Maersk restructures West Africa service

MAERSK LINE will introduce three new gearless vessels to its recently restructured Far East – West Africa service. January 28 saw the launch of a direct, weekly call in Abidjan, Ivory Coast on its Far East - West Africa 2 (FEW2) service, one of two direct options linking the Far East and West Africa. The new rotation will include Walvis Bay calling Port Kelang (Malaysia), Tanjung Pelepas (Malaysia), Walvis Bay (Namibia), Abidjan (Cote d’Ivoire), Apapa (Nigeria), Walvis Bay (Namibia). The Maersk Inverness will initiate the new service, calling Tanjung Pelepas (Malaysia) on January 28 and Abidjan (Cote d’Ivoire) on February 20. Sister vessels Maersk Izmir and Maersk Innoshima will gradually be slotted into the service. The FEW1 service will no longer call Walvis Bay but will include Nansha (Pearl River Delta, China), Hong Kong, Tanjung Pelepas (Malaysia), Lome (Togo), Tema (Ghana), Cotonou (Benin), Apapa (Nigeria), and Pointe Noire (Congo) in its port rotation. First vessel on the new FEW1 service, Santa Alexandra, called Nansha on January 23. These direct services are complemented by the line’s comprehensive transhipment options for Far East – West Africa traffic via Algeciras in Spain.