Maersk further slows AE9

   After nearly seven months on a 10-week rotation, the ocean carrier Maersk Line has added an 11th vessel to its weekly Asia-Europe loop AE9, further increasing roundtrip voyage time from 70 days to 77 days in order to skip a sailing position from North Europe in September. 
   Transit times eastbound from Europe to Asia on the AE9 have been increased by about seven days as vessels slow-steam one extra week between Valencia, Spain and Xiamen, now taking 42 days from Rotterdam to Shanghai. The service is scheduled to skip one sailing position commencing Rotterdam, Netherlands on Sept. 18.
   It was reported by American Shipper Feb. 14 that Maersk had slowed roundtrip voyage time on the AE9 from 63 days to 70 days and added a new inbound call at Rotterdam while dropping a westbound call at Malaga in conjunction with changes to the carrier’s Asia-Europe network announced by American Shipper Feb. 2.
   The rotation of the AE9 remains Rotterdam, Bremerhaven, Felixstowe, Zeebrugge, Valencia, Shanghai, Xiamen, Qingdao, Ningbo, Shanghai, Yantian, Tanjung Pelepas, Tangiers, and Rotterdam. The service now operates with 11 Maersk vessels with an average capacity of 6,272 TEUs. 
   The AE9 is currently one of six Asia-Europe loops offered by Maersk, the others being its AE1, AE2, AE7, AE10, and the TP6/AE6 pendulum. – ComPair Data, Ben Meyer