G6 Alliance Extends Void Sailings

Hapag-Lloyd More void sailings have been added to the G6 Alliances Asia-Europe service in response to the changes in market demand. The alliance, consisting of APL, Hapag-Lloyd, Hyundai Merchant Marine, Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Nippon Yusen Kaisha and Orient Overseas Container Line, said that the changes would be made to Loop 6. The void sailings, which are scheduled to take effect from week 19, would continue for an additional period of eight weeks. The alliance said that further service adjustments are possible, but no details were disclosed. Until Loop 6 service resumes, the G6 Alliance said that it will continue to provide rotations in: Loop 4 (Ningbo – Shanghai (Yangshan) – Xiamen – Shekou – Hong Kong – Yantian – Singapore – Colombo – Southampton – Antwerp – Hamburg – Rotterdam – Jeddah – Jebel Ali – Singapore – Hong Kong – Ningbo) and Loop 5 (Kwangyang – Pusan – Shanghai (Yangshan) – Ningbo – Kaohsiung – Yantian  Singapore – Le Havre – Rotterdam – Hamburg – Southampton – Singapore – Shekou – Kaohsiung – Kwangyang). The Loop 6 service is expected to continue operations from week 27, on July 7. Following the acquisition of Singapore’s Neptune Orient Lines (NOL), the parent company of APL container shipping firm, by the French liner giant CMA CGM, the G6 Alliance said that the purchase might influence the current service structure but it was not confirmed when.