[040715.EN.BIZ] East-West Box Ship Punctuality Rises 4pc To 71.6pc in May

CARRIER schedule reliability improved for the fourth consecutive month in May as average on-time performance for east-west routes increased four per cent to 71.6 per cent, according to Drewry's Carrier Performance Insight.

This follows a similar rise in April and much better performances in the transpacific and transatlantic routes, according to data marshalled by Hong Kong software solutions provider CargoSmart.

Maersk was still on top with an on-time performance of 85 per cent in May. G6 carriers NYK (78.9 per cent), OOCL (78.7 per cent) and MOL (77.4 per cent) were the next best. At the bottom were Zim (51.1 per cent) and Wan Hai (46.3 per cent).

"Shippers could be said to be getting much better value for money from carriers considering that reliability is at a peak while spot freight rates are at historic lows," said Drewry analyst Simon Heaney.

"The downside from this scenario is that carriers will look to redress the supply-demand imbalance through voided sailings," he said.

Source : HKSG.