Maersk Line returns to Port of New Orleans

The arrival of the Maersk Kotka Feb 9th to the Napoleon Avenue Container Terminal signaled Maersk Line’s return of vessel service to the Port of New Orleans. The weekly Northern European service is teamed with a weekly Mediterranean service through the 2M Alliance Maersk formed with Mediterranean Shipping Company. Maersk and Mediterranean Shipping Company are the largest- and second-largest container carriers in the world.
 
The 7,400-twenty-foot-equivalent-unit Maersk Kotka serves as the largest ship in the seven-vessel service.
 
“We’re thrilled to welcome back Maersk vessels to New Orleans,” said Port President and CEO Gary LaGrange. “For the last three years Maersk has offered service to New Orleans customers through slot charter agreements with various carriers. These new services will bolster Maersk’s presence in the Port and offer additional options for customers in our highest volume trade routes.”
 
The new vessels in the Mediterranean-Gulf service are scheduled to begin calling New Orleans on Feb. 15 with the arrival of the 6,200-TEU MSC Zambia. These two 2M services are in addition to MSC’s Caribbean Gulf Service and Central American Express Service.
 
Based in Copenhagen, Denmark, Maersk’s fleet consists of 580 container vessels worldwide. The 2M Alliance is a 10-year vessel-sharing agreement between the two carriers aimed at increasing efficiencies for shippers. In 2014, the Port reported moving a record 490,526 TEUs through its Napoleon Avenue Container Terminal – an 8.8 percent increase from one year ago.