New Asia-SA consortium sets sail next month

Alan Peat
DETAILS OF the new SA-Far East shipping consortium (FTW February 22, 2002) have just been released.
Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha of Japan (K-Line); Malaysia International Shipping Corporation (MISC); and Pacific International Lines (PIL)
of Singapore have just
launched the Asia-SA Service (ASA).
The originally rumoured involvement of Wan Hai Line - a major inter-Asian carrier - has not transpired, although it was confirmed to FTW that they had been part of the original negotiations.
This ASA service has been designed to replace K-Line and MISC's involvement in the Safari consortium which disbands in its current form on March 31.
The three-line grouping will deploy six 1 200 TEU (twenty foot equivalent units) ships on a fixed-day, weekly container service.
The intended rotation is Hong Kong-Shekou-Singapore-Port Kelang-Durban-Cape Town-Port Kelang-Singapore-Hong Kong, and the service will start April 5 with the sailing of the K-Line vessel "Malaysia Bridge".
ASA will provide a transit time of 17-days between Hong Kong and Durban,
and - using its extensive Asian feeder networks -
will service a full range
of other ports in Asia,
Australia, the Indian sub-continent and the West Coast of the USA via Singapore and Port Kelang.
"We are extremely pleased with this new development," said Mike Atter. m.d. of Rennies Ships Agency, the agents for K-Line, "and are certain that it will provide importers and exporters with outstanding service."
Mozambique will be covered by a feeder service, Atter told FTW. "We are
also currently investigating a feeder service to Port Elizabeth and East London," he added.