APL to launch dedicated Singapore-Fremantle loop

The Singapore-based ocean carrier, now a subsidiary of France’s CMA CGM, will commence the Asia Fremantle Express (AFX) service between Singapore and Fremantle on April 27, 2017.     Singapore-based ocean carrier APL, now a subsidiary of France’s CMA CGM, is launching a new, dedicated service between Singapore and Fremantle, Australia, later this month, according to a statement from the company.
  Full schedules and vessel details are not yet available, but APL said the weekly Asia Fremantle Express (AFX) will commence with the first sailing from Singapore on April 27, 2017. The AFX will have a full port rotation of Singapore, Fremantle, and back to Singapore.
   “APL’s new AFX service will enhance our existing Oceania service network of five services that serve Australia,” Chan Khai Tou, head of Intra-Asia Short Sea and Oceania Services at APL, said of the new string. “With its industry-leading 7-day direct transit between Singapore and Fremantle, the AFX service is the solution for time-sensitive cargo, particularly reefer shipments from Fremantle. Complementing APL’s Asia Australia Express (AAX), the AFX service adds another weekly shipment cut-off time in Singapore and Fremantle which shippers can count on for a more flexible supply chain management.”
   According to ocean carrier schedule and capacity database BlueWater Reporting, the joint Asia Australia Express (AAX) loop is operated with five vessels – one each from APL and parent company CMA CGM, and three from fellow subsidiary line ANL – with an average capacity of 5,253 TEUs.
   The AAX, which also counts China COSCO Shipping, NYK Line and TS Lines as slot purchasers, has a full port rotation of Singapore, Port Kelang, Fremantle, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Fremantle, and back to Singapore.