Four ex-Hanjin 4,275 TEU vessels have found deployment by Korea Maritime Transport Co (KMTC) on the intra-Asia trades.

KMTC, one of the shipping lines involved in the buyout of various Hanjin shipping assets, will deploy the four vessels on its intra-Asia service network during February and March, boosting the KMTC fleet deployment status with larger vessels on trades covering South Korea, Indonesia and China.

During late February, the 4,275 TEU Hanjin Piraeus, recently renamed the KMTC Nhava Sheva, will join the Korea/Indonesia 1 (KI1) service operated by KMTC, HMM, Sinokor, and Heung-A. This vessel joins the previously deployed sister vessel, the KMTC Chennai (ex-Hanjin Durban), on the same service.

KI1 port coverage is: Kwangyang, Ulsan, Pusan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Jakarta, Surabaya, Hong Kong, Shangai, and Kwangyang.

Also during late February, sister vessel the KMTC Manila, previously operated by Hanjin as the Hanjin Manila, will join the Korea/Indonesia 2 (KI2) service, operated by the same lines as the KI1 service. The present KI2 service operates with a mix of 2,800/3,500 TEU vessels, so effectively the addition of the ex-Hanjin vessel will signal the beginning of a weekly capacity boost of almost a third.

KI2 port coverage is Incheon, Dalian, Tianjin, Pusan, Singapore, Jakarta, Pusan and Incheon.

Separately, KMTC will phase in another ex-Hanjin sister vessel, the 4,275 TEU Hanjin Rio de Janeiro, on to the KMTC/Cheng Lie/TS Lines-operated KCM2 service during the second half of February. The vessel will be renamed the KMTC Jebel Ali.

KCM2 port coverage is: Qingdao, Pusan, Kwangyang, Shanghai, Shekou, Port Kelang, Penang, Pasir Gudang, Hong Kong and Qingdao.

Asia Cargo News