The port, township and the city of Christchurch were prominent in the minds of many. The suggestion of NYK Lyttelton really struck a chord with NYK Line and felt it was appropriate to rename the vessel in recognition of Lyttelton, as it has always been a regular port in NYK Line’s weekly service.NYK felt that choosing to rename the vessel NYK Lyttelton, was a way of giving recognition to the efforts of the management and staff of Lyttelton Port Company who had ensured the port returned to operation in swift time after two significant natural disasters. NYK also acknowledged the value and security brought to the local community by the efforts of the LPC Staff in swiftly resuming shipping services that had been somewhat understated but hadn’t gone unnoticed.
LPC Chief Executive Peter Davie says the arrival of the vessel has a special significance for the port
“For NYK to acknowledge Lyttelton in this way is a huge positive show of support for the port and the community in challenging times.” The container ship NYK Lyttelton is part of the North-Asian consortium service providing a weekly connection to importers and exports of the Canterbury region. The vessel will depart Lyttelton on Tuesday, 24 May for Napier, as part of its normal service.
This is the only NYK vessel named after a port. And, apart from one sailing ship and local tugs, it is just the sixth commercial ship named after Lyttelton. There have been two Port Lytteltons (1916 and 1947), The Union Lyttelton (1977), the P&O Nedlloyd Lyttelton (1998) and the TPC Lyttelton (2010).