‘THE Alliance,’ ZIM alter Med-ECNA network

ZIM and “THE Alliance” will launch a new loop between the Mediterranean and the East Coast of North America, while ZIM’s already existing flagship ZCA loop will alter its rotation and will also begin including THE Alliance.    Israeli ocean carrier ZIM and “THE Alliance” will launch a new service between the Mediterranean and the East Coast of North America.
   In addition, ZIM’s already existing flagship ZCA loop between the Mediterranean and the East Coast of North America will begin operating with a new rotation, and will also include THE Alliance members.
   These changes will take effect in April 2017, which is when THE Alliance – a vessel sharing agreement between Hapag-Lloyd, “K” Line, MOL, NYK and Yang Ming – is scheduled to launch. ZIM said the new loop, which it will dub the ZCI, will deploy five vessels and will have a rotation of Salerno, Livorno, La Spezia, Genoa, Fos Sur Mer, Halifax, New York, Norfolk, Savannah and Salerno. According to a press release issued today by Hapag-Lloyd, Yang Ming and MOL, THE Alliance will dub it the AL 6.
   Meanwhile, ZIM’s already existing flagship ZCA loop will have a revised rotation of Ashdod, Haifa, Izmir, Piraeus, Barcelona, Tarragona, Valencia, Algeciras, Halifax, New York, Norfolk, Savannah, Valencia, Tarragona, Mersin and Ashdod, deploying seven vessels. The loop will also include THE Alliance, which will dub it the AL 7. However, THE Alliance will only operate between Barcelona, Tarragona, Valencia, Algeciras, Halifax, New York, Norfolk, Savannah, Valencia, Tarragona and Barcelona, according to the press release issued by Hapag-Lloyd, Yang Ming and MOL.
   According to ocean carrier schedule and capacity database BlueWater Reporting, the ZCA currently operates with a rotation of Ashdod, Haifa, Piraeus, Leghorn, Genoa, Barcelona, Tarragona, Valencia, Halifax, New York, Norfolk, Savannah, Valencia, Tarragona, Leghorn and Ashdod. The loop currently deploys seven vessels averaging 4,251 TEUs, with COSCO and Hapag-Lloyd as slot purchasers.