With the aim of providing significantly more cost-efficient services, Hamburg Süd and Seago Line announce that they are to enhance their cooperation in the trade between North Europe and Eastern Mediterranean. Both lines had responded to unfavourable market developments in this trade in August 2011 by combining their services.
Starting in January 2012, the currently existing four services of both partners are to be rationalised and replaced by a new service concept featuring three loops.
The ‘Israel Loop’ will see the deployment of four Seago Line Panmax vessels of 4,200 TEU (nominal) each. The port rotation is: Rotterdam – Felixstowe – Bremerhaven – Antwerp – Haifa – Alexandria – Ashdod – Rotterdam
The ‘Levant Loop’ will be operated with five Hamburg Süd Panmax ships, each featuring a nominal capacity of 4,200 TEU and calling at the following ports: Felixstowe – Antwerp – Hamburg – Tangier – Limassol – Alexandria – Port Said – Beirut – Lattakia – Mersin – Port Said – Algeciras – Felixstowe
The two previously mentioned loops will be augmented by the ‘Inner Med Feeder’, which will be operated with the following port rotation: Tangier – Algeciras – Alexandria – Mersin – Port Said – Ashdod – Haifa – Salerno – Valencia – Tangier
The combination of these three loops provides fast transit times, a comprehensive port coverage and facilitates the deployment of larger, cost-efficient vessels. The new service configuration further allows connections to the global liner networks of both companies, whereby the established schedule reliability of the partners guarantees a continued very high standard of service.
Hamburg Süd completes its service package between North Europe and Eastern Mediterranean with the ‘Turkey Service’, which retains the port rotation: Felixstowe – Bremerhaven – Antwerp – Gebze – Kumport – Gemlik – Aliaga – Valencia – Felixstowe
[mappress]
World Maritime News Staff, December 1, 2011; Image: Hamburg Sud