DIRECT KARACHI LINK FOR ABU DHABI TERMINAL

A new direct weekly service to and from the port of Karachi, Pakistan, is now calling at Khalifa Port Container Terminal (KPCT) in Abu Dhabi. Operated by Taiwan based Wan Hai Lines, the Pakistan Saudi Express Service (PSX) will offer importers and exporters the opportunity to service Karachi without the need for transhipment or feedering. The estimated transit time of 3 days between Abu Dhabi and Karachi will offer significant time savings for local trade customers, the port says.

The PSX Service was originally launched in October last year, providing a fast connection from the Saudi Gulf port of Damman to Karachi. Wan Hai has now decided to extend the port rotation, which now includes Jebel Ali, Abu Dhabi, Dammam, Bahrain and Jubail, as well as Karachi.

“With bilateral trade increasing between the two countries and the growing demand from some of our Abu Dhabi-based customers, Pakistan has been on our wish list of direct destinations for some time,” said Arshad Kunnummal, commercial director of the container terminal operator, Abu Dhabi Terminals (ADT).

ADT also recently celebrated the maiden call of the world’s largest container ro-ro vessel, Jolly Titanio owned by the Italian shipping line, Messina. Jolly Titanio is 240m long and has 6,350 m of ro-ro cargo capacity as well as space for 3900 teu of containers. The vessel will call at Khalifa port every 15 days with a port rotation of Castellon-Genoa-Salerno-Aqaba-Port Sudan-Jeddah-Djibouti-Bandar Abbas-Jebel Ali-Abu Dhabi-Jubail-Djibouti-Jeddah-Misurata.

Martijn van de Linde, chief executive of ADT, said: “Messina Line is one of our longest standing customers since their first vessel arrived in Abu Dhabi in 1995. We value our strong longtime relationship with Messina Line and look forward to welcoming the Jolly Titanio again on her future voyages.”