APL, Maersk and OOCL to cooperate on Far East to Indian Subcontinent services

APL, Maersk and OOCL recently announced a new cooperation on three existing Far East to Indian Subcontinent services, starting in February 2014.

In a slot sharing agreement that also includes partners CMA CGM, Emirates Shipping Line, Hamburg Süd and Regional Container Lines, 18 vessels with a total capacity of about 17,500 TEU will be deployed to the three Far East-Indian Subcontinent services.

The enhanced services will enable the carriers to offer three weekly sailings – covering China, Korea, India, Pakistan, Malaysia and Singapore – compared to one weekly sailing currently offered independently by each liner.

“Our multi-carrier cooperation will provide more frequent sailings between Asia’s major trading hubs, and at the same time eliminate unnecessary service duplications,” the partner carriers said in a joint statement. “With improved operational efficiency and a more comprehensive service structure, the enhanced Far East-India Express services suite will offer shippers flexible and competitive options best catered to their needs.” < Korea Shipping Gazette >