HMM to complete Asia-Europe Express upgrade

Hyundai Merchant Marine(HMM) will complete the capacity upgrade of its Asia-Europe Express (AEX) service in April with the delivery of the last of eight 6,800 TEU vessels, Hyundai Jakarta.

Hyundai Jakarta phases into the AEX service at Gwangyang on Apr 8 replacing the 5,511 TEU Hyundai General, a move that will complete an upgrade that started in Mar 2006.

Later this month, the sixth and seventh vessels of the 6,800 TEU class, Hyundai Bangkok and Hyundai Colombo, phase into the service at Kwangyang.

Effectively, the delivery of the last vessel will mean Hyundai has increased capacity on the AEX by 23% from March 2006 to April 2007 on the AEX.

The AEX is one of four services on the Asia-Europe trade run by the member lines of the New World Alliance.