Maersk, CMA CGM form big-ship Asia/Europe loop

Maersk, CMA CGM form big-ship Asia/Europe loop    European liner carriers Maersk Line and CMA CGM will collaborate on a big-ship Asia/Europe service starting in June, the sixth such joint loop on the trade between two of the world's three biggest lines.
   Each carrier will provide five ships on the 10-ship FAL 5 service (as named by CMA CGM). It has a rotation of Ningbo, Shanghai, Yantian, Tanjung Pelepas, Port Klang, Le Havre, Hamburg, Rotterdam, Zeebrugge, Port Kelang, Singapore and Ningbo. The average ship size on the service will be 13,000 TEUs, including CMA CGM's flagship vessel, the CMA CGM Christophe Colomb.
   Maersk and CMA CGM have been augmenting a partnership that began a few years ago on the transpacific. Between Asia and Europe, the two cooperate on four services aside from the new FAL 5, including one from the Far East to northern Europe and three to Mediterranean ports, according to American Shipper affiliate ComPair Data. CMA CGM also buys slots on a Maersk Line service from Southeast Asia to northern Europe.
   'The launching of the FAL5 service, just in time for the westbound peak season, provides CMA CGM customers with a unique combination of fast transit times and optimum port coverage,' said Nicolas Sartini, senior vice president of Asia Europe lines for CMA CGM. 'The service is also connected to a wide range of in-house feeders, barges and rail services in Asia and Europe.'
   The line added the service would be slow-steamed (as most on the Asia/Europe are), 'thus ensuring flawless punctuality.' American Shipper reported in its May issue that slow steaming has thus far not helped carriers achieve better schedule reliability.
   CMA CGM was originally due to commence the FAL 5 service in the summer of 2009, but backed off those plans when demand plummeted in early 2009.
   Maritime news service Alphaliner reports the new service will be the largest introduction of capacity into the Asia/Europe trade since before the global financial crisis.