Is APL returning to ACT? [Archives:2004/769/Local News]

APL container vessel, APL Ivory, called at Aden Container Terminal on 30 August which could herald the return of APL vessels to Aden. This is the first APL mainline service vessel calling Aden after the Limburg incident in October 2002. The third generation vessel is 262 meters in overall length with a rated stow capacity of 2838 TEUs.
Up to now, APL merely feeders to Aden with the Yemen Express Service which turnaround in Salalah. APL Ivory is part of APL's weekly Red Express Service which is part of six vessels which covers the Red Sea, Gulf, Pakistan. Colombia, Singapore and Chiwan in China. At least 3 other APL's weekly mainline services plying between Asia and Europe now call at Salalah and these services had used Aden as the Middle East transshipment base in the past in Yr 2002.
Such a move by APL is expected to boost the business of Aden Container Terminal (ACT) which is currently managed by OPM Aden, LLc, an international port management company based in Singapore. OPM has projected that ACT will handle containers exceeding 300,000 TEUs this year which is a three fold increase over last year's throughput. ACT now has among its major customers Pacific International Lines (PIL) enjoying prime customer status. APL was a major customer of ACT before the Limburg incident. The Limburg incident may now be a thing of the past and this augurs well for the economic growth of the Republic of Yemen.
OPM Aden declined to comment when asked about the arrival of APL Ivory.
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