The AES 3 is a service operated jointly by Yang Ming Marine Transport Corporation (Yang Ming) and Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha Limited (K Line) and will operate between Northern Europe and China. Featuring four 4,300-teu vessels and a fortnightly frequency, the first vessel due at Thamesport on December 28, 2007, will be the new-build Yang Ming Vancouver.
Chris Lewis, Chief Executive Officer of Hutchison Ports (UK) Limited, owners of Thamesport (London) Limited, commented:
'We are extremely pleased to be chosen to host this new and significant service. Thamesport has a long-established reputation as a key player in the deep-sea container trade market, and this decision by Yang Ming and K Line serves to confirm this. The Port has benefited from a considerable program of investment in recent months, and its first-class service and strategic position makes it an attractive port of choice for UK importers and exporters.'
The service, whilst initially offering a fortnightly sailing from Thamesport, will gradually upgrade to a weekly service commencing June 2008, as the Lines introduce a series of 8,200 teu vessels:
The service has the following port rotation: Thamesport, Antwerp, Rotterdam, Jeddah, Singapore, Qingdao, Tianjin, Shanghai, Shekou, Singapore, Jeddah, Port Said and Thamesport.
