PIL’s new 11,800-TEU vessels boost capacity on transpacific loop

Pacific International Lines’ (PIL) two new 11,800-TEU vessels, the Kota Pahlawan and the Kota Panjang, are replacing the carrier’s 8,531-TEU Navarino and 8,241-TEU YM Uniform on its AC5 service between Asia and the U.S.    Pacific International Lines (PIL) Group on Oct. 26 took delivery of two new 11,800-TEU containerships, both of which are slated to join the carrier’s joint AC5 service between Asia and the U.S. West Coast.
   Built by Yangzijiang Shipbuilding (Holdings) Ltd. in Suzhou, China, the two vessels, the Kota Pahlawan and Kota Panjang, are each fitted with 1,400 reefer plugs that can accommodate up to 2,800 TEUs of refrigerated containers, PIL said.
   PIL’s most recent online services schedules show the Kota Pahlawan joined the AC5 with the Nov. 7 sailing from Xiamen and the Kota Panjang will join with the Nov. 15 departure from Xiamen.
   According to Ocean carrier schedule and capacity database BlueWater Reporting, the AC5 loop deploys six vessels – three from COSCO, two from PIL and one from Wan Hai – while CMA CGM acts as a slot purchaser. COSCO refers to the loop as the SEA, while Wan Hai calls it the CP1 and CMA CGM calls it the PSX.
   The Kota Pahlawan and Kota Panjang are replacing PIL’s two smaller vessels on the service – the 8,531-TEU Navarino and the 8,241-TEU YM Uniform – thus boosting the loop’s average vessel capacity from 9,023 TEUs to around 10,150 TEUs.
   The AC5 has a full port rotation of Xiamen, Nansha, Hong Kong, Yantian, Los Angeles/Long Beach, Nakhodka and Xiamen. The service to switches off between calling Los Angeles and Long Beach, while Nakhodka is only called by CMA CGM.