UPS, FedEx suspend service from Yemen
UPS and FedEx have suspended package service from Yemen after two explosive devices originating from that country were found on cargo planes.
Suspicious packages were also reported on other planes.
Sandy Springs-based UPS has confirmed that authorities investigated two of its aircraft in Philadelphia and one in Newark, UPS spokeswoman Kristen Petrella said. But she said it was "way too early to speculate" about what impact the threats would have on the company's operations.
Still, UPS in a statement said it has suspended service out of Yemen until further notice for security reasons. FedEx, which had a suspicious package confiscated at a facility in Dubai, has embargoed all shipments originating from Yemen.
Both UPS and FedEx said they are cooperating with authorities as the investigation continues.
UPS' Yemen operations are run by Sun Tours in Damascus. Doug Caldwell, principal of ParcelResearch LLC in Portland, Ore., said that indicates the company does not see a large number of shipments out of Yemen. He added that there are normally no Friday pickups in Yemen.
Caldwell said suspending packages from Yemen is the most prudent step for the companies. Shippers routinely suspend service in some countries, he said, and FedEx has a list of six countries where service has already been suspended, including Syria and Sierra Leone.
"I don't think the impact is going to be dramatic," Caldwell said. "It certainly won't affect global trade."
He also expects an increase in screening of packages from shippers who are unknown to the companies.
Caldwell said technology would have allowed UPS to track the exact location of other shipments from Yemen, even if they were already loaded on another plane or truck.
Yemen is the home of the al-Qaida branch that claimed responsibility for an attempted bombing of a U.S.-bound airliner on Christmas.
About the Author
Arielle Kass covers Gwinnett County for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. She started at the paper in 2010, and has covered business and local government beats around metro Atlanta. Arielle is a graduate of Emory University.
