait pertahanan dan keamanan, ketertiban umum, kebutuhan pangan, bahan bakar minyak dan gas, pelayanan kesehatan, perekonomian, keuangan, komunikasi, industri, ekspor, impor, distribusi,logistik, dan kebutuhan dasar lainnya.

Sumber : Bisnis, 05.04.2020.

[040420.EN.AIR] Qatar Airways Carries 320,000 Kilos of Cargo Daily on Account of Virus

QATAR Airways has been operating flights carrying 320,000 kilogrammes of general cargo daily across the globe amid the coronavirus pandemic.

"With bellyhold services to more than 160 destinations, Qatar Airways imports roughly 100,000 fresh whole salmon from Norway every day. More than 320,000 kilos of general cargo, perishables, pharmaceuticals, courier and other products are flown on Qatar Airways flights every day," tweeted the airline, reported The Peninsula.

"From fresh food items to healthcare products, Qatar Airways Cargo is supplying Qatar and the world with essential goods to support global trade and commerce," said Qatar Airways.

The airline is also working closely with the World Health Organisation and local authorities worldwide to safeguard the health and safety of its employees and passengers.

Its modern fleet is protected with High-Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filtration systems, eliminating 99.97 per cent of fine airborne particles from circulating air in cabins, greatly restricting the spread of airborne fungi, viruses and bacteria.

The airline is transporting fresh seafood and livestock with great care, providing fresh produce as well as time-critical and temperature - sensitive goods, where it is needed. These are transported via climate control cargo centre at Hamad international airport. QR Pharma delivers life-saving healthcare products globally safely, securely and reliably.

On February 21, five Qatar Airways Cargo freighters had departed to China carrying 300 tonnes of medical supplies donated by the airline to support coronavirus relief efforts. The five flights were bound for Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou as part of the carrier’s voluntary offer of free air cargo transportation for medical relief aid organised by Chinese embassies and consulates worldwide.

Source : HKSG.