APL ADDS CALLS AT MUMBAI TO WEST ASIA SERVICE

APL ADDS CALLS AT MUMBAI TO WEST ASIA SERVICE    APL has committed some of its largest containerships to port calls at the Nhava Sheva International Container Terminal in the Indian port of Mumbai, as part of its West Asia Express intra-Asia service.
   The “APL Egypt,” a 4,890-TEU vessel, made its first call at Mumbai yesterday (on Wednesday).
   Earlier this year, the “APL Arabia,” another 4,890-TEU vessel operated by APL, made its first port call at the Nhava Sheva terminal to enable the carrier to assess the feasibility of adding the port to the West Asia Express service. At that time, it was the largest containership ever to call at a port in India.
   APL said that it has long been a proponent of greater access for larger ships in India.
   “As container ships continue to grow in size, India’s ports are answering the call to accommodate larger ships, thereby ensuring that businesses can continue to import and export
their goods efficiently,” a spokesman for the company said.
   The West Asia Express service connects ports of the Mideast and Indian Subcontinent with Far Eastern ports, where cargoes to and from Europe, Latin America and North America are transshipped. The service rotation includes calls at Mumbai, Fujairah, Jebel Ali, Singapore, Kaohsiung and Hong Kong.