Maersk suspends MEW1 round-Africa loop

   The shipping company Maersk Line is suspending its distinctive Middle East to Algeciras, West Africa and South Afrrica MEW1 “round-Africa” one-way service.
   The last sailing will be by JPO Gemini, departing Dubai on Feb 19.
   The 9-ship, average 2,515-TEU, MEW1 connects Dubai weekly with Algeciras, Dakar, Lagos, Douala, and Cape Town with 63-day round-trip voyages that traverse the Suez Canal outbound from Dubai and travel via the Indian Ocean on the return. Maersk subsidiary Safmarine has been sharing space on the service.
   Maersk has no other services offering direct connections between Dubai and West Africa, although its ME1 and Rumba loops still connect Dubai with Algeciras westbound, albeit taking a week or more longer than MEW1.
   Between Algeciras and South Africa Maersk still has a dedicated end-to-end loop, its six-ship average 1,309-TEU (non-stop southbound) 225 service.
   Between South Africa and Dubai it has its five-ship average 2,235-TEU MESA service, calling Karachi and Mumbai on the return leg after Dubai. — ComPair Data, Ben Meyer