New World Alliance finalizing Asia Europe Express vessel upgrade

New World Alliance finalizing Asia Europe Express vessel upgrade The New World Alliance, comprising APL, Hyundai Merchant Marine and MOL, will by April complete its program of phasing larger ships, all from Korea's HMM, into its Asia Europe Express service.
   By the end of this month, the sixth and seventh new 6,800-TEU ships, 'Hyundai Bangkok' and 'Hyundai Colombo,' will enter service, replacing smaller ships of 5,551 TEUs.
   The eighth and final delivery, 'Hyundai Jakarta,' will be operational on April 8, which will mark a 23 percent increase in vessel capacity on the AEX since March 2006, when the vessel upgrade was initiated, HMM said.
   Grand Alliance members Hapag-Lloyd, MISC Berhad, NYK and OOCL, along with Yang Ming from the CKYH Alliance, all take space on the AEX.