SOUTHERN Africa Europe Container Service (SAECS) member lines Safmarine, Maersk, Deutsche Afrika Linien (DAL) and MOL, have announced the merger of their existing SAECS service with the Med Shuttle/225 service.
SAECS members to merge loop into Med Shuttle/225 with bigger ships
SOUTHERN Africa Europe Container Service (SAECS) member lines Safmarine, Maersk, Deutsche Afrika Linien (DAL) and MOL, have announced the merger of their existing SAECS service with the Med Shuttle/225 service.
The enhanced joint service will deploy larger vessels, although the number of ships operating the service will stay the same at eight. The replacement of the current SAECS fleet of vessels will begin in January 2014 and completed by April. SAECS Service Route
The transit times and port rotations between north Europe and South Africa will largely remain the same. However, the port rotations will be supplemented by calls at Algeciras on both the southbound and northbound voyages, thereby improving transit times from the Mediterranean to South Africa.
As a result of merging the two services, the Med Shuttle/225 service operated by Maersk Line and Safmarine between Algeciras and South Africa on which MOL and DAL participate as slot charterers will be terminated during the fourth quarter of 2013.
The Algeciras calls will be added to SAECS core service when Med Shuttle/225 is suspended, in order to continue providing weekly service to/from the Mediterranean.
A statement issued by MOL said the merging of services is designed to meet changing requirements in the trade between Europe and South Africa, both for dry and reefer cargo, and improve the quality of the service product offered."
