Hamburg-based Tailwind Shipping Lines, a subsidiary of German supermarket giant Lidl, recently celebrated its two-year anniversary, marking a period of expansion amid strategic developments in the logistics sector.
The company, initially launched in response to the COVID-19 pandemic to secure supply chains, now has a fleet of nine vessels and operates multiple services connecting Asia and Europe.
Tailwind Shipping Lines began its journey on July 16, 2022, with the departure of its first vessel, the “Wiking,” from Taicang, China.
Over the past two years, the fleet has grown to nine ships, with capacities ranging from 920 to 6,800 TEU. The latest addition, the Panda 006 (formerly known as Kea), is the largest in the fleet.
The company currently operates three primary services designed to ensure timely and reliable delivery of goods:
- Panda Express (PAX): This service connects Qingdao, Ningbo, and Dachan Bay in China with Barcelona, Spain, and Koper, Slovenia. Despite geopolitical challenges, such as threats in the Red Sea, Tailwind has rerouted its fleet around the Cape of Good Hope to maintain service reliability.
- Tiger Express (TEX): Serving as a feeder for the PAX, the TEX operates between Chattogram, Bangladesh, and Colombo, Sri Lanka, enabling efficient cargo transfer from Bangladesh.
- Dolphin Express (DEX): This service connects Barcelona, Spain, with Moerdijk, the Netherlands, facilitating intra-European logistics.
A key aspect of Tailwind’s strategy has been its focus on calling at smaller ports near major trading hubs. This approach, says Tailwind, helps avoid long waiting times often associated with larger ports, thereby ensuring higher reliability and punctuality in deliveries.
Commenting on the milestone, Christian Stangl, Managing Director of Tailwind Shipping Lines, emphasised the importance of the company’s services for Lidl’s operational efficiency, particularly given the supermarket’s fixed promotion schedules and frequently changing special offers.
“We have established ourselves as a premium service provider that transports goods to and from Asia. We are fast, on time, and reliable,” Stangl noted.