The company also reached an agreement with NOL Group* for a three-year charter of five large containerships (14,000 TEU) of 10 that NOL Group has on order. The five chartered ships will be delivered in 2013 – 2014 and will serve with the other five operated by APL on Asia-Europe routes.
“Expansion of the fleet will secure needed capacity on the East-West route, and allow us to provide high-quality, competitive services. MOL works continuously to further improve and optimise its service, and is reviewing the need for an expansion of the fleet on not only East-West trades but also all other routes for the benefit of our customers,” said Junichiro Ikeda, CEO, MOL Liner.
(*) NOL (Neptune Orient Lines), based in Singapore, is the parent company of APL, one of MOL’s partners in The New World Alliance (TNWA).