Lykes Lines is introducing its Sprint service standard on the route between Mexico/United States Gulf of Mexico and the Mediterranean. The Mediterranean Sprint service will be weekly, with fixed-day sailings and transit times faster than the service it will replace: the US Gulf - Mediterranean service, which operates every nine days.
Five 2,100- to 2,400-TEU ships will be deployed on the new service. The schedule and ships will be phased in gradually, with the process completed at the end of February 2001.
"On the old service, the transit time from Valencia to New Orleans was 28 days. With Mediterranean Sprint, it will be just 18 days. Similarly, Houston to La Spezia transit times improve from 22 days to 14 days," said Tony Bruno, Lykes Lines vice-president - commercial.
Port rotation is: Miami, Veracruz, Altamira, Houston, New Orleans, Valencia, Barcelona, Gioia Tauro, La Spezia, and Miami. The new ships will be the Lykes Commander, TMM Yucatan, TMM Sonora, Contship Inspiration, and Contship Aspiration.
Lykes Lines also is upgrading its direct container service between Asia and Central and South America, called the Asia-South America Service. Two more ships have been added to increase the frequency from twice monthly to once every 10 days.
The service now has seven ships of about 1,200 TEU: Hansa Catalina, Andino, Merkur Sea, Wehr Mueden, Margaret Oldendorf, Columbus Pacific, and TMM Leon.
Port rotation is: Kaohsiung, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Pusan, Los Angeles, Manzanillo, Puerto Quetzal, Puerto Caldera, Callao, Iquique, San Antonio, Callao, Buenaventura, Puerto Caldera, Salina Cruz, Manzanillo, Los Angeles, and Kaohsiung.
