World’s largest car-carrier operator calling Hambantota Port on Wednesday

Monday, 11 June 2012 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Japan’s NYK Line, the world largest car-carrier vessel operator, is scheduled to call at the Magam Ruhunupura Mahinda Rajapaksa Port from 13 June 2012, with the calling of Mv Cygnus Leader v.041.

Cygnus Leader, which has the capacity to carry 6,500 units of vehicles onboard, will call at the Hambantota Port en route from Japan to the Middle East. It will discharge around 900 vehicles and machinery originating from Japan, Germany, UK and Thailand on its first call at the Hambantota Port.

This goes in line with the Sri Lankan Government’s strategic plans to develop Hambantota as a transhipment hub.

Cygnus Leader, built in 2007 in Japan, with a length overall of 199.94 metres and a gross registered tonnage of 61,775 tons, is one of the larger car-carrier vessels in operation today.

Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha (NYK Line) is one of the world’s leading transportation companies.

At the end of March 2012, the NYK Group was operating 838 major ocean vessels, as well as fleets of planes, trains and trucks. The company’s shipping fleet includes 148 containerships, 354 bulk carriers, 56 woodchip carriers, 121 car carriers, 85 tankers, 28 LNG carriers, three cruise ships and 43 other ships.

NYK’s revenue in fiscal 2011 was about $ 22 billion, and as a group NYK employs about 55,000 people worldwide. NYK is based in Tokyo and has regional headquarters in London, New York, Singapore, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Sydney, and Sao Paulo.