by Manal Barakat, SeaNewsEditor
Container shipping companies adjust their services in response to market dynamics and operational hurdles. Stay informed of upcoming changes with Kuehne+Nagel's carrier service update, published bi-weekly on Sea News and seaexplorer.
New & revised services
Asia ↔ North Europe
From 26 August, THE Alliance will update the port rotation of its Far East Europe service by adding a port stop at Colombo.
- Carrier service name: FE4
- Port rotation: Tianjin Xingang - Qingdao - Busan - Shanghai - Yantian - Colombo - Algeciras - Rotterdam - Hamburg - Antwerp - London Gateway - Tangier - Singapore - Tianjin Xingang
- First sailing: HMM Southampton, ETD Tianjin Xingang 26 July
Asia ↔ Oceania
Maersk and ONE announced changes to the rotation of their service between China, Hong Kong, and Australia during the typhoon season. To limit disruptions and maintain service quality, the carriers will alternate omissions between the ports of Shanghai and Ningbo.
- Carrier service name: Dragon (Maersk), AUN (ONE)
- Port rotation: Qingdao - Ningbo - Shanghai - HongKong - Yantian - Sydney - Melbourne - Brisbane
- First sailing: as per below
Similarly, MSC will enhance and reinstate its Wallaby service as a standalone service, offering faster and more direct connections between Australia, New Zealand and North Asia starting in August.
The revised rotation will provide comprehensive coverage of New Zealand ports, including Bluff, and a connection to the main hubs of Hong Kong, Yantian, Shanghai, and Ningbo.
- Carrier service name: Wallaby
- Port rotation: Hong Kong - Yantian - Xiamen - Shanghai - Ningbo - Sydney - Melbourne - Auckland - Bluff - Lyttelton - Wellington - Napier - Tauranga - Melbourne - Brisbane - Hong Kong
- First sailing: MSC Tania v. KN434A, ETD Hong Kong on 19 August.
Furthermore, MSC will discontinue its Capricorn service. The last sailing will be from Singapore on 20 August 2024 with MSC Manu voyage FC434A.
The carrier will also suspend its KIWI Express service. The last sailing will be from Laem Chabang on 20 August 2024 with AS California voyage KE434A.
Indian Subcontinent ↔ North Europe
As of 27 July, Hapag-Lloyd revised the port rotation of its express service between India and North Europe by dropping the port calls at Le Havre and Vishakapatnam and adding a port stop at Valencia. Moreover, Hapag-Lloyd will change the terminal in Antwerp from Gateway to PSA.
- Carrier service name: India Europe Express - IEX
- Port rotation: Rotterdam - London Gateway - Hamburg - Antwerp - Colombo - Kattupalli - Colombo - Kochi - Valencia - Rotterdam
- First sailing: Rio Grande Express, ATA 27 July
Indian Subcontinent ↔ North America
In June, CMA CGM and Hapag-Lloyd announced they would discontinue operating their joint INDAMEX 2 (IN2) service immediately.
To compensate for this change, Hapag-Lloyd began including Savannah on its TPI (INDAMEX) service in June and will include Charleston from 8 August.
CMA CGM will launch its own INDAMEX service in August, keeping the original name. Both carriers will offer the same port rotation.
- Port rotation: Port Qasim - Nhava Sheva - Mundra - New York (Maher) - Norfolk - Savannah - Charleston - Port Qasim
- First sailing Hapag-Lloyd: Torrente V.4132, ETA Port Qasim, 8 August
- First sailing CMA CGM: APL Southampton, ETD Port Qasim, 15 August
Intra Oceania
Due to ongoing weather conditions in New Zealand, Maersk will extend the schedule change on its Polaris network until November 2024.
The Polaris service will continue to operate on a four-week proforma with three vessels, resulting in a blank sailing once every four weeks for four cycles.
Maersk will accommodate Melbourne to New Zealand cargo on its OC1 and PANZ services. Nelson imports and exports will have a one-week gap and continue to load on Polaris.
The effective sailing and new Polaris schedules are as follows:
- Eastbound from Melbourne ETA 18 August
- Westbound from Auckland ETA 28 August
MSC announced adjustments to its Noumea Express with the addition of Tauranga and Nelson calls.
- Carrier service name: Noumea Express
- Port rotations: Sydney - Brisbane - Noumea - Suva - Lautoka - Nelson - Tauranga - Sydney - Bell Bay - Sydney
- First sailing: TBA
North America ↔ South America
On 26 July, Hapag-Lloyd announced the change of the rotation on a bi-weekly basis on its US Gulf to South America East Coast service GS1. The service will operate with two port rotations, omitting ports in Mexico and Brazil every two weeks on each rotation.
GS1 - Rotation 1 will omit Veracruz and Paranagua
- Port rotation: Altamira - Houston - New Orleans - Cartagena - Suape - Santos - Buenos Aires - Montevideo - Rio Grande - Navegantes - Santos - Rio de Janeiro - Cartagena - Veracruz
- First sailings with Paranagua omission: Jazan V.2424 NB; Tempanos V.2426 NB
- First sailings with Navegantes omission: RDO Endeavour V.2425 NB; Cape Pioneer V.2427 NB
GS1 - Rotation 2 omits Altamira and Navegantes
- Port rotation: Veracruz - Houston - New Orleans - Cartagena - Suape - Santos - Buenos Aires - Montevideo - Rio Grande - Paranagua - Santos - Rio de Janeiro - Cartagena - Veracruz
- First sailings with Veracruz omission: Maipo V.2430 SB; MSC Phoenix V.2432 SB
- First vessels with Altamira omission: Seaspan Empire V.2431 SB; Jazan V.2433 SB
Transpacific
Effective August 2024, MSC will reinstate and enhance its Liberty service connecting Asia and East Coast North America. The service was suspended at the end of 2022. The reinstated service will include a call in Philadelphia.
- Carrier service name: Liberty
- Port rotation: Singapore - Shanghai - Busan - Miami - Savannah - Charleston - Philadelphia - New York - Singapore
- First sailing: MSC HOUSTON V, Voyage number QO432A, ETA Singapore 8 August
For more point-to-point service options, refer to seaexplorer.
