UASC joins two CMA CGM West Africa loops

Ocean carrier UASC will purchase slots on portions of the EURAF1 and the EURAF4 loops between the Mediterranean and West Africa starting next week.    Ocean carrier United Arab Shipping Co. (UASC) will become a slot purchaser on portions of CMA CGM’s EURAF1 and the carrier’s joint EURAF4 with subsidiary Delmas between the Mediterranean and West Africa starting next week.
   UASC will join the EURAF1 as a slot purchaser with the Sept. 13 sailing of the Celina Star from Tangiers, according to its online services schedules. Although the loop operates between North Europe, the Mediterranean and West Africa, UASC will only purchase slots on a portion between the Mediterranean and West Africa. UASC, which dubbed the service the WAF3, said it will call Tangiers, Algeciras, Abidjan and Algeciras.
   According to ocean carrier schedule and capacity database BlueWater Reporting, the EURAF1 has a full rotation of Tilbury, Dunkirk, Antwerp, Le Havre, Montoir, Tangiers, Algeciras, Dakar, Abidjan, Dakar, Algeciras and Tilbury. CMA CGM provides all six vessels on the loop, which have an average capacity of 3,548 TEUs. Hapag-Lloyd, MOL and Delmas purchase slots on the EURAF1.
   UASC will also become a slot purchaser on a portion of the EURAF4 between the Mediterranean and West Africa with the Sept. 14 sailing of the Spirit of Capetown from Algeciras, according to the carrier’s online service schedules. The Middle Eastern carrier dubbed the loop the WAF2 and said it will call Algeciras, Tangiers, Cotonou, Lome and Algeciras. The EURAF4 has a full rotation of Malta, Leghorn, Genoa, Marseilles-Fos (Fos), Barcelona, Valencia, Algeciras, Tangiers, Cotonou, Lome, Onne, Port Gentil, Libreville, Algeciras and Malta, according to BlueWater Reporting. The loop operates with seven vessels with an average capacity of 2,257 TEUs. CMA CGM provides five of the vessels and Delmas provides the additional two.
   UASC’s existing joint WAF1 service with Hanjin and CMA CGM, has a rotation of Tangiers, Algeciras, Apapa, Lagos, Tema and Tangiers. The loop operates with four vessels with an average capacity of 3,180 TEUs. Hanjin provides two vessels, UASC and CMA CGM each provide one vessel, and Delmas purchases slots on the loop.