Hoegh Autoliners, the Norwegian ocean car carrier, will launch service between the Middle East, India and Africa next month.
The initial sailing will be in the first week of July and will handle both rolling and static cargo.
The monthly sailings will call at Jebel Ali, Mumbai, Chennai, Durban/Maputo, Luanda and Tema. Further ports can be added "subject to inducement", the carrier said.
Connecting services to the U.S., the Indian Ocean and Australia will be available via Durban and Maputo.
Hoegh has long served the Middle East from Europe and the U.S. and since 2008 from the Middle East.
"Adding outbound services to India [and] South and West Africa will enable Hoegh Autoliners to offer service from the Middle East and India to major developing markets," the carrier said.
The new service is being launched during a steep slump in the global seaborne car trade though other roll on/ roll off and break bulk cargoes have held up better.
Rival Oslo-based carrier Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics [WWL] has said it expects to idle up to 20 percent of its 60 ship fleet this year as ocean shipments of cars have fallen by between 30 percent and 40 percent from a year ago.
Hoegh Autoliners operates around 70 pure car and truck carriers and transported two million car equivalent units in 2008.
The initial sailing will be in the first week of July and will handle both rolling and static cargo.
The monthly sailings will call at Jebel Ali, Mumbai, Chennai, Durban/Maputo, Luanda and Tema. Further ports can be added "subject to inducement", the carrier said.
Connecting services to the U.S., the Indian Ocean and Australia will be available via Durban and Maputo.
Hoegh has long served the Middle East from Europe and the U.S. and since 2008 from the Middle East.
"Adding outbound services to India [and] South and West Africa will enable Hoegh Autoliners to offer service from the Middle East and India to major developing markets," the carrier said.
The new service is being launched during a steep slump in the global seaborne car trade though other roll on/ roll off and break bulk cargoes have held up better.
Rival Oslo-based carrier Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics [WWL] has said it expects to idle up to 20 percent of its 60 ship fleet this year as ocean shipments of cars have fallen by between 30 percent and 40 percent from a year ago.
Hoegh Autoliners operates around 70 pure car and truck carriers and transported two million car equivalent units in 2008.