APL announced the launch of the India Pakistan Express 2 (IP2) service on 21st March, a new weekly service that directly connects India, the Middle East and five major North European ports. Designed to strengthen APL’s India Subcontinent (ISC) offerings, the new IP2 service will enhance APL’s service coverage in the European markets of Belgium, France, Germany, The Netherlands and the United Kingdom. The IP2 service commenced from Jebel Ali on 1st April with a port rotation of Jebel Ali-Karachi-Nhava Sheva-Mundra-Jeddah-Rotterdam-Hamburg-London Gateway-Antwerp-Le Havre-Jeddah-Jebel Ali.

APL later revealed that the 14,308gt/2005 built APL Chu Lai, a 1,200-TEU vessel, had made her maiden direct call at the Chu Lai Tam Hiep Port on 24th March. This officially commenced APL’s new weekly Chu Lai Haiphong Express (CHX) service that is delivering its first inbound shipment of automobile components from Japan trans-shipped via Shekou. Each week, the namesake vessel deployed on the CHX service will call at Chu Lai, Haiphong, Hong Kong and Shekou (China).

Two days later, APL today announced the launch of the Quetzal Express (QEX) service, a new weekly service that directly connects the key markets of China, Mexico and West Coast South America. The QEX service promises the industry’s fastest transit time of 22 days from South China to Mexico. It is also the only service that offers a direct connection from Taiwan, Central and South China to Puerto, Quetzal and Guayaquil. The QEX service commenced from Kaohsiung on 6th April calling at Kaohsiung-Shekou-Hong Kong-Ningbo-Shanghai-Manzanillo, MX-Lazaro Cardenas-Puerto Quetzal- Buenaventura-Guayaquil-Callao-Manzanillo, MX-Busan-Kaohsiung.

Ten days later the China Bangkok Express (CBX) service was launched, a new shortsea service that directly links South China and Thailand each week. The CBX service commenced on 18th April from Hong Kong with ports at Shekou, Nansha, Bangkok and Laem Chabang.

CMA CGM’s 91,498gt/2011 built CMA CGM Samson (above) encountered a spot of bother whilst arriving at Cape Town’s container port on 3rd April at low tide. The vessel got stuck and blocked the entrance to Cape Town harbour until being freed by tugs.

Cosco Shipping’s 196,670gt and 20,000 TEU capacity containership Cosco Shipping Leo was named on 22nd March in Nantong, where she was built by Nantong COSCO KHI Ship Engineering Co., Ltd. (NACKS). Ms. Li Sixuan named the vessel and cut the ribbon. As a sister ship of the previously delivered Cosco Shipping Aries, the ‘Leo’ is the second ultra-large containership in a series of vessels built by the shipyard for Cosco. The new ship commenced sea trials on 27th March and joined the Cosco Shipping Lines fleet, serving on the Far East-Northwest Europe loop (AEU3), as from 10th April. The port rotation of AEU3 is Piraeus, Rotterdam, Hamburg and Antwerp, offering a rapid shipping service from North China, East China and Southeast Asia to the Mediterranean and Northwest Europe. It would appear that the sea trials did not go entirely to plan as press reports suggest that the ‘Leo’ collided with the general cargo ship Mercury Triumph, which was en-route from Japan to China with a cargo of steel, on 29th March in the East China sea, some 50nm south of Seogwipo port, southern Jeju. The cargo ship was damaged, reportedly including hull breaches, whilst the new container ship suffered damage to her starboard bow.

Evergreen’s 32,659gt/2018 built Ever Bonny was delivered by CSBC Corporation of Taiwan on 23rd March. The scrubber-ready ship is the fifth in a series of ten 2,800 TEU capacity containerships. This series of ships are also equipped with innovative energy saving devices, including a twisted rudder and rudder bulb, plus a new Sea-Sword bow (a non-bulbous bow), all intended to reduce fuel consumption and increase energy efficiency.

Hapag-Lloyd’s 88,586gt/2012 built containership Tolten did not make the best arrival at the Port of Karachi on 19th March when inwards from Jebel Ali. As the ship proceeded to her berth her port side got too close to the bow of the moored 71,786gt/2009 built Hamburg Bay at the South Asia Pakistan Terminals facility. The resulting side-swipe caused 20-25 containers to topple from the ship into the harbour (above). Harbour operations were suspended whilst the clean-up operation got underway, as did an investigation into the cause of the collision, which happened whilst tugs were in attendance.

Linea Messina’s 51,055gt/2015 built Jolly Cobalto has been renamed MSC Cobalto and now sports an MSC funnel. MSC is also chartering the 51,055gt/2014 built Jolly Titanio (now MSC Titanio) prior to buying into Linea Messina and using the two ships on the Trieste-Izmir route.

Maersk Line’s Post Panamax, 8,160 TEU containership Sofie Maersk (above) suffered a main engine failure on her way to Asia in early March, being moved to Honolulu on 8th March to initiate repairs. The 92,198gt/1998 built vessel is deployed on the Eastbound AC2 service connecting Asia and West Coast South America.

The 74,642gt/2007 built and 6,188 TEU capacity containership Maersk Kensington suffered a fire on 16th March whilst en-route from Salalah, Oman, towards Suez. A fire began in one of the 3,518 containers (a faulty Reefer unit) in a cargo hold but all 26 crew members were safe and accounted for whilst the fire was contained to the initial source. The ship anchored off the port of Salalah whilst receiving assistance from the shore. The company is relaunching its Asia-Europe Network with an overall reduction of 17 port calls on its North European and Mediterranean routes and the addition of one vessel in a move that is designed to improve schedule reliability. The first Westbound sailings on the new schedule are set to start in early May.

Matson Navigation Company Inc.’s second ship in the two-vessel series of Kanaloa-class containerships, the Matsonia, commenced her build process at the General Dynamics NASSCO shipyard in March. Both 3,500 TEU capacity/Con-Ro ships will transport containers, cars and rolling stock between the West Coast of the United States and Hawaii. Construction of the first ship for Matson, the Lurline, is scheduled to be complete in the fourth quarter of 2019 with the Matsonia scheduled for delivery in the second quarter of 2020.

MOL’s brand new MOL Treasure made her maiden call at Southampton on 28th March, docking at Berth 5 of DP World’s Container Terminal (above).

Ocean Network Express (ONE) of Japan commenced operations on 1st April, marking the official start of business for what is now the 6th largest container shipping company by overall capacity (above). ONE was established on 7th July 2017 through the integration of the container businesses of major Japanese shipping companies Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha, Ltd. (K Line), Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL), and Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha (NYK). With the combined operations, ONE controls a fleet of around 240 vessels with a combined capacity of 1,440,000 TEU and approximately 7% of global share. The company will offer 85 service loops and a comprehensive network linking more than 200 of the world’s major ports. NYK, the largest of the group with a fleet capacity of 592,000 TEU, will have a 38% stake in ONE, with K line (358,000 TEU) and MOL (491,000 TEU) each having 31%.

Orient Overseas Container Lines’ (OOCL) proposed takeover by COSCO Shipping is expected to be completed by 30th June according to press reports. In 2017, COSCO Shipping Holdings and Shanghai International Port Group (SIPG) made an offer to buy all issued shares of Orient Overseas International Lines (OOIL), the parent company of OOCL. The offer, made to the shareholders of OOIL, is worth $6.3 billion. Once the transaction is completed, COSCO would hold 90.1% of OOIL, thus becoming the world’s third-largest container carrier with a combined fleet of 400 vessels, with capacity exceeding 2.9 million TEUs including tonnage on order. The acquisition has been approved so far by COSCO’s shareholders, China State‑owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission (SASAC), the US and the EU regulators.

Samskip inaugurated a new container service on 21st March between Amsterdam Container Terminal (ACT) and Hull with the first call of the 2,899gt/1995 built and 340 TEU capacity Thea II. The new service offers three sailings a week on this new route with vessels departing from Amsterdam on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays.

Yang Ming launched a new Japan-Malaysia-Vietnam Direct Service from 12th April, starting from Hong Kong. Four containerships, each with a 3,200 TEU operating capacity, will be deployed for the JMV service. The port rotation is: Osaka-Kobe-Nagoya-Yokohama-Tokyo-Hong Kong-Singapore-Port Kelang-Singapore-Cai Mep-Shekou-Hong Kong-Osaka. A round trip takes 28 days.