Liner Moves

Dec 28, 2009 (LBO) - The Sri Lanka Ports Authority said it has managed to win back the custom of Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), a global container shipping line.



SLPA chairman Priyath Wickrama said improved efficiency and productivity demonstrated by the JCT staff helped win back the MSC service.

MSC's 'Golden Gate Pendulum Service' began weekly calls at the state-owned SLPA's Jaya Container Terminal on December 24, it said in a statement.

The service provides weekly calls every Thursday.

Its port rotation is New York Baltimore - Savannah - Port Everglades Freeport (Grand Bahamas) - Suez (transit) - Jeddah - Colombo - Singapore - Chiwan Hong Kong - Shanghai - Ningbo - Singapore Salala New York.

The SLPA said it expects MSC, the world’s second-largest container shipping line, to do more than 1,800 container moves per vessel.

The return of MSC's service to the JCT is an 'endorsement' by the liner community of the SLPA's development plans, including the Colombo Port Expansion Project, and building of a new port in southern Hambantota, it said.