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Northport remains the preferred port for mainline operators calling at Port
Klang.
This was reflected through its services, where during its first six months,
Northport received additional six more new services, making it the port with
the most global connectivity in Malaysia.
The increase in the shipping services is also amply reflected in the huge
surge in total container lifting at the port which recorded an impressive
11.36 per cent growth totaling 1.35 million TEUs in the January to June
period of this year.
The largest increase in the concentration of shipping services was in the
intra-Asia trade sector.
A total of five lines (Regional Container Line, TSK Lines, Wan Hai Line,
Yang Ming Line and Hapag-Lloyd) mounted additional strings to their present
network of services. Regional Container Line in consortium with TSK Line,
the wholly-owned subsidiary of NYK has expanded their Asean Pendulum service
to Northport effective March this year.
The service calling Northport every Sunday connects Northport with Jakarta,
Singapore and Laem Chabang.
Meanwhile, Wan Hai Line, Yang Ming Line and Hapag-Lloyds consortium
initiated a new service to the Middle East and Taiwanese markets. This is
also the first time the German carrier, Hapag-Lloyd aggressively entered
into Intra-Asia trade with its own ship. In the eastbound service the joint
partners offer direct connection to Jebel Ali Port. On the return leg, the
service offers a direct link between Colombo Port in Sri Lanka and Northport
at Port Klang.
Capacity at the long-haul services also expanded dramatically in the first
half of this year. Service frequency to Europe increased with the entry of
Pacific International Lines and Wan Hai Line. The two-member consortium
complements the operation of seven other major carriers in the Far East
Europe trade lane.
The weekly service via Suez Canal offers an alternative to the existing
services and reaches Rotterdam in 18 days. It is also the first time that
Malaysian shippers will have direct links between Northport Malaysia and
port of Antwerp in Belgium.
In addition, several Grand Alliance members enhanced their capacity with the
deployment of 8,000 teus carriers. Northport became the first port in
Malaysia to handle 8,000 series SX-class ship, belonging to the Hong
Kong-base Orient Overseas Container Line (OOCL). Since then OOCL has
deployed four 8,063 teus capacity ships in the Far-East Europe trade.
The trend (in deploying the mega size container ships) is expected to be
followed by other partners of the Grand Alliance like the Malaysian
International Shipping Corporation Bhd, NYK, P&O Nedlloyd and Hapag-Lloyd
from next year. Yang Ming and K-Line, which offers a pendulum service in the
east west trade from Northport, will also be deploying its bigger capacity
ships in the trade in 2006.
Northport's regional connectivity particularly Thailand and Indonesia has
also expanded with three new services during the first half of the year. The
return of MCC Transport, the feeder arm of Maersk Sealand to Northport
effective February helped rise the total lifting of transhipment at
Northport. Transhipment traffic grew by 10.14 per cent to 536,164 teus in
the January-June period of this year.
MCL Logistics (M) Sdn Bhd has further widened Northport links with Thailand
via Satun Port, the fourth gateway port of Thailand. The service between
Northport and Satun has reported brisk business and the operator indicated
that it would soon deploy bigger capacity vessels in the trade by end of
this year. Connectivity with Indonesian Archipelago has also further
strengthened with the entry of PT Sapta Bintang Sejatera, which offers a
direct link to Perawang Port. |
