A NEW service has just been launched by NYK Line connecting SA to the west coast of North America via Singapore, according to southern African line representative, Jerry Hookins. This service will initially accept cargo from Durban, he told FTW, calling directly at Long Beach, Oakland, Seattle and Vancouver with other ports on inducement. The physical detail is that NYK Line will combine its fixed-day weekly service in Good Hope Express (GEX) with its SSX service for Long Beach and Oakland. The line's PNX service, meantime, will offer calls at Seattle and Vancouver, with both services routed via Singapore. "The Singapore calls of both services are synchronised," said Hookins, "which enables us to offer fast transit times on the route - 28-days from Durban to Long Beach, for example. This new scenario also sees NYK's general agents in SA, Mitchell Cotts Maritime, reorganising to establish an exclusive NYK Line team, with independent offices in Johannesburg, Durban and East London.
