Maersk Line merges MECL1 and ME4 services

maersk Line(India and Sri Lanka cluster), the core liner shipping company of the A.P. Moller-Maersk Group, announced the merger of its MECL1 and ME4 services to optimise business from the India subcontinent to East Coast North America and West Mediterranean. The MECL1 and ME4 services from being standalone products will combine into one service, providing customers direct connections to and from North America, while adding an Algeciras call on the current MECL1 service in order to cater to the West Mediterranean destinations, West Africa and East Coast South America. This product will now also provide additional coverage from Pipavav to the Western Mediterranean destinations.

Franck Dedenis, Managing Director Designate-Maersk Line (India and Sri Lanka), said, “Maersk Line’s MECL1 service will now also call Algeciras in addition to its traditional ports, servicing a part of the West Mediterranean, Africa and East Coast South America, which were earlier a part of the ME4 service, in addition to the East Coast north America and the Middle East. In effect, this one service will call on four geographies.” The traditional fast transit times on the MECL1 service will now apply for Spain, the Africas East Coast South America as well. The service will continue to maintain its 93%+ schedule reliability as reported by Drewry for Q1 2013. An additional direct call into Savannah has been added into the service to improve its North America coverage. Also, an additional ship has been added into the network, improving on-schedule reliability and service to the geographies MECL1 caters to.