The 2M Alliance will change its UK port call from Felixstowe to Liverpool on its TA2/NEUATL2 transatlantic service from next week.
Maersk Line and Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), the 2M partners, have taken this decision in order to “provide stability to the service, while optimising the network.”
At the same time, the fourth Transatlantic string (TA4), which has been suspended, will not return until further notice, according to Maersk, which confirmed in its announcement that “After a careful evaluation of our network covering the North Europe to/from North America, we will change our UK Port call from Felixstowe to Liverpool.”
The last sailing from Felixstowe will be next week, week 51, by the 8,800TEU MSC Athens, while the first TA2/NEUATL2 service call at the port of Liverpool is scheduled for week 52 by the 6,500TEU Maersk Sembawang.
Eastbound Effect
| Week | Service | Voyage | Last vessel Felixstowe |
|---|---|---|---|
|
51
|
TA2
|
048E
|
MSC Athens
|
| Week | Service | Voyage | First vessel Liverpool |
|---|---|---|---|
|
52
|
TA2
|
049E
|
Maersk Sembawang
|
Westbound Effect
| Week | Service | Voyage | Last vessel Felixstowe |
|---|---|---|---|
|
51
|
TA2
|
051W
|
MSC Athens
|
| Week | Service | Voyage | First vessel Liverpool |
|---|---|---|---|
|
52
|
TA2
|
052W
|
Maersk Sembawang
|
Additionally, the 2M Alliance has announced several blank sailings during a long period from the last week of 2020 to the fifth week of the new year on TA2/NEUATL2 and TA3/NEUATL3 services.
“The increasing severity of the winter weather across the north Atlantic is once again approaching us fast, over recent years this has led to the deterioration in reliability on the trade which Maersk plans to address through a planned winter schedule,” said Maersk in its customer advisory.
The schedule will cover two out of the current three North Europe to United States services, according to the Danish carrier, the TA2/NEUATL2 and TA3/NEUATL3.
The schedules will be updated in the 2M Alliance’s booking system, while Maersk and MSC said they will offer alternative sailings and routings when it is possible.
The new schedules will go into effect as of Week 53 starting on the westbound sailing for TA2 and TA3 and continue running till the end of March.
TA2 Blank Sailing
Westbound
| Week | Service | Voyage | First Load Port / First port date | Last Load Port / Last port date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
53
|
TA2
|
053W
|
Bremerhaven / 27.12.2020
|
Le Havre / 02.01.2021
|
Eastbound
| Week | Service | Voyage | First Load Port / First port date | Last Load Port / Last port date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
02
|
TA2
|
102E
|
Baltimore / 14.01.2021
|
Newark / 21.01.2021
|
Followed by, omitting the below ports on TA2 rotation in respective wks.
Westbound Effect
| Service | Voyage | ETD | Port omission |
|---|---|---|---|
|
TA2
|
106W/108E
|
27.02.2021
|
Norfolk
|
|
TA2
|
107W/104E
|
20.02.2021
|
Le Havre
|
|
TA2
|
108W/105E
|
28.02.2021
|
Liverpool
|
|
TA2
|
109W/111E
|
20.03.2021
|
Norfolk
|
|
TA2
|
110W/107E
|
13.03.2021
|
Le Havre
|
TA3 Blank Sailing
Eastbound
| Week | Service | Voyage | First Load Port / First port date | Last Load Port / Last port date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
01
|
TA3
|
102E
|
Veracruz / 10.01.2021
|
Charleston / 22.01.2021
|
Westbound
| Week | Service | Voyage | First Load Port / First port date | Last Load Port / Last port date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
05
|
TA3
|
105W
|
Antwerp / 01.02.2021
|
Bremerhaven / 05.02.2021
|
“We expect that this programme will vastly improve your experience with Maersk as sudden changes to your cargo plan will be reduced compared to previous years,” added the Copenhagen-based company.
Maersk has also explained in its statement that most carriers struggle with ad hoc omissions to restore vessel schedules which can also lead to subsequent short shipments and delays that create disruptions to customers’ supply chains.
This is the reason that “over a 13 week period we have put measures in place, which also include rotation omissions that will allow us to keep the ships on schedule,” noted Maersk.
