APL to Start New North Asia US West Coast Service

zoom Singapore-based container line APL is launching a new weekly U.S.-flagged service that will, as of November, connect North Asia with the U.S. West Coast. The port rotation of the service named Eagle Express (EX1) is: Qingdao – Shanghai – Busan – Los Angeles – Oakland – Dutch Harbor – Yokohama – Busan – Naha – Qingdao – Shanghai. APL will deploy six vessels with a nominal capacity of 5,100 TEUs each for the service. The first sailing of the Eagle Express service will depart Qingdao on November 1, 2015. With end-to-end operational control by APL, this service is said to feature speedy transits to Los Angeles 13 days from Shanghai and 11 days from Busan. Additionally, Tuesday vessel arrival in Los Angeles assures same-week local cargo availability, according to APL. “The Eagle Express service is characterized by a well-formulated network design which will be optimally supported by a dedicated fleet of APL vessels as well as our highly-efficient terminal and rail operations,” said Kenneth Glenn, APL President.