With all eyes on the delivery of vessels in the 18,000+ TEU capacity frame to the Asia/Europe trade, UASC has decided to deploy the next 14,000+ newbuilding, named Al Nasriyah, on to the AEC1/AEX1/FAL8, signalling a possible rethink on the phasing in of megaship capacity in the 18,000+ TEU range on the Asia/North Europe trade.

The Asia/Europe AEC1/AEX1/FAL8 service has been systematically upgraded with 18,800 TEU UASC and 18,980 TEU CSCL newbuildings since November 2014, but UASC has decided to phase in the fifth of eleven 14,993-TEU Hyundai newbuildings on the service from the beginning of October, a month in which UASC is also scheduled to take delivery of the third of six new 18,800 TEU newbuildings, named Al Zubara.

The UASC 18,800 TEU newbuilding delivery programme is as follows: 1. Barzan, delivered May 2015 and deployed on AEC1/AEX1/FAL8; 2. Al Murakyh, delivery August 2015 and deployed on AEC1/AEX1/FAL8; 3. Al Zubara, delivery October 2015; 4. Al Nefud, delivery November 2015; 5. Al Dahna, delivery December 2015; Tihama, delivery January 2016.

While there is no indication from UASC that there could be a delay in the delivery of Al Zubara and consequent 18,800 TEU vessels, the delivery programme does come at the beginning of the Asia/Europe slack season.

Another strong indication that there could be a rethink underway on the Asia/North Europe trade for the fourth quarter has come from the O3 Alliance lines, UASC, China Shipping and CMA-CGM on the same service. The O3 lines will cancel the Week 41 sailing of the Asia/Europe AEC1/AEX1/FAL8 service to adjust capacity to meet market demand. Service port rotation is Qingdao, Shanghai, Ningbo, Yantian, Port Kelang, Felixstowe, Rotterdam, Hamburg, Zeebrugge, Rotterdam, Port Kelang, Yantian and Qingdao.

Further indications that lines are, in some places, struggling for cargo has come from the G6 Alliance lines, APL, Hapag-Lloyd, HMM, MOL, NYK and OOCL. The lines have added two extra ports, Fuzhou and Nansha, to their jointly-operated Asia/North Europe service known as Loop 6, from late July.

Under the new port rotation, Loop 6 will cover Fuzhou, Kaohsiung, Xiamen, Nansha, Shekou, Hong Kong, Singapore, Colombo, Southampton, Antwerp, Hamburg, Rotterdam, Jebel Ali, Shekou and Fuzhou.

Present deployment comprises 11 x 10,000/13,000 TEU vessels, but the lines have yet to confirm whether this will be increased as the new port calls are added. First call at Fuzhou was made on July 23/24 by APL Le Havre.

By Paul Richardson

Sea Freight Correspondent | London