EIMSKIP MAKES CHANGES TO LINER FLEET, SAILING SCHEDULE

EIMSKIP MAKES CHANGES TO LINER FLEET, SAILING SCHEDULE    The Icelandic Steamship Co., known as Eimskip, said it will replace older containerships with newer vessels and alter sailing schedules, starting in October.
      The carrier will initially charter, with an option to buy, two 1,457-TEU containerships. The two vessels were built by Denmark’s Orskov Vaerft shipyard in 1995. These faster, more efficient vessels will allow Eimskip to replace four aging containerships, including three chartered vessels. Instead of six vessels sailing to Europe, there will be four vessels serving mainland Europea and Scandinavia.
   “The aim is to make the operation of the liner system more economical and strengthen the company’s competitiveness with more powerful and efficient vessels,” Eimskip said.
   The new vessels will sail on a new route calling at Reykjavik, Grundartangi and Eskifjordur in Iceland and the Faroe Islands, the Netherlands, Germany, Denmark, Sweden and Norway in Europe.
   Eimskip will also return three chartered vessels — Thor Lone, Hanse Duo and Hansewall — to their owners and will either sell or charter its Bruarfoss, a 1,012-TEU containership.
   The carrier will shift its containerships — the Selfoss (724 TEUs) and the Lagarfoss (732 TEUs) — to its Iceland/Immingham, U.K./Rotterdam route. Two smaller vessels — Bakkafoss (413 TEUs) and Godafoss (413 TEUs) — will operate between Iceland and North America. The domestic Iceland service will continue to be served by the Manafoss, a 518-TEU containership.
   After these changes, Eimskip will have seven vessels in scheduled services instead of nine — four to Europe, two to North America and one in the Icelandic coastal trade.