Release Date: 11 November 2009
Release ID: 4378

Grand Alliance Announces Winter Program for Asia-Europe Services

Grand Alliance partners Hapag-Lloyd, Nippon Yusen Kaisha (NYK) and Orient Overseas Container Line (OOCL) today announced their Winter Program for Asia-Europe services, with effect from December 28, 2009.

Four of the GA’s current Asia-Europe services, EU1, EU2, EU3, and EU4, will be temporarily adjusted into three weekly services, renamed Loop A, B and C. The service changes have been made to ensure continuation of the service network by adjusting capacity to the seasonal demand of our customers.

The port rotation for the three weekly services is as follows:

Loop A
Kobe, Nagoya, Tokyo, Shimizu, Yantian, Hong Kong, Singapore, Jeddah, Suez Canal, Rotterdam, Hamburg, Southampton, Le Havre, Suez Canal, Singapore, Hong Kong, Yantian and Kobe. 9 vessels with a capacity of about 8,600 TEU each will operate in this service. Loading will start on December 28, 2009 in Kobe.

Loop B:
Dalian, Xingang, Pusan, Qingdao, Shanghai, Ningbo, Shekou, Singapore, Suez Canal, Hamburg, Antwerp, Southampton, Cagliari, Suez Canal, Jeddah, Jebel Ali, Singapore, Shekou, Qingdao, Pusan and Dalian. This service is operated by 12 vessels with a capacity of 8,300 TEU each. Loading will start on January 2, 2010 in Dalian.

Loop C:
Ningbo, Shanghai, Xiamen, Kaohsiung, Shekou, Hong Kong, Singapore, Port Kelang, Suez Canal, Southampton, Rotterdam, Hamburg, Southampton, Suez Canal, Singapore, Shekou, Hong Kong, Kaohsiung and Ningbo. This service will consist of ten vessels of 7,860 TEU. Loading starts on January 1, 2010 in Ningbo.

The Grand Alliance, formed in 1998, is the leading integrated consortium in global container shipping. Its members are presently Hapag-Lloyd (Germany), MISC Berhad (Malaysia), NYK (Japan), and OOCL (Hong Kong).