Service Announcements: Maersk Line and CMA CGM, CN and IAG

Maersk Line and CMA CGM alter Safari 1/Shaka Express 2 loop, CN builds new intermodal and logistics hub west of Toronto, and IAG launches new route into Colombia and reopens Cuba route.    French ocean liner CMA CGM announced it will begin calling at Chiwan westbound from the March 30 sailing of the Maersk Semakau on its Shaka Express 2 service.
   According to ocean carrier schedule and capacity database BlueWater Reporting, the Shaka Express 2 is offered through a slot-purchasing agreement with Maersk Line on its AC3/Safari 1 loop. The AC3/Safari connects Asia with Mexico, Central America, West Coast South America, South Africa and the Indian Ocean.
   Maersk operates the service with 21 vessels with an average capacity of 7,102 TEUS. The full port rotation of the AC3/Safari 1 is Singapore, Kaohsiung, Nansha, Hong Kong, Yantian, Gwangyang, Yokohama, Manzanillo (Mexico), Lazaro Cardenas, Balboa, Buenaventura, Callao, San Antonio, San Vicente, Balboa, Lazaro Cardenas, Vostochniy, Busan, Shanghai, Ningbo, Kaohsiung, Hong Kong, Chiwan, Tanjung Pelepas, Port Louis, Durban, Port Elizabeth and back to Singapore.
   CMA CGM, along with subsidiary lines ANL and Delmas, only takes slots on the Asia-to-Africa portion of the loop.

   Canadian National Railway plans to build a new intermodal and logistics hub adjacent to its main line in Milton, Ont., west of Toronto. 
   The facility will cost an estimated $250 million Canadian (U.S. $196.35 million) and will complement Brampton Intermodal Terminal, CN’s existing Toronto-area intermodal terminal, according to a statement from the railway.
   CN expects the new intermodal hub to create more than 1,000 direct and indirect jobs in the Milton and Halton regions of Ontario.

   IAG Cargo will increase the scope of its Latin America network by launching a new route into Colombia and reopening its route into Cuba. 
   The new services will connect IAG Cargo’s network of 350 worldwide destinations to Cali and Medellín in Colombia and Havana, Cuba.  This will bring the total of IAG Cargo gateways in Latin America to 19, according to a statement from the airfreight carrier.
   The new route from IAG’s Madrid hub to Cali and Medellin will operate as triangular flights between Madrid-Medellin-Cali-Madrid on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, effective July 3, 2015. Both routes will be serviced by Airbus A330s.
   The company will resume operations between its Madrid hub and Havana, Cuba, operating services on Sundays, Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays, effective June 1, 2015, IAG Cargo will totalling five weekly flights.
   In addition, IAG Cargo will increase the number of flights it offers to and from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic from five flights a week to daily, effective from April 1, 2015.
   Steve Gunning, CEO of IAG Cargo, said of the service changes, “From pharmaceuticals to perishables Latin America is fast emerging as one of the most important international trade centres – both for production and consumption. From our Madrid hub we have already been able to offer businesses In Latin America and beyond some of the best connectivity options in the world, linking up markets from Asia Pacific all the way across Europe and into Latin America. These new services further enhance our excellent network proposition to and from this region and will be an important enabler of Latin America trade.”