Carrier services update (20 June - 3 July)

An overview of recent carrier service developments and schedule changes affecting global container trades

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 & updated services

In the news, CMA CGM’s Epic (Europe–Pakistan–India Consortium) service is reportedly returning to a full Suez Canal routing, while Cosco Shipping and OOCL have withdrawn the vessels they previously deployed on the service under their vessel-sharing agreement with CMA CGM.

According to the Journal of Commerce, Cosco and OOCL will continue to participate in the India–Europe trade through a slot-charter arrangement on the Epic service, while CMA CGM is expected to expand the service with a larger fleet of its own vessels.

Meanwhile, MSC is preparing to reinstate its Indus Express service on the India–US East Coast trade, with scheduled sailings expected to resume in the third week of August after the carrier withdrew the loop only a month earlier.

The decision follows a sharp increase in demand on the trade lane, with sources indicating that vessel space has become increasingly constrained amid a surge in bookings.

Linerlytica additionally reports that Maersk is moving towards an earlier return to the Suez route, having resumed westbound transits on its Middle East Container Line (MECL) service with three sailings since 13 June after previously suspending plans due to the Iran conflict.

CMA CGM has also expanded its use of the Suez Canal, operating five additional eastbound FAL3 sailings in June alongside several other services that already transit the waterway, while Wan Hai remains the only other major carrier regularly using the route.

Despite these developments, Linerlytica notes that more than 780 vessels with a combined capacity of 11.3 million TEU continue to be routed via the Cape of Good Hope, and a full return to Suez would free up over 120 ships and 1.7 million TEU of capacity, equivalent to around 5% of the global fleet

Asia↔Africa

MSC launched a new Asia-East Africa service - Zephyr. The service is newly launched to connect Asia to East Africa. It will deploy four vessels with an average vessel capacity of 4,800 TEU.

Carrier service name: Zephyr
Port rotation: Singapore - Colombo - Djibouti - Salalah - Singapore
First sailing: 07 Jun 2026

MSC revised the port rotation of Asia-South Africa service - Ingwe. The service replaces Colombo with Hambantota in the rotation. It will deploy twelve vessels with an average vessel capacity of 8,000 TEU.

Carrier service name: Ingwe
Port rotation: Port Louis - Hambantota - Hong Kong - Tianjin Xingang - Qingdao - Shanghai - Ningbo - Shekou - Singapore - Port Louis - Ngqura - Durban - Port Louis
First sailing: 12 Jun 2026

Carrier services update (20 June - 3 July)

Asia↔North Europe

Ocean Alliance revised the port rotation of the Asia-North Europe service (AEU7). The service adds a port call at Gdansk. It will deploy fifteen vessels with an average vessel capacity of 14,500 TEU.

Carrier service name: AEU7
Port rotation: Shanghai - Xiamen - Hong Kong - Yantian - Vung Tau - Singapore - Felixstowe - Rotterdam - Hamburg - Gdansk - Rotterdam - Zeebrugge - Port Klang - Shanghai
First sailing: 29 Jun 2026

Asia↔Oceania

ANL/COSCO/OOCL launched a new Asia-Oceania service. The service is a new launch connecting Asia to Oceania, jointly operated by ANL, COSCO and OOCL, and it will deploy six vessels. The average vessel capacity has not yet been disclosed.

Carrier service name: A3X
Port rotation: Qingdao - Shanghai - Shekou - Melbourne - Sydney - Qingdao
First sailing: 01 Jul 2026

Indian Subcontinent↔Africa

CMA CGM revised the port rotation of ISC-East Africa service - SWAX2. The service drops the port call at Colombo. It will deploy six vessels with an average vessel capacity of 2,700 TEU.

Carrier service name: SWAX2
Port rotation: Mundra - Dar Es Salaam - Mombasa - Nhava Sheva - Mundra
First sailing: 13 Jun 2026

Carrier services update (20 June - 3 July)

Intra-Europe

CMA CGM revised the port rotation of the Intra-Europe service - HLX. The service adds a port call at Hamburg. It will deploy two vessels with an average vessel capacity of 900 TEU.

Carrier service name: HLX
Port rotation: Dunkirk - Hamburg - Helsingborg - Tilbury - Dunkirk
First sailing: 03 Jun 2026

Maersk launched a new Intra-Europe service - Adriatic. The service is newly launched to connect the West Mediterranean to the East Mediterranean. It will deploy three vessels with an average vessel capacity of 1,200 TEU.

Carrier service name: Adriatic
Port rotation: Koper - Venice - Ancona - Haifa - Ashdod - Damietta - Port Said - Koper
First sailing: 02 Jul 2026

CMA CGM revised the port rotation of the Intra-Europe service - EGAL. The service adds a port call at Limassol. It will deploy five vessels with an average vessel capacity of 1,300 TEU.

Carrier service name: EGAL
Port rotation: Alexandria - Limassol - Piraeus - Thessaloniki - Piraeus - Marsaxlokk - Annaba - Alexandria
First sailing: 02 Jun 2026

MSC launched a new Intra-Europe service - Baltic. The service is newly launched to connect Northern Europe to the Mediterranean. It will deploy three vessels with an average vessel capacity of 1,500 TEU.

Carrier service name: Baltic
Port rotation: Antwerp - Le Havre - Bilbao - Gijon - Sines - Vigo - Gijon - Bilbao - Felixstowe - Antwerp
First sailing: 23 Jun 2026

ONE to revise the port rotation of the Intra-Europe service - SBX. The service adds a port call at Dunkirk. It will deploy two vessels with an average vessel capacity of 1,100 TEU.

Carrier service name: SBX
Port rotation: Antwerp - Dunkirk - Rotterdam - Gdynia - Rauma - Gavle - Antwerp
First sailing: 09 Aug 2026

North Europe↔North America

Maersk revises the port rotation of the TA2 service. The change is part of an adjustment to the North Europe–North America (NEU) service rotation to better align the service

Carrier service name: TA2
Port rotation: Southampton – Antwerp – Rotterdam – Hamburg – Saint John – Charleston – Savannah – Norfolk – Southampton
First sailing: 01 Jul 2026

Carrier services update (20 June - 3 July)

Maersk to revise the port rotation of the TA4 service. The change is part of an adjustment to the North Europe–North America (NEU) service rotation to better align the service

Carrier service name: TA4
Port rotation: Southampton – Rotterdam – Antwerp – Bremerhaven – Wilhelmshaven – Veracruz – Altamira – Miami – Southampton
First sailing: 23 Jul 2026

South America↔North America

Hapag-Lloyd to launch the Caribbean – US East Coast Service (SCS). The new service will provide a direct connection between Cartagena, Manzanillo and key US East Coast ports, strengthening Hapag-Lloyd's regional network between the Caribbean and the US East Coast.

Carrier service name: SCS
Port rotation: Cartagena, CO – Manzanillo, PA – Philadelphia, US – Norfolk, US – Savannah, US – Cartagena, CO
First sailing: 06 Aug 2026

For more point-to-point service options, including transit times across major ocean carriers, refer to seaexplorer.

Source: CMA CGM, HMM, MSC, Maersk, Hapag-Lloyd, ONE, seaexplorer, Sunday Spotlight, Linerlytica