MEDITERRANEAN Shipping company has issued an updated rotation for its standalone Eagle service from Australia and New Zealand to East Coast USA, due to commence in February 2026.
The carrier says windows and transit times have now been confirmed, after the new service was first announced on 23 July.
MSC has now added Wellington calls, for a revised rotation of Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Wellington, Tauranga, Rodman, Cristobal, Philadelphia, Savannah, Freeport, Rodman, Papeete, Auckland, Sydney, using 11 vessels expected to be c. 3,500 TEU.
MSC is flagging fast north/eastbound transit times to Philadelphia, from Tauranga in 25 days and from Brisbane in 33 days. For importers, “very competitive” transit times will be offered from Philadelphia, getting to Auckland in 30 days and to Sydney in 34 days. Shippers will benefit from connections in Rodman and Cristobal, which present fast direct options to South America and the Caribbean.
DCN understands it was always the intention to add a second NZ export call, with Wellington winning out due to the ability to connect with MSC’s Wallaby and Noumea Shuttle services.
The Port of Tauranga last week announced it had been forced to turn away a “proposed new service to the Americas” due to berth unavailability but it would seem port and carrier have found a way to accommodate Eagle.
Separately, MSC will add a fifth ship to the Noumea Shuttle when the 2,546 TEU MSC Lidia returns via a southbound Koala service voyage at the end of this month.