[140311.EN.SEA] MSC re-jigs Silk, Lion, Dragon And Tiger Asia-Europe Routes

GENEVA's Mediterranean Shipping Co (MSC) has announced a reorganisation of its four Asia-Europe eastbound strings, including its Silk, Lion, Dragon and Tiger services starting in late March.

MSC said it expects to shorten the voyages by a maximum of seven days.

Rotation changes on the Silk eastbound will come into effect from March 31, calling at Ningbo, Shanghai, Xiamen, Hong Kong, Shenzhen-Chiwan, Shenzhen- Yantian, Singapore, Antwerp, Felixstowe, Hamburg, Bremenhaven and Rotterdam.

Running with 11 containerships averaging 13,422 TEU, the restructured service cancels calls at Xingang in Asia and Valencia in Mediterranean, but adds Bremerhaven and Hamburg. The first European port of call will be changed to Antwerp from Felixstowe, according to ComPair Data.

For the Lion service, it will run with 11 ships in the 13,000-TEU range. Its new eastbound rotation will be effective March 27, calling at Dalian, Xingang, Busan, Qingdao, Ningbo, Shanghai, Guangzhou-Nansha, Hong Kong, Shenzhen-Chiwan, Shenzhen-Yantian, Le Havre, Hamburg and Bremenhaven, dropping calls at Singapore, Sines and Antwerp.

For Dragon service's eastbound leg, the revised service will operate with 12 vessels averaging 10,919 TEU. New rotation will start from April 1, calling at Dalian, Xingang, Busan, Qingdao, Ningbo, Shanghai, Shenzhen-Yantian, Hong Kong, Shenzhen-Chiwan, Singapore, Gioia Tauro, Valencia, Barcelona, La Spezia and Marseilles Fos. Calls at Fuzhou and Naples will be cancelled with the change of the order of Med port calls by moving Marseilles to last.

For Tiger service, which will operate with 10 ships averaging 8,979 TEU from April 1, the adjusted eastbound calls include Qingdao, Busan, Shanghai, Ningbo, Hong Kong, Shenzhen-Chiwan, Singapore, Port Said, Beirut, Piraeus and Istanbul. Ports of Jeddah and Gioia Tauro are cancelled, while a new call at Port Said is added.

Source : HKSG, 11.03.11.