The 14,000 TEU ONE Stork, the first new Ocean Network Express container vessel in the company’s magenta branding, has made its maiden voyage and made its inaugural call at Hongkong International Terminals Limited.

“We are very proud of ONE Stork, the new 14,000 TEU class magenta container ship makes a successful call at HIT,” said Shunichiro Mizukami [centre in photo], managing director and regional head of East Asia at ONE. “This new vessel continues ONE’s commitment to service excellence and quality to our customers.”

The vessel was delivered earlier this month from Japan Marine United Corporation’s Kure shipyard in Hiroshima and is the first of seven in this series.

“Hong Kong’s prime location, world-class infrastructure and proximity to China markets make our city an efficient maritime hub in the region and one of the key international container ports to the global trade,” said Mizukami. “With ONE Stork’s maiden call to Hong Kong, we are very happy to have yet another opportunity to celebrate our cooperation with the city, the port and HIT.”

ONE Stork has been deployed on THE Alliance’s EC4 service connecting Asia with the East Coast of the US, and had already made a call at the Port of Kaohsiung before arriving in Hong Kong. The ship will continue to Yantian, Cai Mep and Singapore, then cross the Suez Canal to New York, Norfolk, Savannah and Charleston, before calling again at New York, Singapore and Kaohsiung on the way back to Asia.

“The arrival of ONE Stork marks not only a milestone in our partnership, it also shows ONE’s confidence in HIT’s operational efficiency,” said Gerry Yim [left in photo], managing director of HIT. “We look forward to strengthening our cooperation and providing the quality service to ONE’s vessels during their stay in Hong Kong.”

The 8,560 TEU ONE Commitment, the shipping line’s first magenta container vessel, has been deployed on THE Alliance’s PN2 service, according to ONE.