Shippers began using a new kind of cargo container this month that they believe will have a significant impact on international goods movement.
APL, a container transport subsidiary of Singapore-based Neptune Orient Lines Ltd., recently unveiled the world’s first 53-foot-long ocean cargo containers, which will be used to ship goods between China and the Port of Los Angeles.
There have been 53-foot containers used for ground transport, but they were not durable enough for oceangoing vessels. Previously, goods were shipped in 20-, 40- or 45-foot-long containers, some of which were then transloaded into the larger boxes.
Transloading involves redistributing cargo into different containers at specialized facilities after they have been shipped to their destination port.
These new containers, APL said, will save on shipping costs by reducing the need for time-consuming and costly transloading, and make port operations more efficient.
In addition to being longer than other containers, the new boxes are also wider, providing 60 percent more space than a standard 40-foot container.
A380 Returns
Airport officials announced last week that Airbus plans to bring its vaunted A380 superjumbo jet back to Los Angeles this week to ensure that the airport is prepared to handle the plane’s immense size.
Qantas Airways Ltd., which will begin using the jet for regular passenger service out of Los Angeles next fall, will land the plane at Los Angeles International Airport around noon Wednesday.
A joint Qantas-Airbus crew will take a select group of passengers on a demonstration flight Thursday and the plane will depart Friday.
Valley Fares Rising
In the face of rising fuel prices, Foothill Transit announced this month that it plans to raise its prices.
Starting Jan. 1, the San Gabriel Valley public transportation provider will raise the fare for its Commuter Express lines to $4.40 from $3.65. Additionally, the cost for its Silver Streak line will rise by 50 cents to $2.50. Senior fares for the rapid transit line between Montclair and downtown Los Angeles will increase 25 cents to $1.25.
The agency, a joint powers authority of more than 20 cities in the San Gabriel and Pomona valleys, cited fuel prices and increasing maintenance costs as reasons for the hikes.
In May, the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority approved a fare increase to help narrow its deficit of more than $100 million.
Fishy Business
A local man was sentenced this month to more than a year in federal prison for importing and selling endangered fish, becoming the third Southern Californian ensnared in the investigation.
Bruce Penny, 37, of Cypress was sentenced to one year and one day in federal prison after pleading guilty to selling several Asian arowanas also known as dragon fish or lucky fish in violation of the Endangered Species Act.
Two other men 30-year-old Anthony Robles of Carson and 43-year-old Peter Wu of Rowland Heights were sentenced earlier this year.
The fish, which can grow to three feet in length, often command several thousand dollars on the black market.
Making Noise
Los Angeles airport commissioners are considering banning noisier and older Stage 2 aircraft such as the popular 1960s-era Gulfstream II from Van Nuys Airport, while Congress is readying a vote on a nationwide ban.
But Robert Rodine, a principal consultant for the Polaris Group who has studied airport issues for Van Nuys in the past, plans to release a study this week demonstrating no link between neighbors’ noise complaints and use of Stage 2 planes.
“There is very little correlation between complaints and aircraft operations at the airport,” Rodine said.
Despite his findings, Stage 2 aircraft bans are widely supported by community groups and politicians, including L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. But banning the planes would deal a blow to the local business community.
Business groups and individual companies that use the jets, like Van Nuys-based charter company Clay Lacy Aviation Inc., contend that the planes are not much different than many newer Stage 3 planes in use.
What’s more, studies have shown that local Van Nuys businesses that rely on the crafts including charter companies, maintenance workers and fuel providers derive as much as $400 million annually from their use.
Staff reporter Richard Clough can be reached at (323) 549-5225, ext. 251, or at
[email protected]
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