Maersk Line announced improvements to its Asia - Europe network for implementation mid-May 2009 and onwards.
Service developments will offer Maersk customers:
- More direct port coverage
- Unchanged Asia - Europe network capacity
- Enhanced product reliability
- A stronger product from Asia to the Adriatic
On Asia to Northern Europe strings, Maersk will concentrate its UK services into Felixstowe (AE1 service) and improve the direct coverage between China and Le Havre (AE10 service).
To the Mediterranean, Maersk will run the AE11 (Asia-Jeddah, Egypt, Italy, France) service in a vessel sharing agreement with CMA-CGM. At the same time, Maersk will introduce direct calls from Asia to Trieste and Koper on the AE12 service, also in partnership with CMA-CGM.
We are very pleased to announce these Asia - Europe service improvements. We believe it displays our commitment to our customers, also in the present volatile trading environment. With these changes we are offering a wider range of port calls than ever before says Lee Sissons, Director of Asia-Europe services in Maersk Line.
We do not find it necessary to expand capacity and have therefore entered into a number of vessel sharing arrangements instead of pushing additional tonnage into the market. We believe that our customers will benefit from the service developments in terms of improved transits and wider coverage.
Overview of Asia - Europe service changes
(BE=Belgium, CN=China, DK=Denmark, EG=Egypt, ES=Spain, FR=France, GB=Great Britain, DE=Germany, IT=Italy, LK=Sri Lanka, HK=Hong Kong, JP=Japan, KR=South Korea, MA=Morocco, MY=Malaysia, NL=Netherlands, OM=Oman, RO=Romania, SA=Saudi Arabia, SG=Singapore, SI=Slovenia, SE=Sweden, TH=Thailand, TR=Turkey, TW=Taiwan, UA=Ukraine). AE1: Japan, South China and Malaysia to Northern Europe
Westbound Maersk will add Felixstowe and remove Le Havre and Southampton. There are no changes eastbound.
Maersk will focus its Asia-UK coverage in Felixstowe to improve efficiencies in vessel network and UK inland haulage set up. For this reason, the Southampton call on will cease. The Le Havre call will be moved to the AE10 service.
AE1: Kobe (JP), Nagoya (JP), Shimizu (JP), Yokohama (JP), Nansha (CN), Yantian (CN), Tanjung Pelepas (MY), Felixstowe (GB), Rotterdam (NL), Hamburg (DE), Bremerhaven (DE), Salalah (OM), Nansha (CN), Da Chan Bay (CN), Ningbo (CN), Shanghai (CN), Kaohsiung (TW), Yantian (CN), Hong Kong (HK).
First vessel westbound: Sine Maersk, 5 May, Yokohama.
First vessel eastbound: Sine Maersk, 2 June, Rotterdam.
AE6: Japan, East & South China, Malaysia to Middle East, Spain and West Mediterranean
Maersk will add Xiamen and Salalah westbound. Benefits include:
- By adding Xiamen, wider coverage to Tanjung Pelepas, Middle East, the East Mediterranean (via Port Said), Spain and the West Mediterranean (Via Algeciras and Tangier)
- Direct Japan to Salalah coverage for Asia-Middle East & East Africa markets
- Direct Salalah to West Mediterranean coverage
AE6: Yokohama (JP), Nagoya (JP), Shanghai (CN), Ningbo (CN), Xiamen (CN), Hong Kong (HK), Yantian (CN), Tanjung Pelepas (MY), Salalah (OM), Port Said (EG), Barcelona (ES), Valencia (ES), Algeciras (ES), Tangier (MA), Tanjung Pelepas (MY), Yantian (CN), Hong Kong (HK)
First vessel westbound: Margrethe Maersk, 17 May, Shanghai.
AE9: Thailand, South East Asia and Colombo to Northern Europe
Westbound, Maersk has swapped the order of the port calls to Bremerhaven and Rotterdam. It will remove Port Said eastbound and replace Tangier with Algeciras. Maersk will move the Port Said-Jeddah and Jeddah-Asia coverage to AE12 eastbound.
AE9: Laem Chabang (TH), Tanjung Pelepas (MY), Port Kelang (MY), Colombo (LK), Zeebrugge (BE), Felixstowe (GB), Bremerhaven (DE), Rotterdam (NL), Algeciras (ES), Jeddah (SA), Colombo (LK), Port Kelang (MY), Singapore (SG)
AE10: East & South China, South East Asia to North Europe and Scandinavia
Maersk will add Le Havre westbound and Remove Port Said westbound. Benefits include:
- Direct and quick connections to Le Havre from East and South China and South East Asia.
- End week South China cut-off.
- Direct Le Havre to Japan on the eastbound leg
AE10: Ningbo (CN), Shanghai (CN), Kaohsiung (TW), Yantian (CN), Hong Kong (HK), Tanjung Pelepas (MY), Le Havre (FR), Felixstowe (GB), Zeebrugge (BE), Dunkerque (FR), Gothenburg (SE), Aarhus (DK), Bremerhaven (DE), Rotterdam (NL), Le Havre (FR), Singapore (SG), Hong Kong (HK), Kobe (JP), Nagoya (JP), Shimizu (JP), Yokohama (JP).
AE11: North, East & South China, South East Asia to Middle East, East Med (via Port Said), Italy and France
CMA-CGM will provide one vessel in the new rotation with nine vessels in all. Maersk will add Lian Yun Gang, Chiwan, and Port Kelang eastbound and Port Said eastbound & westbound in the new rotation. Maersk will move Busan to AE12, and Xiamen and Salalah to AE6. Benefits include:
- Expanded connections from Asia to Italian and French markets
- The fast direct connection from Yantian to Genoa (21) days continues
- More direct combinations ex China
AE11: Lian Yun Gang (CN), Qingdao (CN), Shanghai (CN), Fuzhou (CN), Hong Kong (HK), Chiwan (CN), Yantian (CN), Tanjung Pelepas (MY), Jeddah (SA), Port Said (EG), Gioia Tauro (IT), Genoa (IT), Fos Sur Mer (FR), Gioia Tauro (IT), Damietta (EG), Port Said (EG), Salalah (OM), Port Kelang (MY), Singapore (SG)
First vessel westbound: CMA CGM Cendrillon, 14 May, Lianyungang.
First vessel eastbound: CMA CGM Cendrillon, 20 June, Fos Sur Mer
AE12: Korea, East & South China, South East Asia to Egypt, Trieste and Koper
This service offers new direct coverage between Asia and Adriatic ports. It is an important development in this market.
AE12: Shanghai (CN), Busan (KR), Hong Kong (HK), Chiwan (CN), Tanjung Pelepas (MY), Port Kelang (MY), Port Said (EG), Damietta (EG), Trieste (IT), Koper (SI), Damietta (EG), Port Said (EG), Jeddah (SA), Port Kelang (MY), Singapore (SG)
First vessel westbound: CMA CGM Balzac, 17 May, Shanghai.
First vessel eastbound: CMA CGM Balzac, 16 June, Trieste.
Source: Transportweekly