CONTSHIP/SCI/CMA CGM LAUNCH MUMBAI-NEW YORK DIRECT SERVICE

CONTSHIP/SCI/CMA CGM LAUNCH MUMBAI-NEW YORK DIRECT SERVICE    Contship Containerlines and the Shipping Corporation of India will launch a joint fortnightly service from Colombo, Sri Lanka, and Mumbai, India (previously Bombay), to New York and Norfolk in March.
   It will return via Gioia Tauro, Port Said, and Jeddah.
   CMA CGM is also a partner, initially chartering slots.
   From June the service will increase from four ships of 1,500 TEUs each, fortnightly, to eight ships weekly, with CMA CGM becoming a vessel-provider.
   The new service will offer a direct non-stop Nhava Sheva to New York transit time of 20 days, over a week faster than its nearest rivals, but it will have stiffer competition in Colombo, notably from the Grand Alliance (21 days).