Maersk has uncoupled Angola Maersk Line, and has almost completely uncoupled Angola from other ports as it removes Portugal and Algeciras from its WAF 5 route, reports AXS-Alphaliner News.
Chronic congestion in Luanda causes delays to ships with other ports of call, said the French news and analyses agency. MSC, CMA CGM and NileDutch Shipping, with high volumes into Angola, have also cut dedicated services there and have consigned these ports to secondary feeders "as far as possible", it said.
Thus, Luanda will now be linked through the Maersk network via Las Palma in the Canary Islands, which will act as a secondary hub.
The Luanda connecting WAF 5 service will be restricted to tertiary ports such as Las Palma to Mindelo in Cape Verde, and then Luanda, before running south to Walvis Bay in Namibia. At Las Palma, North Europe cargo can be transhipped on the SAECS service while a new Maersk dedicated Algeciras-Las Palma feeder service provides links to the Mediterranean.
What impact this has on plans between the Port of Luanda and AP Moller-Maersk to build a container terminal there is not publicly known. In August, Luanda Port chairman Silvio Barros Vinhas said that a contract was awarded to Sogester to operate the new terminal, which among other new port facilities would be needed to meet rising freight traffic.
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