Maersk Line launches Europe-India ICON service

Container shipper Maersk Line, one of the biggest shipping companies of the world, said today it had launched a new service from south and east India to north Europe.

The ICON (India-Colombo-North Europe) service will have a direct, dedicated and fast coverage from Chennai to north Europe, a company release said here.

The ICON service will deploy 7x3,400 TEU vessels and operate with the following port rotation - Chennai-Colombo- Salalah-Zeebrugge-Felixstowe-Rotterdam-Bremerhaven-Salalah- Colombo, it said.

Maersk Line managing director (India and Sri Lanka) Rizwan Soomar said "with excellent transit times from Chennai to Felixstowe (UK), this is a fast product and well-suited for all our customers in time-sensitive industries like apparel and retail.

This also addresses our customers ''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 will also carry special hanging garments containers to ensure garments arrive in good condition, ready to place directly into retail outlets.

The service will also provide a wide coverage of the Scandinavian and Russian markets via Bremerhaven, Germany, the release said, adding the first vessel from Chennai is scheduled for 14 March.