Maersk and MSC announce changes to Asia-Europe routes to mitigate delays

Shipping giants MSC and Maersk have both announced changes to their services between Asia and North Europe.

Maersk says its changes are intended to improve schedule reliability, while MSC says its amendments are designed to maintain competitive transit times.

Maersk

 

The Danish shipping line says it is implementing measures to improve the AE6, AE7 and AE55 schedule reliability on the Far East Asia to North Europe network.

In a statement, Maersk said that due to “exceptional waiting time and congestion faced in North Europe” it would reduce the number of North European port calls by consolidating the Antwerp eb & wb call on AE6, as well as the Rotterdam calls between both the AE6 and AE55 onto AE55.

The company also announced that Le Havre will be dropped from AE7 and AE55 and consolidated on the AE6.

On top of this, Maersk confirmed that the AE55 will no longer include Colombo and Singapore, instead adding Hong Kong and Yantian, with Colombo cargo transhipped at Hong Kong.

The changes are as follows:

AE6

 

• Current Rotation: Ningbo – Shanghai – Yantian – Tanjung Pelepas – Sines – Antwerp – Rotterdam – Antwerp -Felixstowe – Algeciras – Singapore – Laem Chabang
• Revised Rotation: Ningbo – Shanghai – Yantian – Tanjung Pelepas – Sines – Le Havre – Antwerp – Felixstowe – Algeciras – Singapore – Laem Chabang

 

AE7

 

• Current Rotation: Ningbo – Shanghai – Nansha – Yantian – Tanjung Pelepas – Colombo – Port Tangiers – Felixstowe – Hamburg – Antwerp – London Gateway – Le Havre – Port Tangiers – Abu Dhabi – Jebel Ali
• Revised Rotation: Ningbo – Shanghai – Nansha – Yantian – Tanjung Pelepas – Colombo – Port Tangiers – Felixstowe – Hamburg – Antwerp – London Gateway – Port Tangiers – Abu Dhabi – Jebel Ali

 

AE55

 

• Current Rotation: Shanghai – Ningbo – Xiamen – Tanjung Pelepas – Felixstowe – Rotterdam – Le Havre – Port Tangiers – Colombo – Singapore
• Revised Rotation: Shanghai – Ningbo – Xiamen – Yantian – Tanjung Pelepas – Felixstowe – Rotterdam – Port Tangiers – Hong Kong

 

MSC

 

When it comes to MSC, the company says that in order to improve its services, it is offering new port pairs as it adapts to the “ongoing challenges of port congestion in Europe”.

The revised rotations of the shipping lines’ Griffin, Lion, Britannia and Condor services are as follows:

Griffin service

Le Havre will be omitted, with a new call added to Yantian, creating new pairs such as Yantian to Felixstowe in 35 days and Yantian to Rotterdam in 40 days.

The new route is Shanghai – Ningbo – Xiamen – Yantian (new) – Tanjung Pelepas – Felixstowe – Rotterdam – Tanger Med – Hong Kong – Shanghai

Lion service

The service will be calling at Le Havre, offering a new corridor connecting Yantian and Le Havre in 36 days. MSC stresses it will also provide “competitive transit times” from Ningbo to Le Havre (43 days) and from Shanghai to Le Havre (40 days). The Rotterdam call will be removed and loaded on Griffin.

The new route is Ningbo – Shanghai – Yantian – Tanjung Pelepas – Sines – Le Havre (new) – Antwerp – Felixstowe – Algeciras – Singapore – Laem Chabang – Ningbo

Britannia service

The port of Le Havre will replace the port of London Gateway.

The new route is Shanghai – Ningbo – Yantian – Vung Tau – Liverpool – Rotterdam – Hamburg – Antwerp – Le Havre (new) – Pointe des Galets – Port Louis – Singapore – Shanghai

Condor service

The call to Le Have will be omitted as from vessel MAERSK HORSBURGH voyage 433E.

The new route is Ningbo – Shanghai – Nansha – Yantian – Tanjung Pelepas – Colombo – Tanger Med – Felixstowe – Hamburg – Antwerp – London Gateway – Tanger Med – Abu Dhabi – Jebel Ali – Ningbo

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