HYUNDAI PHASES IN BIGGER SHIPS IN PSW TRANSPACIFIC SERVICE

HYUNDAI PHASES IN BIGGER SHIPS IN PSW TRANSPACIFIC SERVICE    As part of the New World Alliance, Hyundai Merchant Marine is phasing in the first of five new 6,372-TEU containerships into its weekly transpacific PSW service.
   The first vessel in the series, the Hyundai Kingdom, is scheduled to start its maiden voyage in Busan on Sunday (Feb. 18).
   The ship replaces the 5,551-TEU Hyundai Liberty, which will then be deployed in the New World Alliance’s Asia/north Europe AEX service. The other vessels currently serving the PSW are also expected to join the Asia/Europe trade once they have been phased out.
   The deployment of five larger vessels in the New World Alliance’s PSW service represents an extra annual one-way capacity of about 45,000 TEUs in the transpacific trade.
   The schedule for phasing in the other 6,372-TEU containerships, all built by Hyundai affiliate Hyundai Heavy Industries, will see the Hyundai Republic enter the service in March, the Hyundai National in April, the Hyundai Dominion in May and lastly the Hyundai Patriot in June.
   The PSW service calls Long Beach, Oakland, Tacoma, Busan, Kwangyang, Hong Kong, Yantian, Kaohsiung, Busan, long Beach, Oakland and Tacoma.
   Besides Hyundai, the other members of the New World Alliance are APL and Mitsui O.S.K. Lines.
   Hyundai is the latest carrier to have announced an increase in its transpacific capacity, as large vessels ordered in the last two years are being delivered.