The current backlog in transshipment cargo from the port of Colombo in Sri Lanka to Visakhapatnam, India will be causing delays that are expected to last until the end of March, according to the German container shipping company Hapag-Lloyd.
Therefore, the Hamburg-based carrier has decided to suspend the acceptance of all new bookings from North and South Europe to the Indian port, due to the transshipment delays over Colombo.
“We will temporarily stop the acceptance of all new bookings from North and South Europe to Visakhapatnam with immediate effect,” confirmed Hapag-Lloyd in an announcement on 23 February.
The company said that existing bookings will not be cancelled, but they are subject to delays in Colombo.
Meanwhile, Hapag-Lloyd has already announced several blank sailings for its South East India – Europe Express (IEX) service, which connects North Europe and the Mediterranean with Bangladesh, South and East India and Sri Lanka.
The service’s schedule updates will happen between the months of April and May and are split between westbound (WB) and eastbound (EB) directions, according to the company’s advisory.
Below, there is the vessel deployment for Hapag-Lloyd’s IEX service:
| Vessel Name | WB Voyage | EB Voyage | Krishnapatnam (IN) Departure WB | Rotterdam (NL) Departure EB |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amoliani | 2209W | 2218E | 17 April | 15 May |
| Seaspan Kobe | 2210W | 2219E | 24 April | 22 May |
| No vessel | 1 May | 29 May | ||
| Tokyo Bay | 2212W | 2221E | 8 May | 5 June |
| Xin Tianjin | 2213W | 2222E | 15 May | 12 June |
Hapag-Lloyd noted that on the westbound direction, the scheduled departure from Visakhapatnam, India on 1 May will not be taking place and has published the following alternative to this sailing.
| Service Name and code | Vessel Name | Vessel Voyage | Estimated Time of Departure |
|---|---|---|---|
| South East India – Europe Express (IEX) | Seaspan Kobe | 2210W | 24 April |
| South East India – Europe Express (IEX) | Tokyo Bay | 2212W | 8 May |
On the eastbound direction, the scheduled departure from Rotterdam, Netherlands on 29 May will not be taking place, according to the German box line, which has also announced the following alternatives:
| Service Name and code | Vessel Name | Vessel Voyage | Estimated Time of Departure |
|---|---|---|---|
| South East India – Europe Express (IEX) | Seaspan Kobe | 2219E | 22 May |
| South East India – Europe Express (IEX) | Tokyo Bay | 2221E | 5 June 5 |
