Busan Port Authority expands vessel tracking to global waters

Busan Port Authority (BPA) said Wednesday it is expanding its vessel location tracking from domestic coastal waters to all global maritime zones, made possible by integrating Global AIS into Port-i, the transshipment monitoring system the authority developed.

Port-i links and consolidates operational data across all container terminals at Busan port, allowing users to monitor berth, vessel and cargo handling at a glance. With the addition of Global AIS, the system now provides real-time location tracking of vessels calling at Busan port, visualization on both 2D flat maps and 3D globe-based displays, and integrated queries combining vessel positions with Busan port berth schedules.

Port-i had previously provided vessel location data only for waters near Busan port. The Global AIS integration now allows users to instantly check the whereabouts of any vessel with a history of calling at Busan, regardless of where in the world it is. The system can also filter and display on a map only those vessels worldwide that are bound for Busan port, and users can view vessel positions alongside berth schedules on a single screen without visiting multiple sites.

The system also lets users track vessel traffic at major global ports and through key maritime passages including the Panama and Suez canals and the Strait of Hormuz. Additional features include vessel watchlist registration, voyage track queries by time period, and lookups of port call sequences by route and scheduled arrivals by port, giving users a comprehensive view of operations at the route and port level.

The new Port-i features are accessible without registration through a trial page at www.chainportal.co.kr/portiweb/ko/trial. Full free access is available after signing up for Chain Portal, Busan port's integrated maritime logistics platform, at www.chainportal.co.kr, and selecting the transshipment monitoring (Port-i) menu.