Carrier services update (8 - 22 May)

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

Asia↔Indian Subcontinent

MSC to re-launch Asia-ISC service - Osprey. The service is re-launched after a temporary suspension and will deploy six vessels. The average vessel capacity is 5,500 TEU.

Carrier service name: Osprey
Port rotation: Shanghai - Ennore - Mundra - Qingdao - Ningbo - Shanghai
First sailing: 09 May 2026

Maersk launches the Far East - India Subcontinent 2 service. The number of ships and average capacity of this service will be 6 vessels with an average capacity of 5,900 TEU.

Carrier service name: FI2
Port rotation: Shanghai - Ningbo - Nansha - Tanjung Pelepas - Nhava Sheva - Pipavav - Port Qasim - Shanghai
First sailing: 04 Jun 2026

Asia↔North Europe

HMM to revise the port rotation of the FE3 (Far East – Europe 3) service. The change removes the Algeciras call and adjusts the European port sequence as part of the same schedule reliability improvement via the Cape of Good Hope route.

Carrier service name: FE3
Port rotation: Qingdao – Ningbo – Yantian – Singapore – (Cape of Good Hope) – Felixstowe – Antwerp – Hamburg – (Cape of Good Hope) – Qingdao
First sailing: 08 Jun 2026

Carrier services update (8 - 22 May)

Asia↔Oceania

Maersk launches a new China-Australia service, connecting Shanghai, Sydney and Melbourne. The service will be launched to complement the existing Dragon service.

Carrier service name: Qilin
Port rotation: Shanghai - Sydney - Melbourne - Shanghai
First sailing: 24 Jul 2026

Intra-Asia

ONE launches the East China Nusantara Express (ECNX) service. The number of ships and average capacity of this service will be 3 vessels with an average capacity of 2,700–4,200 TEU.

Carrier service name: East China Nusantara Express (ECNX) service
Port rotation: Shanghai - Ningbo - Jakarta - Shanghai
First sailing: 20 Apr 2026

MSC is launching a new standalone service providing direct connections between ports in China and Vietnam, aimed at offering faster and more efficient transport solutions.

Carrier service name: Ochna
Port rotation: Dalian – Tianjin Xingang – Qingdao – Haiphong – Ho Chi Minh – Dalian
First sailing: 19 Jun 2026

Mediterranean↔South America East Coast

Following a US executive order issued on 1 May, CMA CGM and Hapag-Lloyd have stopped accepting new bookings to and from Cuba, citing compliance concerns and regulatory risk.

The suspension is expected to disrupt a significant share of Cuba’s shipping volumes, with flows from China and key routes such as Northern Europe and the Mediterranean particularly affected.

CMA CGM to revise the port rotation of the SAFRAN service. The change includes a rotation swap between Montevideo and Buenos Aires, the removal of Rio Grande, and the addition of Itapoa to improve operational stability and service consistency.

Carrier service name: SAFRAN
Port rotation: Southampton – Rotterdam – Hamburg – Antwerp – Tanger SB – Santos SB – Paranagua SB – Montevideo – Buenos Aires – Itapoa – Paranagua NB – Santos NB – Tanger NB – Southampton
First sailing: 05 Jun 2026

Carrier services update (8 - 22 May)

North America East Coast↔South America East Coast

Maersk/MSC will revise the port rotation of the North America East Coast-South America East Coast service - UCLA. The service adds a port call at Itajai and will deploy eight vessels. The average vessel capacity is 5,300 TEU.

Carrier service name: UCLA/Gulf to SAEC
Port rotation: Altamira - Houston - Cartagena (Colombia) - Santos - Itapoa - Paranagua - Itajai - Santos - Rio de Janeiro - Cartagena (Colombia) - Veracruz - Altamira
First sailing: 10 May 2026

North Europe↔Mediterranean

Effective May 2026, Maersk will temporarily revise the port rotation of the SLB service by replacing the port call at Ashdod with Haifa for at least six consecutive sailings. Five vessels will be deployed on the service, with an average vessel capacity of 3,600 TEU.

Carrier service name: SLB
Port rotation: Antwerp - Haifa - Alexandria - Damietta - Port Said - Tilbury - Rotterdam - Bremerhaven - Antwerp
First sailing: May 2026

Maersk launches the SLA service. The number of ships and average capacity of this service will be 5 vessels with an average capacity of 2,800–5,000 TEU.

Carrier service name: SLA
Port rotation: Tanger Med - Gdansk - Bremerhaven - Vado Ligure - Port Said - Alexandria - Tanger Med
First sailing: 11 May 2026

North Europe↔North America

Maersk to revise the port rotation of the TA4 service. The change temporarily replaces the Hamburg call with Bremerhaven due to operational disruptions at the Hamburg terminal, in order to safeguard schedule reliability.

Carrier service name: TA4
Port rotation: Southampton – Antwerp – Rotterdam – Bremerhaven – Wilhelmshaven – Veracruz – Altamira – Miami – Southampton
First sailing: 28 May 2026

Carrier services update (8 - 22 May)

North Europe↔South America East Coast

COSCO/OOCL/ONE to revise the port rotation of the Europe-South America East Coast service - ESE2. The service adds a port call at Paranagua and removes Felixstowe. It will deploy nine vessels with an average capacity of 4,300 TEU.

Carrier service name: ESE2
Port rotation: Rotterdam - Hamburg - Antwerp - Lisbon - Algeciras - Santos - Buenos Aires - Montevideo - Itajai - Paranagua - Santos - Rio de Janeiro - Algeciras - Rotterdam
First sailing: 10 May 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