MAERSK Line is preparing to "merge" its North Europe-Middle East-eastern India (ICON) service, marketed by Safmarine as Prime 2 within its Asia-Europe "Daily Maersk" network, starting from February 2012, according to Alphaliner.

The Paris-based maritime consultancy said the action is intended to bolster the utilisation ratio of the carrier's Far East-North Europe ships with Colombo port calls added to two Far East-North Europe loops (in opposite directions).

"The decision is the first indication that the Daily Maersk offer launched in October has not been as well utilised as initially hoped," noted Alphaliner.

The port rotation for the ICON service that commenced in March is Felixstowe, Zeebrugge, Rotterdam, Bremerhaven, Salalah, Colombo, Chennai, Colombo, Salalah and back to Felixstowe.

The service uses seven 4,200-TEU vessels. The report said that Chennai will lose its direct connection with Europe and will be connected to Maersk's network through a Colombo-Chennai feeder service.

It said "following withdrawal of the ICON, Maersk will continue to offer two direct services from Europe to the Indian subcontinent, focusing on the Indian west coast with intermediate calls in the Middle East."

It has also added ME1/Prime 1 service which calls at Felixstowe, Zeebrugge, Rotterdam, Bremerhaven, Aqaba, Jeddah, Jebel Ali, Nhava Sheva, Pipavav, Salalah, Jeddah, Algeciras and Felixstowe.

Their ME3/Prime 3 services call at Port Said, Mersin, Ambarli, Port Said, Jebel Ali, Pipavav, Nhava Sheva, Jebel Ali, Salalah and back to Port Said.