Grand Alliance, Zim skip all-water loop sailing
A transpacific all-water service operated by Zim and Grand Alliance lines Hapag-Lloyd, NYK Container Line, and OOCL has begun slow steaming to account for a planned missed sailing in mid-February, according to American Shipper schedule research affiliate ComPair Data.
The Grand Alliance's SCE service has started slow steaming from Manzanillo, Panama, with the service now operated with nine vessels, while its total round trip length has extended from 56 to 63 days 'in order to accommodate the missed sailing without appearing to reduce capacity,' according to ComPair Data. 'This is similar to what the CKYH alliance has been doing with their (Asia-Europe) services.'
The CKYH Alliance, of COSCO, 'K' Line, Yang Ming, and Hanjin Shipping, has dropped one winter sailing from one Asia/northern Europe loop and three Asia/Mediterranean loops to rationalize supply during the traditional slack container shipping season.
The SCE has a rotation of Kaohsiung, Shekou, Hong Kong, Balboa, Kingston, New York, Norfolk, Savannah, Manzanillo (Panama), and Kaohsiung. Average vessel size for the service is 4,626 TEUs, with Zim providing three ships, OOCL and NYK two each, Hapag-Lloyd one, and the ninth currently unallocated
The missed sailing as a measure to cut winter capacity is a departure of sorts for the Grand Alliance on this lane. The past two years, the alliance carriers have partnered with the New World Alliance (APL, Hyundai Merchant Marine and MOL) to merge two similar transpacific all-water services over during the slack season. ' Eric Johnson