Maersk Line launches fast & direct India-Europe service: the ICON service

Maersk Line announces the launch of a new service from South & East India to North Europe. The new service (called the ICON service - India Colombo North Europe service) will have a direct, dedicated and fast coverage from Chennai to North Europe.

The ICON service will deploy 7x3400 TEU vessels and operate with the following port rotation: Chennai – Colombo – Salalah – Zeebrugge – Felixstowe - Rotterdam – Bremerhaven –Salalah - Colombo

Said Mr Rizwan Soomar, Managing Director, Maersk Line (India & Sri Lanka), ”With excellent transit times from Chennai (India) to Felixstowe (UK), this is a fast poduct and well suited for all our customers in time sensitive industries like apparel and retail. This also addresses our customer’s long standing demand for a direct product from South India to Europe which helps in achieving better efficiency in supply chains and reducing overheads for our customers.”

The service also boasts of carrying special hanging garment containers fitted with hanger beams to ensure that garments arrive in good condition, ready to place directly into retail outlets.

Continued Mr Soomar, ”South India is a growing manufacturing hub - especially for apparel and retail, and together, they form a major export commodity into North Europe. This service will help take our customer’s products right from the production hub to the consumption hub and will link the two markets with our reliable service.”

The ICON service will also provide a wide coverage of the Scandinavian and Russian markets via Bremerhaven – Germany.

The first vessel from Chennai is scheduled for March 14, 2011.

Key Service Highlights

• Direct and reliable gateway to North Europe - With unmatched reliability and transit times, Maersk Line connects customer’s cargo from India and Sri Lanka to Northern Europe.
• Fast Transit times – Provides excellent transit times from Chennai, India to Felixstowe, UK; and Colombo, Sri Lanka to Felixstowe, UK.
• Dedicated and wide Service coverage – This is the only dedicated service from Chennai to North Europe and will ensure a wide coverage of the Scandinavian and Russian markets via Bremerhaven – Germany.
• Direct service ensures no transshipment - Direct Service from Chennai, India and Colombo, Sri Lanka to Felixstowe, UK, facilitates cargo movement without any transshipment.
• Schedule Reliability* – Maersk Line has been amongst the Top Carriers on Schedule Reliability (Drewry Shipping Consultants) and the ICON service will enjoy the same Scheduled Reliability that customers are used to.
• Special Garment Hanger containers - Hanging garment containers fitted with hanger beams ensure that the customer’s cargo arrives in good condition, ready to place directly into retail outlets. This also reduces the lead time as no additional packing or unpacking is required at origin/destination. EU Advanced Manifest Regulation ready – Maersk Line systems are ready and comply with the new EU Customs requirements, ensuring customers don’t face any hassles with the documentation process.

* Schedule reliability results named by Drewry Shipping Consultants in Q1 2011, ranks Maersk Line as number 1 among major Top 20 carriers in Q4 – 2010 (for the period October–December).