The GCS service which connects the Middle East and China will add a call at Hamad Port in Qatar to the existing calls to Jebel Ali in Dubai and Dammam in Saudi Arabia.
The upgraded service will now also call Singapore on both east and westbound legs, rather than solely on the eastbound route as it does at present.
Related: PIL joins the World Shipping Council
The average size of vessels deployed on the service will increase to seven ships of between 4,000 and 5,200 teu from 9 January 2023 departing from Shanghai.
Tonnie Lim, Chief Trade Officer, PIL, said, “We are enhancing our GCS service to broaden PIL’s presence in Middle East, and to capitalise on the growth potential of the Middle East region. This is part of PIL’s efforts to meet the needs of its customers worldwide for a more comprehensive coverage in Middle East.
“We also aim to further strengthen our linkages from Southeast Asia. With this dedicated service, PIL continues to drive its global connectivity through the key Asian gateway of Singapore to our extensive network coverage of Middle East.
PIL joins the World Shipping Council
PIL ranks 12th largest among container lines worldwide and CEO Lars Kastrup will represent the company on WSC’s board.
“We are very pleased to welcome PIL to WSC, and we look forward to their contribution in our Councils and Working groups. As a vessel owner and direct employer of over 2,000 seafarers, PIL will bring important perspectives and insights to our work,” said John Butler, President & CEO of the WSC.
Related: PIL Appoints Lars Kastrup as chief executive officer
PIL’s Kastrup flagged-up a keenness to work with other companies on decarbonisation. “The long running pandemic, while disruptive, has highlighted the urgency for us to seek viable solutions to combat climate change, and PIL stands ready to step up its support to progress the decarbonisation and other sustainability agendas among our peers,” he said.
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