"Long haul services linking the African continent recorded strongest growth"

Despite the September 11 incident and global slow-down that dampened trade prospects, Northport continued to attract more shipping lines and services linking major and new trading countries as well as services connecting Port Klang with third countries.
 
The total number of new services from Northport rose dramatically in the first six months of this year.
 
Long haul services
Long haul services linking the African continent recorded strongest growth with a total of seven shipping lines mounting new direct connections from Northport. Northport provides the most comprehensive connections to more than 10 ports in Africa with a minimum of 15 sailings per month, up from only four services per month last year. The joint P & O Nedlloyd and Mitsui OSK Line’s East Africa Asia Express service has been expanded with the entry of Delmas Line which now offers a wider port coverage and with bigger capacity vessels. The East Africa Asia Express covers seven east African ports of Male, Port Victoria, Mombasa,Tanga, Dar-Es-Salaam, Mtwara and Port Victoria.
 
Malaysia International Shipping Corporation Bhd (which is an equity partner in NCB Holdings Bhd) has mounted a new service together with PIL and "K" Line to South Africa. The eastbound weekly service calls Northport on every Thursday and connects Port Klang with Durban and Cape Town directly.More recently PIL mounted an independent East Africa Service.
 
The liner’s three sailings per month covers Northport (Port Klang), Colombo, Port Louis, Tamatave, Mombassa, Dar-Es-salaam, Pasir Gudang and Singapore.
 
Meanwhile "K" Line and Yang Ming have commenced a new weekly pendulum service with bigger 5,500 TEUs capacity vessels from Northport to Europe-Far East- America.
 
The westbound pendulum service every Friday covers Northport, Port Said, Valencia, Rotterdam and Hamburg. The Eastbound ships which calls Northport on every Tuesday connects Port Klang, Singapore, Yantian, Hong Kong, Xiamen, Long Beach, Oakland, Kobe, Shanghai, Xingboa, Hong Kong, Yantian and Singapore.
 
Short haul services
The Gulf and Indian sub-continent ports have recorded more services from Northport. A total of nine carriers have mounted new services, upgraded or re-looped their services to tap the fast growing volume of box traffic and transshipment volume at Northport.
 
The lines include MISC, Bengal Tiger, Hyundai Merchant Marine, Samudera Shipping Line, Advance Container Lines, "K" Line, PIL, Dongnama and Shipping Corporation of India.
 
The first half of the year also saw "K" Line, PIL, Dongnama and SCI join hands to initiate the India Far East Express Service (INDFEX 1). The carriers are also looking into the option of introducing INDFEX 2 with the fast expanding demand from the six major ports covered by the service.
 
The full port of rotation for INDFEX Eastbound Service includes Nhava Sheva, Colombo, Port Klang, Singapore and Hong Kong. The Westbound Service covers Pusan, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Singapore, Port Klang, Colombo and Nhava Sheva.
 
Intra-Asia/ Middle East regional specialist, Wan Hai Line has restructured port of rotation of its Japan Taiwan Service (JTS), Korea SEA Service (KSS) and China Middle East Service (CMS) effective second quarter of this year to meet the changing requirements of the market. The line has included mid-stream operation in Hong Kong as a new stop over in its CMS and KSS service. The CMS service is being operated with OOCL.
 
Wan Hai Lines has also included Penang Port in its JTS new port of rotation effective May 22 this year. Wan Hai also plans to introduce a new service to China to meet new demand following its entry into WTO.  

 

Mainline calls at Northport    America Service-Transpacific   1 service    Europe-Far East-America   2 services    Europe Far East   4 services    Mediterrannean-Far East   5 services    Gulf/Indian sub-continent   15 services    Asia/Africa   4 services    South America   1 service    Intra-Asia   21 services