CICT attracts new service to Colombo, adds connectivity on USA route

Above: CICT CEO Jack Huang presenting a memento to McLarens Group Managing Director Shehara de Silva in the presence of Ports, Shipping and Aviation Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva (extreme right). Below: Representatives of CICT, Wan Hai Lines, McLarens Group and SLPA at the maiden call of the new AA7 service 

Colombo International Container Terminals (CICT) has announced the maiden call of a new service to the Port of Colombo that will connect Sri Lanka with the East Coast of the United States via Asia, strengthening another important trade route for exporters and importers and making Sri Lanka more accessible to global markets.

Launched on 16 May, this new shipping service ‘AA7’ is operated by Wan Hai Lines as the lead line and Hapag Lloyd as the partner line. It will call at CICT on a weekly basis, as part of a port rotation that includes Shanghai > Ningbo (including Zhoushan) > Taipei> Shekou (Shenzhen) > Cai Mep > Singapore > Colombo > New York > Norfolk (including Portsmouth) > Charleston> Savannah, and then back to Shanghai.

Commenting on the launch of the new shipping service, CICT CEO Jack Huang said, “One of our key contributions to the Port of Colombo is our ability to attract new services that enhance connectivity and volumes. This is due to the efficiency and productivity standards that we have achieved and consistently maintained throughout the operational years. CICT, being part of the global network of China Merchants Port Holdings Company Ltd., has invested to add deep-water capacity and introduce state-of-the-art infrastructure and processes which have enabled our customers to enjoy international service levels. We are delighted to welcome the new AA7 service of Wan Hai Lines to Colombo and look forward to facilitating many more new services at CICT and the Port of Colombo.”

The WAN HAI A10 cargo vessel docking at CICT has a total capacity of 13,500 TEUs and is 335 metres in length. CICT has already brought some of the largest vessels plying the Asia-Europe routes to Colombo. These include Evergreen Ever Ace (24,000 TEU), Milan Maersk (20,568 TEU), MSC Maya (19,224 TEU), Mogens Maersk (18,300 TEU), MSC New York (16,652 TEU), CMA CGM Marco Polo (16,020 TEU), Edith Maersk and EMC Thalassa Hellas (each 14,000 plus TEUs), which are regular callers at Colombo.

CICT manages the South Terminal of the Port of Colombo, the first and only operating deep-water terminal in South Asia, which is equipped with facilities to handle the largest vessels afloat. Since its

inception in 2014, the terminal has incrementally grown the volume it has handled; from 686,639 teus in 2014, to just over 3.2 million teus in 2021. CICT has been recognised as the best container terminal in Asia in the under 4 million TEUs category for six consecutive years from 2017 to 2022 at the Asian Freight, Logistics and Supply Chain (AFLAS) awards.

CICT is the flagship overseas terminal of China Merchants Port Holdings Company Ltd. (CMPort). CMPort is the largest and a globally-competitive public port developer, investor and operator in China with investments in Mainland China, Hong Kong and overseas. CMPort has a port network portfolio spanning 50 ports in 26 countries and regions. Guided by the vision “To be a world class comprehensive port service provider” and supported by its domestic, overseas and innovation strategies, CMPort strives to strengthen its core competencies in global throughput, port service and management.