JOC Staff | Jan 22, 2013 4:03PM EST
Pacific Direct Line has reaffirmed its commitment to serving Tahiti, in French Polynesia, following Maersk Line’s announcement that it will withdraw from the Tahiti trade.
Pacific Direct Line entered into a vessel-sharing agreement with Maersk Line two years ago. Consequently, it stopped serving Papeete, the capital of French Polynesia, with its own vessel as a direct port call, and, through the VSA, began offering a 14-day fixed schedule service.
Now that Maersk Line has withdrawn from the trade, Pacific Direct Line has chartered an R-Class vessel from its owners PIL that will be introduced to the Tahiti service “shortly,” the company said in a written statement.
The ship is 13,000 deadweight tons with a capacity of 800 20-foot-equivalent units. It has a service speed of 16 knots, which the company said is sufficient to maintain the 14-day schedule.
