WITH around five months to launch, Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd have shared an update covering finalized service maps and how the network has evolved since the announcement of the Gemini Cooperation in January 2024.

The two partners have also presented an alternative Cape of Good Hope network due to the ongoing crisis in the Red Sea, reports Greece's Container News.

Depending on which network the cooperation will phase in, the new network consists of either 27 or 29 efficient ocean mainliner services supported by an extensive network of 30 agile, intraregional shuttle services. The collaboration will comprise of either 300 or 340 vessels.

"The ambition is to deliver a flexible and interconnected ocean network with industry-leading schedule reliability above 90 per cent once fully phased in," said the companies in a joint statement.

Since Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd unveiled the new long-term collaboration in January, they have been working on finalizing the details of the operational collaboration which covers a joint ocean freight network on East-West trades.

"Reliability, connectivity and sustainability are the keywords in the networks we are presenting today, and we are pleased that we now can give our customers full transparency about how we will deliver a best-in-class ocean network so they can begin planning despite a highly dynamic situation," commented Rolf Habben Jansen, CEO of Hapag-Lloyd.

In October 2024, the Gemini Cooperation will announce which network it expects to put to sea in February 2025.

Vincent Clerc, CEO of Maersk, stated, "We are looking forward to the launch of our completely redesigned network next year, and we are happy to reconfirm that our schedule reliability target remains unchanged irrespective of which network we will phase in. We believe our collaboration will raise the bar for reliability to the benefit of our customers and set a new and very high standard in the industry."