From July 2016, Swire Shipping will launch a new service and upgrade its multipurpose liner network to key markets in Asia Pacific.
Jeremy Sutton, Swire Shipping’s General Manager, Liner Trades, said, “Swire Shipping has provided multipurpose liner service for more than 140 years. We are continuously looking at ways to upgrade our services and network to offer greater frequency, faster transit time and better coverage for our key markets in the Pacific.”
Launch of Pacific Islands service
Swire Shipping will launch a new twice monthly direct service from Australia to New Caledonia, Vanuatu and Fiji, offering flexible containerised and breakbulk solutions.
The Pacific Islands service provides connections to Tarawa (Kiribati), Majuro (Marshall Islands), Apia (Samoa), Pago Pago (American Samoa) and Nuku’alofa (Tonga) and further improves Swire Shipping’s Fiji to Vanuatu connection with three sailings per month. (Please refer to the Pacific Islands service map attached.)
Swire Shipping will deploy two Miho-Class vessels which are purpose built for the South Pacific trades to service this route. Port rotation: Melbourne/ Sydney/ Brisbane/ Noumea/ Prony Bay/ Suva/ Port Vila/ Santo/ Prony Bay/ Melbourne.
In conjunction with the Pacific Islands service, Swire Shipping will enhance its existing network coverage to bring about faster and more flexible multipurpose liner services to Asia, Australia, New Zealand, PNG and key Pacific Islands markets.
Australia to PNG/ Solomon Islands
Swire Shipping’s Australia to PNG service will offer a faster and market-leading eight-day frequency from Australia (Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney) to PNG (Port Moresby and Lae). The Australia to the Solomon Islands service frequency will be improved to 16 days.
Swire Shipping’s connection from New Zealand and Fiji to PNG will be boosted with the addition of a Port Moresby call on every sailing. The service frequency from New Zealand and Fiji to PNG will be improved to 16 days.
Asia to Pacific
Swire Shipping will enhance port rotation from Asia to the Pacific, offering a monthly frequency and market leading transit times to Fiji, Samoa, American Samoa and Tonga. Each month, there will be up to five direct calls from PNG to Asia and two direct services from Fiji (Lautoka and Suva) to PNG (Port Moresby and Lae).
Port rotation: Qingdao/ Busan/ Yokohama/ Majuro/ Tarawa/ Lautoka/ Suva/ Pago Pago/ Apia/ Nuku’alofa/ Santo/ Tarawa/ Majuro.
Source: Swire Shipping