Wan Hai, COSCO to launch Asia-India loop

The service is scheduled to commence operations from Shanghai on Jan. 24, and will deploy five, 4,250-TEU vessels.    Wan Hai Lines and COSCO are launching a China – India service later this month.
   Wan Hai said Tuesday that its new “CI6” will help to expand its network by providing direct service from East China to West India.
   The CI6 will use five vessels with a nominal capacity of 4,250 TEUs. Wan Hai will supply one of the vessels and COSCO is to deploy the other four vessels.
   The port rotation will be Shanghai, Ningbo, Shekou, Nansha, Singapore, Nhava Sheva, Pipavav, Penang and Shanghai.
   The maiden voyage is scheduled to commence from Shanghai Jan. 24. 
   “Wan Hai Lines is confident that the new service will provide customers with better frequency and service coverage between China /South East Asia and India,” the shipper declared in a prepared statement.
   The announcement of the new service came just 15 days after Wan Hai revealed that it was launching an East China to East India loop, which it calls the “CI3.”
   The service, which also launches later this month, will be jointly operated with COSCO, International Auto Logistics (IAL), OOCL and X-Press Feeders by using five vessels with a nominal capacity of 4,250 TEUs.
   The port rotation will be Shanghai, Ningbo, Hong Kong, Shekou, Singapore, Port Kelang (West port), Port Kelang (North port), Chennai, Kattupalli, Port Kelang (North port), Singapore and Shanghai.
   CI3’s maiden voyage is expected to commence from Shanghai Jan. 23 and arrive in Chennai on Feb 8. It will be a 35-day fixed round trip schedule, Wan Hai has said.