Grand Alliance trims Asia/Europe loop

Grand Alliance trims Asia/Europe loop    A Grand Alliance loop between Asia and northern Europe will slow steam to account for the omission of six voyages in February and March, according to American Shipper affiliate ComPair Data.
   The alliance's Loop D, which has a rotation of Southampton, Le Havre, Hamburg, Rotterdam, Singapore, Shanghai, Busan, Qingdao, Shanghai, Ningbo, Shekou, Yantian, Singapore and Southampton, is nominally operated with 11 vessels. But to cut capacity during the slack winter season, Grand Alliance lines Hapag-Lloyd, OOCL and NYK Line have withdrawn six sailings, leaving only five vessels on the service.
   The slow-steaming program will most noticeably affect transit times from Busan to Shanghai on the eastbound leg of the service. Vessels will take eight days to move from Shanghai to Busan, compared to three days from Busan to Shanghai on the westbound head-haul leg, which includes a stop in Qingdao in between.
   A number of carriers and alliances have used intentionally omitted sailings, rather than outright service suspensions, to cut capacity during the winter this year.