APL has launched its India Pakistan Express 2 service, a new weekly service which directly connects India, the Middle East and five major North European ports.

According to APL, the IP2 service is designed to strengthen its offerings in the Indian subcontinent and enhance service coverage in the European markets of Belgium, France, Germany, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.

The new service will have a port rotation of: Jebel Ali – Karachi – Nhava Sheva – Mundra – Jeddah – Rotterdam – Hamburg – London Gateway – Antwerp – Le Havre – Jeddah – Jebel Ali.

The first sailing will depart from Jebel Ali on April 1, 2018.

The IP2 service offers shippers an additional gateway into and out of the UK via London Gateway, complementing market access via Southampton and Felixstowe through APL’s India Pakistan Express service.

Transhipment options will also be available at the hubs of Jeddah and Jebel Ali, and outbound cargo from India will be handled through a network of inland container depots located across the country before heading for the ports of Mundra and Nhava Sheva, according to APL.