Tokyo: Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) today announced a New Asia - West Africa Service via Suez and a New Asia - Indian Ocean Islands (IOI) / South Africa - West Africa service. The container giant will change the current Asia - West Africa service from the West Africa Super Express service (WA1) to a New Asia - West Africa service via Suez using a new Europe / West Africa feeder service.
At the same time, it will introduce a new service, the Indian Ocean Islands, South Africa, West Africa dedicated container service (ISW), which is expected to cater to Asia - IOI and South Africa - West Africa trades.
For the Asia - West Africa trade via Suez, MOL will have two feeder loops between Europe and West Africa, one of which is dedicated for Lagos, which suffers heavy port congestion. The other feeder service will newly cover Dakar (Senegal) and Cotonou (Benin), two major ports in West Africa.
MOL will use the China / Europe service (SCX) as the trunk line connecting to the Europe / Lagos feeder (North loop) via Zeebrugge (Belgium). For the Europe / West Africa feeder (South loop), MOL will use the Japan / China / Europe service (JEX) as the trunk line connecting at Tangier (Morocco).
The New ISW service newly calls at Reunion (France), Walvis Bay (Namibia), and Lobito (Angola), which are main ports in these areas, but are currently not covered by the existing West Africa Super Express service (WA1) which will be suspended.
The details of the new services are as follows:
Europe / West Africa feeder (ARN)
Port Rotation: Zeebrugge - Felixtowe - Abidjan - Lagos - Zeebrugge
Frequency: Fortnightly service
Commencement: "MOL Triumph", 6 June, 2009 at Zeebrugge
Commencement of Trunk line (SCX):
"APL Finland", 27 April, 2009 at Ningbo, China.
Europe / West Africa feeder (ARS)
Port Rotation: Tangier - Lisbon - Dakar - Abidjan - Tema - Cotonou - Lome - Tangier
Frequency: Fortnightly service
Effective voyage: "MOL Symphony", 2 June, 2009 at Tangier
Commencement of Trunk line (JEX): "MOL Pace", 27 April, 2009 at Kobe, Japan
Indian Ocean Islands, South Africa, West Africa dedicated container service (ISW)
Port Rotation: Singapore - Port Louis - Reunion - Tamatave - Maputo - Durban - Capetown - Walvis Bay - Abidjan - Tema - Lome - Lobito - Durban - Singapore
Frequency: 10 days service
Commencement: "MOL Volta", 8 May, 2009 at Singapore [03/04/09]
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