Mediterranean Shipping Company has been quick to react to a plea from Transnet Port Terminals to temporarily reduce vessel calls and transhipment volumes at the Port of Durban over the next two years while upgrades are under way.
The line yesterday announced the introduction of a pendulum service from Europe and the Med to the Far East via South African ports.
The service will include 15 vessels each with a capacity of 6000 TEUs. The first vessel from Europe will be the MSC Methoni Voy NZ 1024A departing Antwerp on 26/01 and from the Far East the MSC Melissa Voy FH 1024A departing Fuzho on 18/02.
The port rotation from Europe is Rotterdam/Hamburg/Felixstowe/Antwerp/Le Havre/Las Palmas/Cape Town/Ngqura/Durban/Port Louis.
From the Far East the service will call Fuzho/Xiamen/Kaohsiung/Hong Kong/Chiwan/Singapore/Port Louis/Durban/Ngqura/Cape Town/Las Palmas.
On December 8, Transnet Port Terminals appealed to all shipping lines to try temporarily to reduce calls in Durban.