-
Enhanced service to begin calling Auckland from July
Maersk Line has announced that its Southern Star service will return to the Port of Auckland from July.
The world’s largest shipping line rerouted the string from Auckland to the neighbouring Port of Tauranga in December 2011 at the height of the dispute between Ports of Auckland and the Maritime Union. The decision cost Ports of Auckland an estimated NZ$20 million a year in lost revenues.
“This new service, with bigger ships and larger exchanges of containers cements our position as the import port of choice,” said Ports of Auckland CEO, Tony Gibson.
“It also requires increased productivity from us, something our work over the last year has shown we can deliver, and there is potential for more.”
In a statement, Ports of Auckland said that it has been working to lift productivity by restructuring, improving processes, and by implementing a new shift and roster system for over a third of stevedores. These changes have seen productivity at Ports of Auckland lift significantly over the last year.
The Southern Star service includes the deployment of five vessels, which will be upgraded from its current 1,900 TEU capacity to 2,800 TEU.
