Med Service News

In October the world’s ferry operators gathered in Split Croatia for the Forty Second Annual Interferry Conference. The 470 or so delegates represented 210 operators and support companies from 27 countries. A trade show included firms from around the world including shipbuilders, naval architects, equipment suppliers, training and others of the diverse group that make up the ferry industry. In a panel on Mediterranean Ferries, Philippe Holthof, of the Belgian-based Shipax explained the huge size and complexity of the fleet.

Dynamar has published “INTRA-MEDITERRANEAN CONTAINER TRADES”, the latest report in its Container Trades and Markets series. Salient details and interesting findings of the new report are discussed here below. Intra-Mediterranean (2014) Container Trades is all about the 170 services operated by 40 different shipping companies deploying 275 container, Ro/Ro and multipurpose ships with container capacities of 400 to 3,000 TEU that populate the intra and coastal all Mediterranean waters. Through nearly 100 ports in 24 countries, they serve some 700 million people in frequencies of between twice and many times per month, carrying an average of 275,000 full TEU of regional trade and feeder boxes every week.

UASC and CSCL upgrade deployment on joint Asia to Med Service. United Arab Shipping Company (UASC) and  CSCL will as a result of the change in deployment in Asia to North Europe, redeploy tonnage into their existing joint Asia to MED service (AMC1/AMX1) through deployment of a combination of 10 x 7,000 to 8,000 Teu vessel (CSCL 3 x 8,500/UASC 7 x 7,000) bringing the deployment on this service to 10 from the present 9 vessels. Qingdao, Shanghai, Ningbo, Shekou, Port Kelang, Port Said, La Spezia, Genoa, Fos, Barcelona, Valencia, Port Said, Jeddah, Khor Fakkan, Port Kelang, Quingdao. The new deployment will commence from the 2nd half of February 2012.

At the beginning of April 2004, Hapag-Lloyd will offer its customers an improved and expanded European Express Service (EEX), linking northern Europe with Italy and the eastern Mediterranean with weekly departures on fixed days. Customers will benefit from the new and faster ships deployed for the service. With the calls at Lisbon and now also Gioia Tauro, excellent links will be provided with Hapag-Lloyd's American and Asian services. Very good links will also be offered with Scandinavia and the Baltic states. The service will involve four containerships operating in the following rotation: Rotterdam, Hamburg, Antwerp, Lisbon, Gioia Tauro, Taranto, Piraeus, Istanbul, Izmir, Taranto and Rotterdam again. Hapag-Lloyd introduced the EEX service along with Lloyd Triestino and Hatsu Marine Ltd.

Maersk Line, Limited (MLL) announced has enhanced its U.S. flag capacity with a weekly U.S. flag service to the Middle East. MLL has taken several strategic actions to improve customer service, including the introduction of three new container vessels. MLL has already inserted two of three G-class container ships, the Maersk Montana and the Maersk Ohio. Both have sailed their maiden voyages as U.S. flag vessels. On August 21st MLL will flag the Maersk Iowa to complete the expansion of the service. The addition of the three vessels built in 2006 will allow Maersk to offer greater frequency, capacity and reliability to U.S. flag customers on the MECL1 route. Reinhart credited the leadership of MLL’s partners in labor, the U.S. Maritime Administration, the U.S.

Maersk Line announced service enhancements between North America and the East Mediterranean area. The company says the enhancements will enable them to meet customers' requirements for schedule reliability and fast transit times. As of August 2007, Maersk will introduce calls at Port Said (Egypt) on the MECL 1 (eastbound) and MECL 2 (westbound) services. centre. Charleston on 1 September 2007. The first MECL 2 (westbound) departure from Port Said (Egypt) to North America will be the Maersk Daesan, voyage 0710, on 2 August 2007.Maersk will discontinue our East Med service and cargo moving between the East Mediterranean and North America will be carried on our reliable MECL services.

Maersk Line announced a new direct service between North Europe and Piraeus (Greece). The company will include Piraeus in its Scan Med service. The new rotation will be Gothenburg (Sweden), Bremerhaven (Germany), Felixstowe (United Kingdom), Antwerp (Belgium), Piraeus (Greece), Haydarpasa (Turkey), Ambarli (Turkey), Izmir (Turkey), Gioia Tauro (Italy), Felixstowe (United Kingdom), and Gothenburg (Sweden). The first vessel to enter the new rotation is Maersk Barcelona, departing Gothenburg 23 June 2007 and arriving in Piraeus on 3 July 2007.