Safmarine becomes a vessel operator on the Far East/Mediterranean trade

Safmarine is on the way becoming a vessel operator on the Far East/Mediterranean trade through the deployment of two 6,500 TEUs vessels on the new Maersk/ CMA CGM joint service. The Maersk involvement is being upgraded to a vessel sharing agreement from mid-May 2009, and Safmarine shall endorse its brand name on the service with the deployment of the 6,500 TEUs recently-delivered, Safmarine Kariba and Safmarine Kolmati from the beginning of June and July 2009 respectively.

Both Safmarine vessels are being switched from the Far East/ Central America service known as the AC2 that covered Far East/ Southeast Asia/ Lazaro Cardenas and Balboa.

Safmarine and Maersk will market the joint service as the Asia Europe 12 (AE12), and CMA CGM will retain the brand name of the New Phoex/Levex service.

Full vessel deployment from July 2009, shall be as follows:

CMA CGM Bizet - 6,627 TEUs
CMA CGM Balzac - 6,627 TEUs
CMA CGM Berlioz - 6,627 TEUs
CMA CGM Corneille - 6,447 TEUs
Maersk Kinloss - 6,478 TEUs
Maersk Kensington - 6,478 TEUs
Safmarine Kariba - 6,477 TEUs
Safmarine Komati - 6,477 TEUs

(Future) Average weekly capacity: 6,522 TEUs
(Present) Average weekly capacity: under CMA CGM vessel deployment : 4,308 TEUs

Direct port calls shall be Shanghai, Pusan, Hong Kong, Chiwan, Chiwan, Tanjung Pelepas, Port Kelang, Port Said, Damietta, Trieste, Koper, Rijeka (feeder connection), Damietta, Port Saidm Jeddah, Port Kelang, Singapore and Shanghai.


Source: PR News/ Copy 6029/ 30 April 2009