Hapag-Lloyd to commence Middle East-Africa service in April

The German ocean carrier’s new loop between the Port of Jeddah and the east coast of Africa set to launch in April will initially deploy four, 1,200-TEU ships.    Ocean carrier Hapag-Lloyd will commence a new weekly service between the Port of Jeddah and the east coast of Africa in April.
   Dubbed the East Africa Service (EAS), the port rotation will be Jeddah, Mombasa, Dar es Salaam and back to Jeddah.
   The EAS will be the first in Hapag-Lloyd’s network to call the ports of Mombasa and Dar es Salaam, the carrier said.
   Hapag-Lloyd will be the sole operator on the service, initially deploying four vessels with a capacity of 1,200 TEUs each.
   “The fast-growing economies of countries in East Africa further inland from Kenya and Tanzania, which lack their own seaports, are also likely to benefit from this new offer, as it will give them improved access to the global market. Via the EAS, Uganda, South Sudan, Rwanda, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Malawi and Zambia will gain direct access to markets worldwide,” said Hapag-Lloyd.
   Jeddah, a hub in the Middle East and Africa regions, will provide transshipment opportunities for further service offerings, the carrier said.
   “With our EAS, we will be entering a trade which our customers have wanted us to serve,” said Lars Christiansen, senior managing director for the Middle East region. “In the process, the EAS will benefit from Hapag-Lloyd’s strong presence in the Middle East and connect to our global network.”