Maersk Launches Direct Australia-Indonesia Service

Maersk Line’s new direct service between Indonesia and Australia is a major coup for the port of Tanjung Priok, which handles more than half of Indonesia exports but has struggled to attract mainline calls.

The Danish carrier’s ‘Boomerang’ service utilities vesses with a capacity of 4,000 to 4,500 20-foot equivalent units. Tanjung Priork has struggled to attract mainline because of port capacity issues, driving up costs for shippers which are forced to tranship.

Maersk said last year that the lack of investment in Indonesia’s ports was stifling national economic growth.

“This direct mother vessel call will offer customers a direct product to and from Australia, and is therefore not related to any East-West trade,” said Jakob Friis Sorenson, president director of Maersk. “Cargo to and from the rest of the world will still be serviced via our extensive feeder network covering Indonesian ports.”

The port rotation of the Boomerang service is: Tanjung Priok, Tanjung Pelepas, Singapore, Fremantle, Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane.

-- Contact Mike King at michael@borderline.eu.com