Struggling Emirates Shipping Line's ties up with TSL

 

EMIRATES Shipping Line (ESL) has formed a partnership with Taiwan-based TS Lines following the resignation of founder and chairman Vikas Khan, according to the Alphaliner Weekly Newsletter.

TS Lines founder TS Chen took over as chairman of ESL and as executive director at ESL's holding company. ESL was established in January 2006 by former Norasia CEO Vikas Khan. The company was registered in the UAE with dual commercial headquarters in Dubai and Hong Kong.

The report said that ESL reduced services in the face of losses on the US trades. The IDX linking India to the US east coast was closed in December 2007 and this was followed by its departure in May 2008 from the Asia-US Gulf Express (AGX), operated in partnership with Zim.

This meant that Emirates Shipping Line had departed from the US trades two years after it first entered the market.

ESL currently operates nine chartered vessels of 1,600-3,400 TEU and is focussed on the Far East-India-Middle East. It also operates a joint service with TS Lines on the Colombo-East Africa sector calling at Mombasa and Dar es Salaam.

TS Lines was established in March 2001 by TS Chen, formerly president of Wan Hai. It established itself in the niche Intra-Asia markets and currently operates 27 ships of 350-3,100 TEU. Its largest vessels are also operated on the FE-India-Middle East sector.

The report added there has been no formal announcement by both companies on their future direction, but it is understood they would continue to operate independently, retaining separate brands

Source: Transportweekly