[ APL, Lykes Lines, MOL To Launch Twice-weekly .. ]

APL, Lykes Lines, MOL To Launch Twice-weekly Trans-Atantic Svc

APL, Lykes Lines and Mitsui O.S.K Lines today announced plans for a tw
ice--weekly container service between northern Europe and North Americ
a. Beginning in mid-March, the services will offer shippers reliable,
competitive vessel sailings between four major European gateway ports
and ports in the North Atlantic, south Atlantic and Gulf regions.
The three carriers will share space aboard a tatal of 10 ships, nine o
f which will be operated under U.S. -flag registry by Lykes Lines.
Four ships averaging 2,000 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) capacit
y will provide a weekly North Atlantic service, connecting norfolk, Ne
w York and Halifax with Antwerp, Thamesport, Bremerhaven and Le Havre.
A weekly south Atlantic service featuring six ships with capacity of
between 2,200-2,700 TEUs will link Charleston, Miami, vera Cruz, Houst
on and New Orleans with the same ports in Europe.
Selected transit times include nine days from New York to Antwerp, 11d
ays from Charleston to Tramesport, six days from Le havre to halifax,
and 12 days from Bremerhaven to carleston.
In a Joint statement, the three carriers said: “We are very pleased t
o offer shippers in the trans-Atlantic a new, comprehensive and reliab
le service alternative.”
At the end of 1998, APL, MOL, and Hyundai Merchant Marine, partners in
the New World Alliance, intend to enhance the present Atlantic servic
e with be provided by the New World Alliance.