NileDutch joins Turkon’s Med-USA service

Turkon Line’s Med-USA loop will add NileDutch to the Mediterranean portion of the string and add a call at Tangier to the port rotation.

   Turkon Line’s Med-USA loop will add NileDutch to the Mediterranean portion of the service and add a call at Tangier with the Oct. 23 sailing of the Cafer Dede from Alexandria.
   The Med-USA loop’s new rotation will then be Alexandria, Mersin, Ambarli, Izmit, Gemlik, Izmir, Tangier, New York, Norfolk, Savannah, Tangier and Alexandria.
   NileDutch will participate on service through Tangier, where cargo will then be transferred to NileDutch’s West Europe-West Africa loop, which calls on Abidjan, Pointe Noire, Luanda, Lobito and Namibe.
   NileDutch said the development aims to meet the rising demand from exporters in the East Mediterranean for better access to their West African markets.
   The Med-USA loop, which will be jointly operated by NileDutch and Turkon, will run every nine days, NileDutch said.
   Ocean carrier schedule and capacity database BlueWater Reporting illustrates the service currently operates with a rotation of Mersin, Alexandria, Ambarli, Izmit, Gemlik, Izmir, New York, Norfolk, Charleston, Savannah, Alexandria and Mersin.
   The Charleston call appears to be dropped after the Sept. 21 sailing of the Kaan Kalkavan from Mersin, based on Turkon’s current online service schedule.
   The loop currently operates with four vessels with an average capacity of 1,878 TEUs, according to BlueWater Reporting. 
   Based out of the Netherlands, NileDutch focuses on links between West Africa and the rest of the world.
   Turkish ocean carrier Turkon operates direct services in the Mediterranean, North America and Europe.
   NileDutch is the 38th largest container carrier in the world by capacity, with Turkon coming in 57th place, according to industry analyst Alphaliner.