ANL is adding a third ship to the WestPac service to increase frequency from three-weekly to fortnightly.
The 1,103 TEU Scion Mafada will transfer from the PAX 1 loop to join the WestPac service, with an ETA of 25 November in Brisbane and will accept cargo to ports in PNG, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu. Following her initial voyage she will call all “usual” ports within the WestPac service thereafter: Tauranga, Auckland, Noumea, Brisbane, Townsville (alternate voyages), Motukea Island, Lae, Kimbe (alternate voyages), Rabaul (alternate voyages), Honiara, Santo, Port Vila, Tauranga.
“The addition of the third vessel will allow us to improve frequency to the alternately called ports of Townsville, Kimbe and Rabaul on this service from six-weekly to four- weekly, with all other ports to be fortnightly calls,” ANL said.
“Additionally it allows for a better connection for cargo ex North and South East Asia in to the important markets of Solomon Islands and Vanuatu improving transit times and frequency.
“Any bookings currently in place for loading on Sofrana Surville V505 ex Australia can of course be brought forward to the earlier Scion Mafalda if you wish; this will give an earlier arrival at destination in the lead up to Christmas.”
Scion Mafada joins the 1,338 TEU Baldur and the 1,037 TEU Sofrana Surville on WestPac.
Meanwhile, Scion Mafada’s place on the PAX Loop One will be taken, for a few months at least, by the much larger The Whale Shark, a 22,863 GT general cargo ship with box-shaped holds and a 109-tonne combined crane capacity – better know in these waters under its previous identity, AAL Shipping’s AAL Jupiter.
PAX Loop 1 rotates Singapore, Surabaya, Dili, Darwin and, this month and next, Wyndham with second ship the 1,103 TEU Contship Yen while Loop Two sails Singapore, Batam,. Dapier, Port Hedland with the three MCP-type 618 TEU geared sisters ANL Darwin Tradder, ANL Hedland Trader and ANL Burrup Trader.